FROM a thriving business to rubble, in a matter of hours.
The sheer destruction of his facility made Island Padel’s co-founder feel like his “life had done a 180 overnight”.
Padel mania took over the Island post-pandemic and since former Wimbledon tennis star Scott Clayton founded Island Padel in 2021, participation numbers have continued to flourish.
With courts booked a week in advance, the facility has become a pillar of the sporting community.
However, situated right in the worst-impacted area of Storm Ciarán, the St Clement facility lays decimated – with no clear indication as to how long the re-building process will take.
“I don’t think any of us anticipated that the damage was going to be that substantial,” said Clayton.
“It is hard to know the real extent until the dust has settled.
“The government did a great job at making people aware of the potential dangers, in order to protect the residents as best as possible.
“It seems like the area around FB Fields and St Clement Sports Centre bore the brunt of the storm.
“My thoughts are with those in the surrounding areas to the courts, who have been displaced from their homes.
“I just hope that, as an Island, we can pull together and get back to relative normality as soon as possible.”
For a business owner, who became a father just days ago, the expectation was probably one of a shortage of sleep for the coming weeks.
But it would have been hard for Clayton to comprehend that he would awake in the early hours of the morning to discuss disaster recovery plans with his business partner, Morgan Jubb.
Despite the initial shock of the destruction, the former professional tennis player was quick to extend his gratitude to the padel community.
He added: “I have been inundated with messages.
“Like many people I didn’t get much sleep last night, but woke up to so many messages of sympathy.
“Lots of members of the padel community are extending their help in terms of clean-up and whatever they can do for us.
“I think that is one of the aspects I’m most proud of, from what we have achieved through setting up the facility.
“There is a huge sense of community and that is down to the people.
“We can only do so much, but the people who play have really bought into our vision and the ethos around the inclusive environment we wanted to create.”
A pragmatic Clayton continued: “Myself and Morgan have to remain positive.
“In times like these, we need to reflect on what we have done well and also changes we would like to make.
“We must now focus on doing everything we can to get back on track as quickly as possible. Not only for us, but also for our large community who have found a second home down at the courts.”
