Meet Harleen Kaur
Founder and Chief Exercutive, Club Ekta
Harleen Kaur is a national kickboxing champion, a world silver medalist and a trail blazer. The first British Asian Female to represent Team England in Kickboxing. She has competed on the world stage, been honoured by NatWest as Asian Sportswoman of the Year, and carried the Queen’s Baton as a Commonwealth Games Baton Bearer representing Yorkshire.
But the achievement she is most proud of? Building a space in Bradford where women who look like her finally feel like they belong.
The Journey That Led Here
Harleen’s relationship with sport began early and quickly became serious. She rose through the ranks of competitive martial arts, earning a 2nd Dan in Karate and a 1st Dan in Taekwondo alongside her kickboxing titles.
Harleen went on to represent England internationally and competed at the highest levels of her sport.
While competing at the highest level, Harleen pursued her education with the same determination, graduating from Leeds Beckett University in 2021 on a sport scholarship with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences. That combination, elite athletic experience and academic grounding in how the body and mind work, gave her something rare: the knowledge to build a fitness community that actually works for women.
Why She Built Club Ekta
Harleen had seen what sport could do for a woman’s confidence, identity, and mental strength. She had lived it. But she also saw how many women in Bradford had never had access to that experience, held back by spaces that felt unwelcoming, intimidating, or simply not designed with them in mind.
In 2021, she started simply. A weekly meet-up in a local park. A small group of women who wanted to move, connect, and feel safe doing it. No fuss, no barriers, just community.
That group grew into something nobody expected. Women of all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels found their way to Club Ekta. Word spread because the experience was different, genuinely inclusive, genuinely supportive, and genuinely fun.
Today, Club Ekta runs weekly classes in Yoga, Pilates, Reformer Pilates, Bhangra, BollyBeats Zumba, Kickboxing and more. Harleen also takes the mission around the country, working with young women to build confidence, resilience, and a lasting relationship with movement.
Her journey began with a bold idea, and through determination, dedication and expertise, she has transformed it into a thriving enterprise. As the driving force behind Club Ekta, Harleen is committed to creating positive change through movement, wellbeing, and community, ensuring every woman who joins the Club feels seen, supported, and inspired.
“Club Ekta is more than just a fitness space. It’s a movement. A place where women come together to feel strong, supported, and confident in their own skin. Every woman who joins is part of something bigger – a community of strength, unity, and empowerment.”
As Seen In
Sky Sports – Fighting Machine Harleen
Sky Sports News (Read More)
Sky Sports – Olympian advises Harleen
Sky Sports News (Read More)
Harleen on Taekwondo and gender equality
DesiBlitz Interview (Read More)
BBC Asian Network Feature Harleen
Representing Yorkshire as Queen’s Baton Bearer
Telegraph And Argus (Read More)
Starting up Club Ekta and overcoming barries
Asian Express Article (Read More)
Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers Awards
Yorkshire Evening Post (Read More)
NatWest Asian Women of Achievement Awards
Telegraph And Argus (Read More)
Ready To Join The Movement?
Whatever your starting point, there’s a place for you at Club Ekta