Episodes

  • 41: Paris 2024 Olympic Preview: Joanna Rowsell

    41: Paris 2024 Olympic Preview: Joanna Rowsell
    Jul 23 2024
    This year marks Women in Sport’s 40th anniversary and we've relaunched our podcast!

    This week the world’s top athletes will gather in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.

    Few of us will ever know what its like to represent our country in elite sport. Fewer still will know the feeling of standing on the podium whilst the national anthem plays.

    Joanna Rowsell MBE knows exactly what this is like. She has two gold medals - one from London in 2012 and the other from Rio in 2016 – both in the Team Pursuit.
    Add to that, five World Championship titles, multiple World Cup Gold medals and a standing world record, also in Team Pursuit.

    Presenter: Julia George

    Watch and listen to the BBC commentary of Joanna's moment of Olympic glory:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/olympics/19127475
    Copyright BBC 1984

    ****

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise.

    Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    DONATE and support our work here

    Find out more about us here

    Follow Us
    Instagram – Instagram.com/womeninsport_uk

    X – x.com/womeninsport_uk

    LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/women-in-sport

    TikTok – tiktok.com/@womeninsport


    Acknowledgments
    Thank you to David Prest at Whistledown Productions for the technical help and use of the studio to record this podcast.

    Edited and mixed by Steven George

    Music: Luna Cantina - A Huevo
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    30 mins
  • 40: Paris 2024 Olympic Preview: Tessa Sanderson

    40: Paris 2024 Olympic Preview: Tessa Sanderson
    Jul 16 2024
    This year marks Women in Sport’s 40th anniversary and we've relaunched our podcast!

    It’s July 2024. In just a few weeks, the world’s top athletes will gather in Paris for the 2024 Games.

    We’ll be watching on - in wonder - at the human endeavour, the glory and the heartbreak.

    What all that feels like is the stuff of dreams for most of us.
    Today's guest is a woman who lived that dream.

    Tessa Sanderson CBE is a British Olympic icon. She represented Great Britain at six Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in the javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics setting a new Olympic record and making history as the first black British woman to win Olympic gold.

    Presenter: Julia George

    Watch and listen to the BBC commentary of Tessa's moment of Olympic glory:
    1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games - Women's Javelin (youtube.com)
    Copyright BBC 1984


    ****

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise.

    Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    DONATE and support our work here

    Find out more about us here

    Follow Us
    Instagram – Instagram.com/womeninsport_uk

    X – x.com/womeninsport_uk

    LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/women-in-sport

    TikTok – tiktok.com/@womeninsport


    Acknowledgments
    Follow Tessa on X - x.com/tessasanderson

    Thank you to David Prest at Whistledown Productions for the technical help and use of the studio to record this podcast.

    Edited and mixed by Steven George

    Music: Luna Cantina - A Huevo
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    32 mins
  • 39: General Election Special: Tackling Heath Inequalities

    39: General Election Special: Tackling Heath Inequalities
    Jun 27 2024
    This year marks Women in Sport’s 40th anniversary. We've relaunched our podcast to coincide with the 2024 UK General Election.

    Women and girls belong in sport. But we are less active than men and boys at every stage of our lives.

    27% of women do less than 30 minutes of sporting activity a week. Just 3% of women play in a sports team. 22% fewer girls than boys take part in team sport.

    Stigma, prejudice and taboos about sport, gender and health are holding women and girls back.

    This episode of our podcast looks at how we help the UK step up and recognise the value and importance of sport to women and girls.

    [Warning: There is a section midway through this episode where there's a bit of swearing]

    Presenter:
    Julia George, journalist, broadcaster and former gymnast

    Guests:
    Gary Leybourne the CEO of Coach Core, a charity which creates sports coaching apprenticeships across the UK.

    Rachel Williams works for Women in Sport in policy and public affairs, managing our relationships with politicians, decision-makers and government.

    Dr Bella Smith was labelled ‘not particularly sporty’ at school now she’s a passionate distance runner and is a co-founder of The Well HQ, a movement that aims to help girls and women feel they truly belong in sport.

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise.

    Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    DONATE and support our work here

    Find out more about us here

    Follow Us
    Instagram – Instagram.com/womeninsport_uk

    X – x.com/womeninsport_uk

    LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/women-in-sport

    TikTok – tiktok.com/@womeninsport

    Thank you to David Prest at Whistledown Productions for the use of the studio to record this podcast.

    Recorded and mixed by Steven George

    Music: Luna Cantina - A Huevo
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    29 mins
  • 38: General Election Special: Stamping out misogyny

    38: General Election Special: Stamping out misogyny
    Jun 26 2024
    This year marks Women in Sport’s 40th anniversary. We've relaunched our podcast to coincide with the 2024 UK General Election.

    Women and girls belong in sport. But misogyny is a significant barrier. We believe that when sport includes women and girls it helps tackle health inequalities. In this podcast we’re tackling what needs to be done to eradicate misogyny from sport, and society in general.

    Presenter:
    Julia George, journalist, broadcaster and former gymnast

    Guests:
    Fiona Scolding KC has worked in education law for over 20 years, notably as lead counsel to three different investigations at the Independent Inquiry for Child Sexual Abuse.

    Ugo Monye is a rugby union international, who was capped 14 times for England and played 241 times for Harlequins, winning the Premiership title in 2012 before retiring in 2015.

    Rachel Williams leads our work on developing policy positions and on our relationship with political and policymaking stakeholders across the UK and at all levels of government.


    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise.

    Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    DONATE and support our work here

    Find out more about us here

    Follow Us
    Instagram – Instagram.com/womeninsport_uk

    X – x.com/womeninsport_uk

    LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/women-in-sport

    TikTok – tiktok.com/@womeninsport

    Thank you to Emily Finch at Whistledown Productions for the use of the studio to record this podcast.

    Recorded and mixed by Steven George

    Music: Luna Cantina - A Huevo
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    28 mins
  • 37: General Election Special: Why 50/50 leadership in sport is bl**dy obvious!

    37: General Election Special: Why 50/50 leadership in sport is bl**dy obvious!
    Jun 25 2024
    This year marks Women in Sport’s 40th anniversary.

    Women and girls belong in sport. But they are less active than men at every stage of their lives. It’s worse if you’re a woman of colour.

    Elite male athletes are celebrated for their strength and skill, whilst women are still often discussed in terms of their appearance and their relationships. And their pay and rewards still lag far behind.

    In this episode, we’re tackling what needs to be done make sport fair for women and girls, in the playground, on the pitch, and in the boardroom. In particular:

    • What is gender budgeting and why sport so desperately needs it
    • Why 50-50 leadership is vital in sport (and elsewhere)
    • How 50-50 visibility can give more girls a chance to dream
    Presenter:
    Julia George, journalist, broadcaster and former gymnast

    Guests:
    Ali Donnelly, who is the CEO of More Than Equal, a new organisation which aims to get more women competing at the very top end of motorsport.
    Rachel Williams leads Women in Sport’s relationships with politicians and policymakers across the UK and at all levels of government.
    Brian Moore is a former rugby union international, who played 64 times for England as a hooker.

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise.

    Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    DONATE and support our work here

    Find out more about us here

    Follow Us
    Instagram – Instagram.com/womeninsport_uk

    X – x.com/womeninsport_uk

    LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/women-in-sport

    TikTok – tiktok.com/@womeninsport

    More Than Equal Website

    Thank you to Whistledown Productions for the use of their studio to record this podcast.

    Recorded and mixed by Steven George

    Music: Luna Cantina - A Huevo
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    30 mins
  • 36: What sport taught me about championing change

    36: What sport taught me about championing change
    Jan 31 2023
    Minette Batters is President of the National Farmer's Union, the first women to hold the post in the organisation's 115 year history. Alongside leading the NFU, which represents more than 46,000 farming and growing businesses, Minette runs a family farm in Wiltshire. 

    She chats to us about the impact that sport has had on her life. The skills she acquired through playing team sport at school which has given her the ability to lead a team, communicate effectively and provided her with the resilience to overcome adversity and failure. 

    Minette also talks about her love of running and her passion for protecting and championing green spaces so that more people are able to enjoy being active in nature. 

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    Find out more about us here
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    35 mins
  • 35: Rugby League World Cup 2021: A Lasting Legacy

    35: Rugby League World Cup 2021: A Lasting Legacy
    Dec 12 2022
    The Rugby League World Cup 2021 made history with Women's, Wheelchair and Men’s teams competing concurrently at the tournament. For the first time in a major tournament all participants were paid the same participation fee and given equal standard of accommodation, transport, and training facilities.

    Also, in a watershed moment for the women's game, every match was broadcast live on the BBC and promoted to a new generation of players and supporters.

    So, what has this tournament done to inspire change, both at the elite and grassroots ends of the game?

    To discuss the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, we're joined by: England International Jodie Cunningham, Stacey Knight Non-Exec Director, Rugby League World Cup 2021 and Tracey Power the tournament's Social Impact Director.

    Thank you to our podcast sponsor CSM Live
    Cover Image: SWPix

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    Find out more about us here
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    45 mins
  • 34: #TimeTogether: Inspiring mums and daughters to be active together

    34: #TimeTogether: Inspiring mums and daughters to be active together
    Oct 25 2022
    When researching the lives of teenage girls Women in Sport uncovered the powerful relationship that exists between mums and daughters. Teenage girls view their mum or mum figure as someone that they want to be active with, without the fear of judgement. This led to the creation of Women in Sport's #TimeTogether campaign. 

    We know that: 

    • 6 out of 10 teenage girls are not meeting the physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes activity per day

    • 1.3 million teenage girls opt out of sport when transitioning from primary to secondary school due to puberty, confidence and supportive environments. 

    • 48% of girls tell us their mum encourages and supports them to be active. Yet women in midlife are time poor
    In this episode we'll explore some of the barriers that prevent girls from being active and explore how mums/mum figures can be part of the solution.

    We're joined by Kate Nicholson, Head of Insight and Innovation at Women in Sport, Kirsty McNab, CEO Scottish Sport's Futures and her teenage daughter Ella.

    About Women in Sport

    Women in Sport was founded in 1984 and its vision is that no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport and exercise. Recognising that gender stereotypes and institutional bias are holding women back in life and in sport, the charity’s purpose is to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part and inspire her to do so.

    Find out more about us here
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    36 mins