International Women's Day: SportsAid athletes share their hopes for gender equality

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Being selected for the England Under-21s squad after much hard work last summer is my proudest achievement. I’ve also had the chance to represent my country in hockey at multiple age groups and won a number of national titles for school at various age groups.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“Firstly, from a hockey point of view, Georgie Twigg was my inspiration for many years as I met her as a young kid with her GB kit on and that inspired me to take the sport seriously. My sister is also a massive inspiration to me. She has overcome many things and increased her confidence in herself which shows to me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. She inspires me to keep working hard every day.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“In sport, I would love to reach the Olympics one day, maybe the in 2032….I’ll be 26! In life generally, I aspire to work in digital marketing. I want to work with many of the best in the business.” 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“Not being able to wear suitable clothing during matches, fortunately that has now changed due to Tess Howard’s campaigns.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“Getting better prime time TV for certain sports. Closing the wage gap between genders in sport and offering women’s teams opportunities to play in the same stadiums and arenas as men’s teams. I would like to see more people being encouraged to go and watch live sport regardless of the gender.” 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“An ex-Great Britain men’s hockey manager, who now works at my school, told me to look after myself more and to not put too much pressure on myself in sport and in life. It’s easier said than done, but making sure that I am looking after myself more with the load, nutrition and recovery has helped me become a better athlete, and therefore, relieved some of the pressure.” 

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Representing my country. I qualified for my first international aged 13 and won Team GB’s first international Under-15s medal in history aged 14. That was a bronze at the European Championships in 2022. On a broader level, it makes me happy to inspire my three younger siblings and to strive to achieve the best in both my sport and my studies (GCSEs this year!). I am also very proud to challenge and disprove negative stereotypes to do with girls not being strong and South Asians not excelling in sport.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“The woman in sport who stands out to me is Serena Williams. Her sheer hard work, determination and never-give-up mindset are inspiring. It is great to have a woman smash racial stereotypes in a sport, blazing a the trail for other female tennis players [from diverse backgrounds]. Plus, I can relate to the hours spent training with her dad as a child!” 

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“In weightlifting, it would be the dream to go to the Olympics one day. Considering I started lifting at six-years-old and the sport therefore being an integral part of my life, my ambition would be to just live it to the fullest! My family are massively important to me. I hope one day to have a family of my own, be able to do work I enjoy and that has a positive impact, to strive for excellence in all I do, and to be happy!” 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“Having gone from being a child athlete to now becoming a young woman, I can say it can be tricky to navigate the changes that come with puberty. Hormones can cause chaos physically, mentally and emotionally, and it can be disheartening if training or competing doesn’t go as you had imagined.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“Two words: social media! Too many times it seems that young male athletes are celebrated for their ability and tangible achievements, but young female athletes’ “success” also hinges on looks. This is especially sad for young girls my age, who should be pursuing greatness in their chosen sport without the worry or unsaid expectation that they should be “marketable”. The last thing you want to be worrying about when you’re going for a personal best in the gym is if your hair is out of place, if you topped up your lip-gloss or how many followers you need to have on Instagram. If that’s what a woman is into, then that’s great, but it’s a shame when stereotypical images of gender affect girls more than boys.” 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

“The best piece of advice I’ve been given as an athlete is probably “trust the process; stick with the plan”. Sometimes it’s worth bearing in mind that whatever you think you know about other athletes and what they are doing….you can’t let it distract you. You need that laser focus, that self-belief, that faith that you are on your own path.”

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Representing Team England for beach volleyball at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago last summer. It was something I worked so hard towards all year. I was travelling down to London for regular training sessions, and making sacrifices in my personal and social life, so when I found out I was selected it was all worth it.” 

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“My sister. If it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t be playing volleyball as she started playing it first and I copied her as siblings do. I was constantly trying to beat her at everything. She inspired me to keep playing volleyball and to take it as far as I have.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“To represent England at the Commonwealth or Olympic Games. I think this would be an amazing experience and I would be so grateful and lucky to have the opportunity to do it especially following on from the Commonwealth Youth Games. It would be a really special and historic moment for Volleyball England….as England don’t qualify for the Olympics every time.”

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“The comparison of female to male sports. People believe that male sports are more aggressive and therefore more exciting to watch, which isn’t necessarily the case. Men’s sport gets so much more coverage in the media that the public don’t have as many opportunities to watch women’s sports as they do men’s. Women’s sport shouldn’t have the stereotype as being less entertaining to watch or boring just because they aren’t as physically powerful. There are different aspects to female sports and volleyball that women may highlight more than men rather than just physical strength.” 

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“Women’s sport being promoted more in the media. Nebraskas volleyball team has recently set the highest attendance at any female sports event with just over 92,000 fans attending. In England, volleyball isn’t a widely known sport because it doesn’t get the coverage it deserves. If people push for female sports to be promoted, it will inspire more young female athletes and there will be more girls taking up a sport at a young age. I believe that there should never be a restriction within sport due to gender. There shouldn’t be a stereotype that women can’t take sport seriously or that they should be taken less seriously than male athletes.”  

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

“Always believe in yourself. If you don’t think you can do it, your body won’t physically try as hard as when you convince yourself you can do it. You should always have faith in your own ability and be proud of what you’re achieving.”

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Finishing second in the world last year at the BMX racing World Championships in the 15 girls and world champion in 13-16 female cruiser. I’m also proud to be the first person on the Olympic development squad for BMX racing and BMX freestyle.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“My mum has been the biggest inspiration to me in my life because of her determination and optimism throughout everything in her life. She won Race Across Italy twice and was training for a marathon before she was diagnosed with cancer last year and passed away in September. She has been my biggest inspiration because she was optimistic throughout it all and still supported me in the last year as I went off to events.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“My biggest ambition for the future is to go to the Olympics for either BMX racing or freestyle. I would also love to just travel the world.”

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

"I think it could be better understood how intimidating it can be for females to join sport and some activities in general."

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

"I think there should be more female-only coaching sessions and more focus on female strength and conditioning."

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? 

"You shouldn’t compare yourself to your male counterparts but you shouldn’t underestimate yourself just because you are a female." 

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Competing in a world tour of para surfing at the same time as having to come back to the UK each month to go to hospital for my autoimmune disease that was only diagnosed three years ago (on top of my cerebral palsy) and then coming second overall.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“Recently, world champion surfer Pauline Menczer reached out to me and invited me to stay in her digs in Byron Bay to help reduce my competition costs in 2023. That's real understanding and kindness. Pauline was world champion at a time when women received very little recognition, no prize money, no sponsorship and were often maligned for being in a "man's sport". Not only that, Pauline had really bad rheumatoid arthritis, a really significant autoimmune disease, all throughout her career and regularly had to escape from hospital to compete. She gets it. I'll think of Pauline and her kindness whenever I compete this year.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“I'm a high support needs athletes which means I compete with assistance from other surfers and coaches. I'd like to set up a charity to cover the costs of support staff so their athletes can just focus on fundraising for themselves - every contest costs three times as much for me because I cover support staff costs and it's the same for my competitors. I'd love to take that burden off myself and others and encourage young coaches to sign up as assistants to get experience of high-level competition.” 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“I've only ever had male coaches and it's incredibly difficult. Differences in communication styles, the way we process emotions is often very different which can lead to misunderstandings. I'm always told I'm bossy, instead of a good leader, demanding instead of honest about my needs, too intense or passionate instead of focused on my sporting goals.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“I would like a female manager and one good female coach, not just a member of staff in a caring role. Just one, for the para surfing team.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“That it's okay to cry. As a woman I never did because I didn't want to make the male sporting staff surrounding me uncomfortable.”

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?

"My biggest achievement so far within Short Track Speed Skating is becoming the junior girls British record holder within the 500m. Elise Christie held this record before me for many years."

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you?

"Within sport, I would say my biggest inspiration to date would be Emily Campbell. She is a great person to talk to about anything and everything - even if it’s not sport-related....and also just being able to see her achieve in such a unique way. I hope I will also be able to do this one day too. Outside of sport, I would say my biggest inspiration would be my mum, mainly because she is so supportive and always wants to achieve."

What is your biggest ambition for the future?

"It would be to qualify for the Olympic Games. I think this would be a very good experience but also a massive achievement for me."

What's the best advice you've been given?

"That you’ve always got to work hard and be confident within yourself to get the best out of yourself. This will also help to achieve more goals which is likely to make you mentally believe in yourself." 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public?

"That the wider public always assume that women and men are the same when in reality they are never going to achieve the same results in the same way. Females are totally different to males in terms of how they need to train and adapt in order to make improvements." 

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

"I would like to see more equality in areas like uniforms/team kit, sponsorship opportunities and prize money. I think personally both genders should get the same opportunity in having their say." 

What is your proudest achievement in life so far? 

"When I made the Great Britain Under-16s squad in 2022 for the European Championships in Montenegro whilst still being an Under-14s player. And I have also continued to represent GB every summer since then. It is a huge opportunity and I’m very grateful." 

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

"My mother has been my biggest inspiration. She motivates me to do my absolute best and is an extremely determined and driven woman. I appreciate all that she does for me on a day-to-day basis." 

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

"To enrol onto a D1 college in America, then to develop and make it to the WNBA or to play in Europe."

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

"Some of the challenges women face are gender stereotypes and discrimination in their sport. I wish this was better understood by the wider public so that women could enjoy and maximise their time within the sport without thinking about what other people are thinking." 

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

"The pay gap between the opposing genders. I believe that this will happen eventually but if we actively seek to change it we can speed up the progress and further bring gender equality to sport."

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

"To be a good person and strive to be the best in everything I do and always be grateful to God."

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Representing my country on a global scale at the World Championships at Under-20s level in Colombia. Also, medalling at the British Senior Championships in my first year as an Under-23….picking up a silver indoors and bronze outdoors. Additionally, having my artwork presented in the Zari gallery in London. I consider them to be my greatest achievements both on the track and in my artistic career.”  

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“A woman who has inspired me in my sport has been Sha'carri Richardson in the way she is unapologetically herself and has elevated the sporting world in her unconventional fashion. Being an artist myself and interested in fashion, I've elevated my looks on the track too by designing my own arm sleeves, handmade paintings of myself on my arm and England Roses too. In the future, I hope I can work with a brand so that I can express my personality through looks just as she does with Nike.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“It has always has been to make my family proud and anyone that has supported me from when I was younger. I want to reach any athletes dream of calling themselves an Olympian, along with a fruitful career of making as many senior teams, whether it be at Worlds, Europeans or Commonwealth Games. I aim to inspire a new British generation of sprint hurdlers by the time I'm done and to do it in style. Personally, I want to be remembered as one of the fastest British hurdlers in history and someone who did it with grace, integrity and great hair.” 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“Body image gets brought up a lot into conversations more than it should. As women, our bodies go through a lot each month with our cycles so then having to manage that and train as an elite athlete, is something that should be spoken about rather than seen as an embarrassing subject. Issues like this remind me of an interview with an England footballer I watched about her saying she can go through all the mindfulness training she wants before a match but all that goes away when you put the whole team in white kit without acknowledging female concerns in regards to periods. I believe this highlights the need for women to be part of more discussions in all aspects of sport.”  

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“Luckily in athletics we have great female role models and are dominating the track and field just as much as - or sometimes even more - than men. I'm grateful that I can see that but believe it's only because I follow the sport closely. Therefore, I think there needs to be more media coverage for all sports so young girls can turn on their TVs and see themselves, and also the women that are breaking boundaries are rightfully celebrated in the fact that they have been recognised globally.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“That being a female athlete is a powerful and unique gift that I should celebrate, and should celebrate other female athletes where I can, in a culture that is so comparative.” 

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“It would be representing my country at Europeans and achieving a silver medal.” 

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“Katherine Torrance has always been one of my inspirations as she is an amazing springboard diver and I am now lucky enough to be a part of her training group in Leeds.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“My ambition would be to continue representing GB at competitions and hopefully be successful at those competitions.”

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“One big challenge would be menstruation as a female especially in an aesthetic sport, but luckily female divers have been given education into everything that surrounds that topic to allow us to manage.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“One change I would like to see is more female athlete representation in the media.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

“A piece of advice I’ve been given would be that anything is possible, and being a female doesn’t stop me putting 100% effort into everything I do.”  

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“It must be winning gold at the British Championships for the first time as a Senior Tumbler last September. I think it’s my proudest achievement so far because I felt like I made my mark as a senior and proved to everyone that I can consistently stay on top.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“I would say that my sister would be my biggest inspiration to me as she understands me in a way no one else does, as well as always being there for me, through everything.” 

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“To be selected and compete at the World Games! The competition only happens once every four years and there are very limited spots. It’s like the Olympics for Tumbling! Another ambition of mine is to potentially be a part of Cirque du Soleil - travelling the world and performing. But in general, I just want to be happy and successful in anything I do!” 

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“How difficult it is to train and perform as a female athlete while our body is changing due to hormones, puberty and menstrual cycles. Most of the time, it is extremely difficult to adapt the way you train. And on top of all that, there is a huge amount of the judgment and shame that comes around this topic.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

“To do what I want and to follow my heart….because it’s quite literally impossible to please everyone.”

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Definitely being selected to play for Team England at the Commonwealth Youth Games [Trinidad and Tobago 2023]. Every time I’ve been selected for a competition, I have been over the moon…however this one was very special because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we wouldn’t get again and I got to win a bronze medal alongside some of my best friends.” 

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“To play for the England Vitality Roses and to play Superleague. My England ambition is definitely the biggest though….also getting a contract to go to Australia has always been a dream of mine.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“My biggest inspiration would be my mum. She is so hard-working and has always put me and my netball first.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“I would like to see more coverage of female sport, and more effort in general, to make it equal to the men’s.” 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“Probably to not be too hard on yourself as a woman….especially as there are a lot of different stresses that we get put under - not by choice - so we have to learn to work around it and accept it.”

What is your proudest achievement in life so far?   

“Representing England in a major tournament – the European Championships at Under-17s level.”

Which woman has been the biggest inspiration to you? 

“Keira Walsh and Serena Williams. A champion is not defined by their wins, but how they recover when they fall. I always believe I can beat the best and achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.”

What is your biggest ambition for the future? 

“Sign a full professional contract or continue to represent England through the age groups.

What are the types of challenges female athletes experience that you wish were better understood by the wider public? 

“ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injuries as they are so much more common within female footballers and the women's game.”

What changes would you like to see in sport and society to further gender equality?

“Equal pay in sport/society for doing the same occupation. Level of respect from external people to athletes.” 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

“Stay in your own lane, ignore what everyone else is doing or achieving. Focus on you. Work hard.”