What you see, you can be. Maybe, but it takes a little more groundwork – and teamwork – than that. See, it’s not just the women and athletes making headlines who are changing the face of women in sport, it’s the ones at work behind the scenes, too. In boardrooms, studios, gyms and at trackside, women are flexing their leadership muscles.
Whether it’s challenging legislation, developing programmes or changing the game from grassroots level up, women are getting things done. You may not know their names or faces, but they’re working their socks off to improve things for women and girls of all abilities, from nervous new cyclists to Olympic champions.
Here, we celebrate the unsung heroes making a difference.
01 Eloisse Moller
Eloise has spent the last five years developing in-house gyms and sports programmes for London-wide charity The Single Homeless Project, which gives vulnerable older people the benefits of sport via accessible activities, ranging from yoga to boxing. Her women-only sessions have raised female participation by 86%.
LK SAYS…
“Eloise has brought sport into the lives of older Londoners who are dealing with homelessness.”
02 Danielle Riley
A former competitive cyclist, Danielle grew up in a family where cycling was their life. Now a full-time police officer, she travels the length and breadth of Britain to deliver courses for British Cycling in her free time. She’s also a keen member of British Cycling North West’s board and women’s strategy group.
LK SAYS…
“Pedal-powered police officer Danielle has inspired hundreds of women to get into cycling, many for the first time.”
03 Salma Bi
Born in Pakistan, Salma refused to let cultural and family resistance to women’s sport prevent her from establishing Birmingham’s first all-Asian cricket team, becoming an umpire and senior coach and encouraging thousands more women and girls to get involved. Awarded a British Empire Medal for services to cricket and diversity in sport, she also works as a full-time nurse at a Birmingham hospital.
LK SAYS…
“Mother of four and part-time coach Salma has introduced more than 1,000 Asian girls to cricket.”
04 Chelsea Warr
As Director of Performance at UK sport, Chelsea has spent more than 20 years discovering and developing Olympic champions like Helen Glover, Tom Daley and Lizzy Yarnold, and saw Team GB jump from 36th place on the medal table at Atlanta 1996 to second at Rio 2016. Now back in her native Australia, her eyes are firmly fixed on Brisbane 2032.
LK SAYS…
“Chelsea’s eye for athletic potential lifted Team GB to new heights at the Rio Olympics.”
05 Dr Emma Ross
Having worked in elite sport for more than a decade, Emma co-founded the online platform The Well HQ to help active women and those who support them. Knowledge is power, and that’s something coaches, athletes and sports practitioners need more of. Emma tackles the women’s health taboos that are too often ignored, from the menstrual cycle to mental health issues, breast health through to pelvic-floor function.
LK SAYS…
“Emma is on a mission to help improve women’s health, happiness and performance levels.”
06 Anita White
Anita led the England women’s hockey team to a storming victory in the 1975 Hockey World Cup, inspiring the schoolgirls who were watching from the stands. After gaining 142 caps at county and international level, she went on to set up the Anita White Foundation to champion other female leaders in sport. As the chair of the Women’s Sports Foundation, which became the charity Women in Sport, she also helped to pioneer the landmark Brighton Declaration treaty, which fought for equality for Women in Sport.
LK SAYS…
“A brilliant former hockey international, Anita paved the way for future generations of sportswomen.”
07 Alice Dearing
When she’s not racking up lengths or gracing the pages of Vogue, Alice is busy breaking down the barriers, stigmas and narratives that stop 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in England from taking to the water. She co-founded the Black Swimmers’ Association to promote swimming as a life skill for all, especially those of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage.
LK SAYS…
“Team GB’s first black female swimmer is now helping others to take the plunge.”
