The Game Changers: Recent Episodes
Sue Anstiss
In this award-winning podcast Sue Anstiss talks to trailblazers in women sport.
These are the individuals who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls everywhere.
Along with openly sharing their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode explores key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
We’re incredibly grateful to Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery award.
You can find out more at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
The Game Changers podcast: Fearless Women in Sport
“When I first walked into the FA, I felt completely out of place - like an alien at someone else’s party. The culture was so unfamiliar that I doubted whether I belonged at all. But by finding allies and quietly building a team who believed in change, I realised I could make an impact.”
Baroness Sue Campbell is one of the most influential leaders in British sport, a woman whose entire career has been driven by a single mission: to use sport to change lives. Recorded live at the Leaders in Sport 2025 Summit, this conversation revisits her extraordinary impact at the FA, her pivotal role in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph and her new chapter chairing England Netball.
She talks openly about resilience rooted in moral purpose and the power of authentic leadership. We explore how staying focused on her mission, and not personal ego, has carried her through moments of doubt, sexism and deep personal challenge.
Sue speaks movingly about the Lionesses’ journey, working with Sarina Wiegman and the unforgettable night at Wembley when years of pressure and self-doubt melted into joy.
But she also warns of the current “illusion” of success in women’s sport, urging urgent investment in the ‘missing middle’ - the semi-professional pathways that must be strengthened if young women are truly to build sustainable careers in sport.
Now leading England Netball, Sue shares her passion for growing the sport’s profile and protecting the unique culture that makes women’s sport so special - community, safety, authenticity and connection.
Her message for future leaders is clear and compelling: stay authentic, find your purpose, learn relentlessly and never underestimate the power of one determined individual to change the world.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“We’re at an inflection point - fans, sponsors and the next generation are demanding better. Sport has to decide what future it wants.”
On today’s must listen episode of The Game Changers podcast, pioneering human rights lawyer and Athlead CEO Kat Craig explores how sport can change the world, yet why it too often simply replicates its worst injustices.
Kat offers a compelling blueprint from a world-leading voice: how to move from statements to structure and build safer, fairer sport for everyone.
Driven by what she calls an “allergic reaction to injustice”, Kat charts her path from frontline human rights legal work to a decade inside the sports system, and explains why she founded AthLead, to turn athlete voice, sport-for-good strategy and rights-based governance into meaningful, lasting culture change.
Kat doesn’t shy away from hard truths. Sport’s centralised power and insularity, she argues, create blind spots that silence those most harmed by discrimination and abuse.
We also dive into athlete activism in a polarised era where authenticity matters more than ever, and why better gender balance has the potential to transform sport at every level.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Ramla Ali: Fighting for Change
“I carried the hopes of a nation into the ring - but also the dreams of every young girl who’d been told no.”
Boxer, Olympian, model and UNICEF UK ambassador Ramla Ali shares her extraordinary journey from fleeing conflict in Somalia to making history in the boxing ring. The first Somali, male or female, to compete for a world title, Ramla’s story is one of resilience, representation and the relentless pursuit of change.
In this conversation with Sue Anstiss, Ramla reflects on a recent visit to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya where she witnessed both the devastating impact of aid cuts and the extraordinary hope of young women determined to build a better future. She speaks openly about her own family’s escape from Somalia, the courage of her parents and the sacrifices that shaped her life in the UK.
Ramla reveals how she discovered boxing almost by accident, keeping her training secret from her family until they came to embrace her achievements with pride. She discusses what it meant to walk into the Olympic arena carrying Somalia’s flag and the trail she’s blazed for others to follow. Ramla talks proudly of the power of Sisters Club, the organisation she founded to give women and girls safe access to sport.
From walking into a Boxercise class as a teenager to being the subject of an upcoming Hollywood film, Ramla has consistently challenged stereotypes and redefined what’s possible. Whether in the ring, in fashion, or in refugee camps, Ramla uses her platform to inspire change and to call for dignity, opportunity and equality for all.
This is the story of a fighter whose greatest victories extend far beyond sport.
Ramla Ali is a UNICEF UK Ambassador. Join UNICEF UK and write to your MP today to prioritise children in the UK aid budget here.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Paralympic champion turned open-water pioneer Melanie Barratt shares her extraordinary story of resilience, courage and reinvention. Born with severe visual impairment, Melanie rose to the top of British swimming before stepping away from elite competition to explore new challenges.
In 2024, Melanie made history as the first blind woman to swim the English Channel solo - an achievement she says means even more to her than her Paralympic gold medals.
In this powerful conversation with Sue Anstiss, Melanie reflects on the joy of discovering water as a child, the pressures and triumphs of Atlanta and Sydney and why she walked away at the height of her career. She explains how open water swimming became her “happy place,” and why conquering the Channel was truly life-changing.
Melanie also talks about “blind pride,” her golden prosthetic eye and the importance of representation, as well as her current mission to make open water events more accessible for swimmers with disabilities. Her story is one of breaking barriers, redefining limits and finding empowerment in nature.
A conversation that will inspire us all to believe we can overcome fear and dive headfirst into whatever challenge calls us next.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Why are we still telling female rugby coaches they are ‘not ready’ to coach at the highest levels of the women’s game, when we then say to male players ‘you can go straight into professional coaching when you come off the field’?
This is just one of the thought-provoking questions Giselle Mather tackles on today’s episode of The Game Changers podcast.
Giselle is one of the most influential and pioneering figures in rugby. A former
England international and World Cup winner, Giselle's extraordinary coaching
career has seen her consistently break new ground in the sport.
Giselle was the first woman to earn the RFU’s Level 4 coaching qualification and has gone on to lead at the very highest levels of both the men’s and women’s professional game.
In this candid conversation, Giselle relives the raw early years of the women’s
game, from the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 to lifting the trophy in 1994,
and explains how those experiences forged a coaching philosophy that puts the human before the athlete.
Combining elite coaching with a busy family life as a mother of three, Giselle has coached at Wasps, London Irish, Teddington, Ealing Trailfinders and internationally as a coach for England Women and Head Coach for Team GB Women’s Rugby 7s, along with the inaugural Women’s Barbarians.
Giselle shares how she’s earned respect in men’s environments, the principles that underpin her sessions and the leadership needed to build diverse staff teams where every player can connect and thrive.
We talk about how visibility is the fastest route to equality for women’s rugby,
why elite athletes deserve the very best qualified coaches and how blunt gender quotas in coaching can backfire.
Renowned for her vision, passion and commitment to developing people, Giselle has inspired players and coaches across generations. She’s an extraordinary leader on and off the pitch.
Next week's guest is Somali professional boxer, model and campaign activist - Ramla Ali
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Emma Wilson: Flying on Foils, Keeping the Joy
“Two bronzes, two completely different emotions. Tokyo was joy. Paris… it broke me inside. It’s taken a long time to process and move forward.”
Emma Wilson is transforming the face of British windsurfing. A world champion at every age group, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, and now the youngest Briton ever to claim a senior world title, Emma talks openly about the highs and lows of life on the water.
She reflects on growing up in a family of elite athletes, the sibling rivalry that drove her forward and the tough leap from youth prodigy to senior racing. Emma relives the joy of her first Olympic medal, the heartbreak of Paris 2024 and the resilience it took to come back stronger as world number one.
From mastering the switch to foiling and the crashes that followed to rediscovering the fun that first inspired her, Emma’s story is one of courage, reinvention and embracing joy.
A fearless competitor with an infectious love for her sport, Emma Wilson is proof that when you protect that joy, the medals will follow.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
How does it feel when images of one of the world’s most famous athletes go viral… and she’s wearing your brand?
That’s the first thing we asked Mari Thomas-Welland on today’s episode of The Game Changers, after Serena Williams shared gym photos wearing the Maaree sports bra.
Mari is a sports engineer turned founder who has reimagined women’s performance wear using science rather than guesswork. It’s a brilliant conversation about innovation, body confidence and the importance of evidence-based design for women's bodies.
From early lab work at Loughborough University to a DIY prototype that led to her patented Overband® technology, Mari shares how understanding real breast movement was the key to creating a sports bra that truly supports comfort and control.
We explore the myths of bra sizing, the realities of being a female entrepreneur and how access to sports bras could transform teenage girls participation in sport and physical activity.
There are now over 250 episodes of The Game Changers, all free to listen on every podcast platform or via fearlesswomen.co.uk.
Next week’s guest: Emma Wilson, windsurfing sensation and current world number one.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“It’s so easy to chase perfection, but it doesn’t exist. The whole world is built on imperfection - and that’s what makes it beautiful.”
It was our privilege to talk to World Cup winner and Bristol Bears tighthead Sarah Bern for today's episode of The Game Changers podcast as she relives that history-making day at Twickenham and what's to follow.
Sarah candidly traces her journey from a teenager wrestling with body image to a visible role model for strong, muscular women. Authentic on and off the pitch, Sarah shares how Ilona Maher’s arrival at Bristol Bears helped her find her own voice on social media - a powerful tool to drive change and open vital commercial doors for female athletes.
Sarah takes us behind the scenes - sharing what it's feels like in an England scrum or waiting in the tunnel walk to walk out in front of 82,000 fans.
We also talk about the crossover of fashion and women's sport with the launch of her own clothing label - Below the Shoulder - with her teammates, a Vogue photoshoot and how Red Roses merchandise has been selling out in stores.
Looking ahead, Sarah calls for true equality across sport as we judge female athletes by what happens on the pitch, not by their appearance.
Her legacy goal is simple and powerful - to help women feel comfortable in their own skin so they can attack life with purpose and joy.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In series 21 we’re shining a light on the trailblazing women who are transforming sport and society.
You’ll hear from Baroness Sue Campbell, one of the most respected and influential figures in British sport, as she candidly shares her leadership journey and lessons learnt from time working in Olympic and Paralympic Sport, Women’s football and now as Chair of England Netball.
We meet Melanie Barratt, the Paralympic swimmer who made history last year as the first blind woman to swim the English Channel, as she tells her remarkable story of courage and determination.
Champion boxer, fashion model and UNICEF UK ambassador Ramla Ali opens up about her extraordinary journey from refugee to Olympian and global role model.
Entrepreneur Mari Thomas-Welland shares how she founded Maaree sports bras, creating innovative kit that empowers women to move with confidence and we hear about what happened when global icon Serena Williams shared photos of her in the Maree sports bra.
Rugby pioneer, and World Cup winner, Giselle Mather reveals the lessons she’s learned from a career that’s broken new ground as both player and professional coach in the men’s and women’s game.
Olympic windsurfing sensation Emma Wilson talks about her meteoric rise to the top of world sailing, the heartbreak of Paris 2024 and the resilience it takes to compete at the highest level whilst retaining your sense of self.
Award winning, human rights lawyer Kat Craig discusses her mission to protect athletes and hold sport to account on the issues that matter most.
And World Cup winning rugby player Sarah Bern reflects on her experiences in elite rugby and her ambition to redefine what strength really means for women and girls.
Join us as we uncover the stories behind the headlines and explore what it means to drive real change in sport.
The Game Changers is free to listen to on all podcast platforms or from our website at fearlesswomen.co.uk. That’s also where you’ll find details of the Women’s Sport Collective, our free, inclusive community for 14,000 women working in sport.
Thank you to Sport England, who support The Game Changers podcast and the Women’s Sport Collective through a National Lottery Award.
Inspiring conversations with fearless women in sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Lucy Adams has spent her life on a skateboard – but it’s her impact off the ramps that’s transforming the sport forever. From being one of only a handful of women in UK skateboarding in the ’90s to leading the charge for equity and inclusion today, Lucy has carved out a path where others once shut the door.
In this raw and inspiring conversation, Lucy shares what it’s really like to break into a male-dominated sport, fight for recognition and push for a future where every girl feels welcome on a skateboard.
In this episode, Lucy reveals:
- The grit it took to thrive in a sport where women were often invisible
- Why representation matters – and what it means to truly belong in skateboarding
- The battles to make skateboarding safer, more accessible, and more inclusive
- How she’s helping rewrite the rules for the next generation of skaters
- The emotional highs and lows of being a pioneer in a sport that wasn’t built for you
From small-town skate parks to global stages, Lucy Adams has paved the way for thousands of women and girls to ride free. This is the story of resilience, rebellion and reshaping a sport for good.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Diane Edwards (Modahl) was one of Britain’s brightest middle-distance stars, a Commonwealth gold medallist and four-time Olympian whose remarkable career was thrown into turmoil when she was wrongly accused of doping in 1994. What followed was a devastating two-year battle to clear her name – a fight that cost her financially, emotionally, and professionally – but could not break her spirit.
In this compelling and emotional conversation, Diane shares:
- Growing up in Manchester as the daughter of Jamaican parents and discovering her talent for athletics
- The golden years of her career, winning Commonwealth gold and setting a British record over 800m
- The traumatic moment her life changed forever when she was falsely accused of doping
- The brutal cost – financially, emotionally, and reputationally – of proving her innocence
- Why she still hasn’t received an apology from UK Athletics to this day
- Her remarkable resilience in returning to international competition and representing Great Britain again
- The powerful work she now leads to create opportunities for young people in sport
This is a story of extraordinary talent, unthinkable injustice, and relentless determination to fight for truth and fairness in sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest on The Game Changers today is Sally Horrox, Chief of Women’s Rugby at World Rugby.
Sally has an incredible track record in transforming women’s sports. A former non-executive director of England Netball, advisor the FA, UEFA and other international football federations, Sally played a leading role in the creation of the Netball Super League AND the FA Women’s Super League.
An expert in the professional and commercial development of women’s sport, Sally has worked internationally on major projects in women's football, tennis and netball, understanding first-hand how to create and develop professional leagues, major events and commercial partnerships.
At World Rugby Sally leads the Women in Rugby team, collaborating with colleagues across the sport to accelerate women in rugby on, and off the field.
In this fascinating hour we explore what it takes to truly accelerate progress for women’s rugby – and women’s sport – worldwide, from creating professional pathways to building commercial success and driving global participation.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"Women in sport shouldn’t have to choose between motherhood and their career. We need real investment, policies and understanding to make both possible."
England netball legend Eboni Usoro-Brown (formerly Beckford-Chambers) wore the red dress 117 times across an extraordinary 15-year career, including that unforgettable Commonwealth Games gold in 2018.
A trailblazer on and off the court, Eboni has combined elite sport with a career in law, championed dual careers, and inspired so many through her return to professional netball after becoming a mother.
In this episode of The Game Changers podcast, Eboni shares her remarkable journey as we go behind the scenes of England’s dramatic 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold and explore the resilience and mental toughness needed to stay at the top for over a decade.
Eboni talks why every athlete needs a “Plan B”, the reality of returning to professional sport after pregnancy and her thoughts on the future of the Netball Super League.
Having been a massive fan of Eboni's for many years, Sue loved this powerful and inspiring conversation about chasing your dreams, overcoming challenges and leaving a legacy that opens doors for others.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"Missing Olympic selection again broke me, but it reminded me I'm more than a rugby player."
Today on The Game Changers podcast it's our absolute joy to talk to Scottish rugby star Rhona Lloyd, who shares her remarkable journey from a young girl defying stereotypes to becoming one of Scotland’s fastest and most dynamic players.
With 57 caps and 25 tries for her country, Rhona’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery and redefining what it means to be strong. Having returned from four years playing in France, Rhona is about to represent Scotland in the Women's Rugby World Cup, before she joins Sale Sharks Rugby Club to play in Premiership Women's Rugby.
In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, we explore:
-- The heartbreak of missing out on Olympic selection – twice
-- How Rhona has built strength and identity beyond the pitch
-- The real highs and lows of life as a professional female athlete
-- The remarkable bond within the Scottish women’s team
-- Helping girls build body confidence through sport
Rhona speaks with raw honesty about career setbacks and personal trauma faced by the national team, and how those moments have shaped her as both a player and a person.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
When a photograph of Sophie Power breastfeeding her three-month-old baby mid-race went viral, it sparked a global conversation about motherhood, sport, and equality. But for Sophie, the moment was never about heroics - it was about the barriers women face just to reach a start line.
In this powerful episode of The Game Changers, Sophie – a world record-breaking ultra-runner and founder of SheRACES – shares how she’s challenging a sport designed for men, campaigning for pregnancy deferrals, fair cut-offs and real equity for women in endurance events worldwide.
In this episode, Sophie reveals:
- The anger and injustice behind that iconic UTMB image
- Why so few women make it to ultra start lines – and how to change that
- The life-changing power of endurance challenges for women everywhere
- How SheRACES is driving global reform in running and triathlon events
- What resilience really looks like when you’re juggling motherhood, sport and ambition
From running 347 miles across Ireland to smashing a 48-hour treadmill world record, Sophie Power is redefining what’s possible and refusing to leave other women behind.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
From jumpers for goalposts on a council estate to managing at the highest level of women’s football, Carla Ward’s journey is one of courage, resilience and breaking through barriers. Now leading the Republic of Ireland women’s national team with ambitions to reach the 2027 World Cup, Carla has navigated a fast rise from player to coach, defied expectations, and spoken openly about the reality of balancing a demanding football career with motherhood.
In this powerful episode of The Game Changers, Carla shares the unfiltered truth about life in football, leadership, and the challenges female coaches face in the modern game.
We talk about:
- Growing up in grassroots football when girls’ teams didn’t exist
- The emotional and brutal transition from player to manager overnight
- Building winning teams through culture, unity and belief
- Surviving the toughest jobs and proving doubters wrong
- The sacrifices of coaching and the impact on family life
- Why women coaches deserve more opportunities – and fair pay
- Leading a national side and dreaming of World Cup success
An honest and eye-opening conversation about risk-taking, resilience and the fight for equality in women’s football.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Sammi Kinghorn’s journey from a life-changing farming accident to the top of the Paralympic podium is nothing short of extraordinary. A double world champion, Commonwealth medallist, Paralympic gold winner and now a popular BBC presenter, Sammi’s story is one of unbreakable resilience.
In this powerful conversation, Sammi opens up about:
- Rebuilding her life as a teenager after a devastating spinal injury
- The mental battles behind the medals – and how anxiety has shaped her racing career
- The fight for equality and representation in para sport
- Finding purpose beyond the track and redefining what success really looks like
- An inspiring and honest conversation
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Welcome to The Game Changers – the podcast that celebrates extraordinary women in sport. In Series 20, we’re shining a light on the courageous, pioneering and fiercely passionate women who are re-defining the future of sport.
You’ll hear from Diane Edwards, the Commonwealth 800m champion who overcame a devastating injustice and fought a landmark legal battle to clear her name before becoming a powerful advocate for inclusion and opportunity in sport.
Pioneering skateboarder, Lucy Adams, shares how she carved her path in a male-dominated sport – breaking boundaries, staying true to herself and inspiring young people, from all backgrounds, to step onto a board.
Respected both as a former player and now as a top-flight coach, Carla Ward reveals what it really takes to lead in the high-pressure world of women’s football, while ultrarunner and campaigner Sophie Power opens up about motherhood and rewriting the rules for women in endurance sport.
We talk to Scottish rugby star Rhona Lloyd about body image and using her platform to challenge attitudes in society, and England netball icon Eboni Usoro-Brown about the challenges of motherhood in elite sport and her evolving mission to drive change on and off the court.
We hear from Sally Horrox, now shaping the global women’s game at World Rugby, as she shares insights from a groundbreaking career that’s spanned the commercial rise of netball and women’s football – including the creation of two Super Leagues.
And Sammi Kinghorn, Paralympic gold medallist and world-record holder on her extraordinary story of grit, growth and overcoming the unimaginable.
Join us as we uncover the stories behind the headlines and explore what it means to drive real change in sport.
New episodes in this series will be released throughout August on Mondays and Wednesdays each week, so please follow or subscribe now and you’ll be the first to hear from these extraordinary trailblazers.
The Game Changers is free to listen to on all podcast platforms or from our website @fearless.women.co.uk. The website is also where you’ll find details of the Women’s Sport Collective, our free, inclusive community for all women working in sport.
Thank you to Sport England, who support The Game Changers podcast (and the Women’s Sport Collective) through with a National Lottery Award.
The Game Changers – Series 20.
Inspiring conversations with fearless women in sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"Great athletes aren’t just terrified of losing – they’re traumatised by it. That’s what drives them."
In this powerful and inspiring episode, Sue Anstiss is joined by one of the most influential figures in British sport, Mel Marshall.
A former Olympian turned world-renowned coach, Mel is best known for guiding Adam Peaty to Olympic gold and multiple world records – but her story is so much more than medals and podiums.
From her early days as a fiercely competitive swimmer to her current role leading an elite performance hub in Australia, Mel shares the highs, the heartbreaks and the lessons learned along the way. She speaks openly about the pressure of elite sport, the emotional cost of coaching and the values that have shaped her remarkable career.
Mel reflects on the extraordinary partnership with Adam Peaty, the importance of empathy in high performance and why we must do more to support and spotlight female coaches.
She also reveals what’s next in her journey – and why she believes her best days are still to come.
This is a powerful conversation about resilience, reinvention and the people who quietly shape greatness from the sidelines.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"I hate mediocrity. As soon as it feels like we’re sitting in the status quo, I feel like I’m failing."
In this brilliant episode of The Game Changers, Sue Anstiss is joined by Jess Thirlby, Head Coach of the Vitality Roses and one of the most respected leaders in world netball.
From growing up in a deeply sporting family in the South West to representing England at the Commonwealth Games and ultimately leading the national side, Jess shares an extraordinary journey through sport.
Jess’s warmth and candour are apparent as she reflects on:
- Finding her love for netball in a primary school playground
- Playing alongside legends during the pioneering years at Team Bath
- Making history as England’s first full-time netballer and how it reshaped her view of the sport
- Stepping into the Roses Head Coach role after their historic 2018 Commonwealth Gold — and the pressure and privilege of leading a team with the nation’s hopes on their shoulders
- Her bold, collaborative coaching style and relentless pursuit of excellence
- Her ambition to lead the team to World Cup Gold in 2027
- Balancing high-performance leadership with family life and the realities of motherhood in elite sport
Jess speaks powerfully about the evolution of netball, her hopes for Super League 2.0, and why the sport must remain unapologetically female-first while building a more inclusive and sustainable future.
A compelling conversation that highlights what it takes to lead with integrity in the spotlight, inspire the next generation and stay grounded — even when chasing that elusive World Cup Gold.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Lucy Wray: Building Culture, Driving Change and Backing Women’s Sport
"Sport is this incredible rollercoaster of winning, losing, learning and bonding — I don’t think anything else creates that kind of magic."
This week on The Game Changers, Sue Anstiss is joined by Lucy Wray – an inspiring and influential leader in sport whose journey spans elite performance, business innovation and transformative change.
A former Wales lacrosse captain with over 70 international caps, Lucy’s early experiences as an athlete have shaped her deep understanding of team culture and what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
As Group CEO of Saracens from 2020 to 2024, Lucy led the club through one of its most turbulent periods – navigating relegation, the salary cap scandal and a global pandemic, all while pregnant. Her reflections on resilience, leadership and staying true to your values in the face of crisis are both powerful and profoundly honest.
Now as an investor, co-owner of London Mavericks Netball and board member of the Netball Super League, Lucy shares her bold vision for the growth of professional women’s sport. With a rare mix of commercial acumen and heartfelt purpose, Lucy speaks about building sustainable business models, creating inclusive, player-first cultures and investing in women’s sport not just as a commercial opportunity – but as a force for social change.
Whether she’s talking about building businesses, empowering athletes or creating unforgettable matchday experiences, Lucy’s story is one of courage, creativity and an unshakeable belief in the power of sport to do good.
This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about the future of sport, the rise of women’s sport and what it truly means to lead with purpose.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“When the world forgets Afghanistan, we keep speaking. We are the voices of the women who can no longer be heard.”
What would you risk for the right to play sport? For Khalida Popal, the answer is everything.
This powerful episode of The Game Changers tells the extraordinary story of a woman who defied the Taliban, challenged a corrupt sporting system and used football to fight for the lives and freedoms of women and girls across the world.
Khalida Popal was just a child when her family fled Taliban rule in Afghanistan. In the harsh reality of a refugee camp, she discovered football – a game that gave her joy, freedom, and purpose. Returning to Afghanistan as a teenager, she dared to play in public, formed the country’s first women’s national team and proudly captained her side in the face of threats, abuse and constant danger.
But her leadership didn’t stop on the pitch. Khalida spoke out about the abuse of female players by senior figures in Afghan football and uncovered horrific corruption at the highest levels. It was these actions that meant she was eventually forced to flee for her life.
Now living in Denmark, Khalida continues her relentless activism through the Girl Power Organisation, while leading a global campaign to get FIFA to recognise Afghan women footballers in exile – players stripped of their national identity simply because they are women.
In this gripping and deeply moving conversation, Khalida shares how she helped evacuate over 600 women and girls from Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, what it means to lose your identity as a refugee, and why she refuses to stay silent – even when her own life is at risk.
Raw, emotional and deeply inspiring, this is not just a story about sport. It’s about power, oppression, survival and hope. Khalida Popal is a true game changer.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"I’ve become the person I needed when I was younger – and that’s the greatest gift I can offer the athletes I coach today."
Jenny Meadows is a former world-class middle-distance runner and now one of Britain’s most respected athletics coaches. Recently honoured – alongside her husband – as BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year, Jenny is a European and World medallist whose success was forged through resilience, grit and a quiet determination to prove she belonged, even when she often felt like an outsider.
In this deeply honest and moving conversation, Jenny shares how sport transformed her from a shy young girl who let her brother speak for her, to someone who found her voice, her power and her purpose through athletics.
Affectionately known as the “pocket rocket”, Jenny speaks candidly about the mindset challenges she faced, and how it took her decades to believe she deserved her place at the top of the sport.
She discusses the devastating impact of doping in athletics, the heartbreak of missing out on podiums and finals, and how, ultimately, it was a broken heart that led her to retire.
Today, Jenny co-leads the M11 Track Club in Manchester with her husband and long-time coach, Trevor Painter, guiding a group of elite athletes including Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson.
She reflects on the joy of coaching, the role of empathy and the emotional intelligence needed to support high-performing athletes as whole people - not just performers.
A passionate advocate for greater gender diversity in coaching, Jenny also shares her hopes for the future and her commitment to creating more visibility, opportunity and community for women in the coaching space.
This is a powerful conversation about identity, belief, and finding meaning beyond medals.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“Women’s physiology isn’t a problem to be solved - it’s an opportunity to innovate.”
In this fascinating episode of The Game Changers podcast, I speak with Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale, one of the world’s leading researchers in female physiology, about the critical need for women-focused sports science.
From her unconventional journey into the field, to leading ground-breaking research, Kirsty challenges outdated approaches and highlights why women’s health must be at the centre of performance science, not an afterthought.
We cover:
➡️ Bridging the research gap – why we must innovate rather than simply adapt male-based models
➡️ The Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport – how the Manchester centre is dedicated to advancing research and collaboration
➡️ ACL injuries in female athletes – does oestrogen play a role, or are we missing the bigger picture?
➡️ Menstrual-cycle-based training – the scientific evidence (or lack of it) behind tailoring training to cycle phases
➡️ Pregnancy & performance – how attitudes are shifting, and why more female athletes are competing as mothers
➡️ The future of women in sports science – how young women can break into the field and drive change
Kirsty’s message is clear: women’s physiology isn’t a limitation—it’s a strength that should be studied, understood, and embraced.
“If we only ever research men, we’ll only ever understand men. It’s time to stop playing catch-up and start leading.”
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
What does it take to lead some of the biggest sporting events in the world?
In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, to uncover the strategy, ambition and passion behind running global sports championships.
With over 30 years of experience, Sarah has played pivotal roles in organising major sporting events, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games and World Championships, as well as working at the very top of global sports including athletics, rugby, tennis and hockey.
Before taking this key role at World Rugby, Sarah was CEO of the World Athletics Championship Oregon22, having also worked at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
From her early days at Loughborough University to managing international sporting events, Sarah shares her journey through the world of sports leadership. She talks candidly about the challenges of organising major global events, the importance of building an inclusive and high-performing team, and the key to balancing multiple stakeholders in an ever-evolving sports landscape.
Sarah also reflects on the impact of gender equality in sport.
We explore how the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is set to break records in attendance and visibility as Sarah offers a behind-the-scenes look at what fans can expect from the tournament, how cities and communities are embracing the event, and what legacy she hopes it will leave for women’s rugby worldwide.
If you’re passionate about sports management, leadership or the advancement of women's sports, this episode offers valuable perspectives from one of the industry's leading figures.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
"Women’s sport has come so far, but there’s still a long way to go in terms of investment and opportunity."
In this fascinating episode of The Game Changers, host Sue Anstiss sits down with Dame Tracey Crouch, an influential figure in both sports and politics.
Tracey shares her personal journey from growing up as a passionate sports enthusiast to serving as the UK's Minister for Sport. Her political career was defined by her commitment to grassroots sport, governance reform and championing women’s participation in sport.
Tracey also opens up about her decision to step away from politics, her ongoing work in the private sector, and how her personal battle with breast cancer re-shaped her outlook on life and leadership.
Throughout the conversation, Tracey provides unique insights into the intersection of sports and policy, the challenges facing women’s sport and the steps needed to create systemic change in the industry.
Links & Resources:
- Follow Dame Tracey Crouch on Twitter/X and LinkedIn
- Learn more about Hanover Communications
- Follow The Game Changers Podcast
Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Game Changers for more inspiring conversations with women breaking barriers in sport. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
TheGameChangers #TraceyCrouch #WomenInSport #Football #Leadership #Podcast
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hello and welcome back to The Game Changers, the podcast where you'll hear from trailblazing women in sport who are challenging the status quo for women and girls everywhere. What can we learn from their stories as we explore equality in sport and beyond.
This is the 19th series of The Game Changers and what an incredible range of guests we have. Talented, inspiring women who are changing the game in sport.
With new episodes launching every Tuesday from March 4, the guests for this series include:
Dame Tracey Crouch – The former sports Minister, who drove huge change in British sport and served as an MP for 14 years before standing down in 2024 and becoming Managing Director of Hanover Sport
Mel Marshall – a former Olympic swimmer turned highly respected coach, best known for coaching Adam Peaty to multiple world records and Olympic golds.
Sarah Massey – Managing Director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, who shares her extensive experience in delivering major international sporting events.
Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale – a leader in female sports science and exercise physiology who heads the Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Jess Thirlby - head coach of the England Netball team – Jess is a former international player with extensive experience in the sport, known for her strategic acumen and dedication to the netball community.
Khalida Popal - former captain of the Afghanistan women's national football team and a pioneering activist who has dedicated her life to empowering women through sport, advocating for gender equality, and using football as a tool for social change.
Lucy Wray – the former CEO of Saracens Rugby Club, who is now helping to shape the future of women's sport and is co-owner of London Mavericks Netball Team.
And
Jenny Meadows - a world-class middle-distance runner, World Championship bronze medallist and Olympian, who is now an award-winning coach, recently honoured as the BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year.
The Game Changers is available for free wherever you find your podcasts or you can listen directly from our website at fearlesswomen.co.uk.
Please do start following the podcast now so you don’t miss out on these brilliant new conversations.
We also have a fantastic back catalogue of over free 200 episodes – including interviews with elite athletes, broadcasters, coaches, entrepreneurs, scientists, journalists and CEOs – all women who are changing the game in sport.
The whole of Sue Anstiss’ book ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’ is also available on the podcast. You’ll find a free audio book in series 13.
As well as listening to The Game Changers on the Fearless Women website, it’s also where you can find out more about the Women's Sport Collective, a free inclusive community for all women working in sport. We now have over 10,000 members across the world, so please do come and join us.
Do come and say hello on social media where you’ll find the host of The Game Changers @sueanstiss
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“Anyone can get abused. Smart people, really intelligent people, old people, young people, beautiful people, average looking people. It doesn't matter who you are, you're not like exempt because of any characteristics that you have.”Mhairi Maclennan, Kyniska Advocacy
Today’s episode of The Game Changers podcast could be the most important ever.
Over the past five years it’s been a privilege to share the stories of 150 trailblazers in women’s sport and to explore topics around equality in sport and beyond.
This final episode of series 18 considers a topic that should concern everyone that loves sport – how do we keep it safe for all participants? This episode is a must listen for all parents of children in sport, along everyone working in the sports industry.
My guest is Mhairi Maclennan, the co-founder of Kyniska Advocacy. Mhairi is an elite GB athlete, who, in 2021, made the extraordinarily brave decision to waive her right to anonymity after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of her coach.
Following a hugely impactful campaign that saw her coach’s three-year exclusion from athletics increased to a lifetime ban, Mhairi and fellow athlete Kate Seary founding Kyniska Advocacy, the UK’s only athlete-led and sport-wide safe sport organisation.
I learnt so much in this powerful conversation with Mhairi.
I was shocked to discover that there’s no obligation for sports to report coaches found guilty of sexual abuse to the police or local authorities; no central register exists to track banned coaches in the UK or globally and no independent body exists across sports to deal with the most serious cases.
Mhairi also provides incredibly useful guidance about what we should all be looking out for when it comes to abuse in sport, what the law says and what still needs to change.
In the episode we talk about Kyniska’s excellent Manifesto for the Future of Safe Sport. Here’s a link to the website where you will find it and many other useful resources: https://www.kyniskaadvocacy.com/
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest today is Mel Bound the founder of This Woman Runs (formerly This Mum Runs), the world's largest digital and in-person running community for women.
Mel is driven by her vision to inspire women everywhere to enjoy the life-changing benefits of being active and in this inspiring episode shares her journey from a chronically asthmatic child to a successful entrepreneur.
We explore how what started as a local women's running group in Bristol in 2014 has evolved into a powerful, global movement for over a quarter of a million women.
Mel talks about her experiences of running health clubs in the fitness industry and how she recognised it’s actually a space that fails many women. We discuss Mel’s transition to working sports events at Alan Pascoe’s Fast Track in the 90’s, a place that provided the foundation for many leaders in sport today.
Mel shares the accidental creation of This Mum Runs, the challenges of building a community, and the impact of COVID on its growth.
We discuss the challenges female founders face in securing funding, the innovative strategies TWR has employed to grow the community-focused business, and the importance of creating supportive environments for female entrepreneurs in sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest today is Laura Youngson, the co-founder of Ida Sports, the world’s leading female sports footwear brand that recently received $2M in investment funding.
Laura is a huge advocate for gender equality and in 2017, led a group of women to the top of Kilimanjaro to play a record-breaking football match with Equal Playing Field.
The trip highlighted a common problem facing female players all over the world: their boots were made for men, or children, and left their feet in pain long after the final whistle blew.
Laura went on to co-found Ida Sports which launched its first boot for female players in 2020 and since that time the brand’s continued to innovate and drive change in the sector.
This brilliant episode explores Laura’s diverse career path – before founding Ida Sports Laura worked as a senior policy advisor for the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and in event management for major sports events including the London Olympics and the European Games.
Our conversation highlights the ongoing struggle for gender equality in sport and the innovative steps that are being taken to create a more inclusive environment for women and girls.
Laura openly shares the challenges and opportunities in designing sportswear specifically for women, the response from retailers, and the importance of fundraising for growth.
We discuss the wonderful collaboration taking place amongst female entrepreneurs in this space and the impact of motherhood on Laura’s own entrepreneurial journey.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Lucy Horsell is a woman on a mission to empower female athletes at all levels as the co-founder of PeBe Sports Bras, a company that is transforming the sports bra market.
This episode tracks Lucy’s journey from losing her way in formal education at school to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
With a passion for education, science and product, Lucy's journey to merge these worlds into one innovative venture was kickstarted after seeing firsthand the challenges schoolgirls face when it comes to sports kits.
Equipped with a background in product development, Lucy is driven by an ambition to establish the sports bra as a functional and critical piece of kit.
Lucy talks so articulately about the importance of body literacy and self-care, especially in relation to breast health, as we explore the often-overlooked importance of proper sports bras for young women, the impact of breast size on participation in sport, and the need for better representation and understanding of women's needs in sportswear.
With a background in investment banking, Lucy understands the world of funding and growth and she shares the huge challenges still facing women-led businesses.
We also discuss the importance of collaboration amongst women entrepreneurs as they support each other in a competitive landscape.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest today is Danielle Sellwood, a former sportswear designer, trend forecaster and women’s sport publisher who now shares diverse stories of sport and adventure through powerful documentaries made by her company Find It Film.
In 2008 Danielle co-founded Sportsister, a trail-blazing sports website and magazine for women, and from 2012 she directed visual campaigns at Women's Sport Trust (WST) helping create lasting change in the representation of female athletes.
Danielle’s passion for filmmaking was born from frustration over the lack of diverse representation in sports and adventure films, so she picked up a camera and set to work to redress the balance.
Alongside this work today, Danielle is an expert in making content and film accessible via open captions and audio description.
Danielle is also a former GB canoeist who in recent years has turned her hand to triathlon, swimming, cycling and surfing.
Danielle shares background to the inception of Sports Sister with Louise Hudson back in what they thought was to be ‘The Golden Age’ for women’s sport, the evolution of women's sportswear and the ongoing challenges faced in promoting women's sport.
It’s fascinating to hear of Danielle’s journey as a self-taught documentary maker to where she is today, creating powerful documentaries that highlight the underrepresented voices of women, the disabled community and older people.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest today is Yvette Curtis, founder of Wave Wahines, a female surfing club dedicated to empowering women and girls in the sport.
We discuss Yvette's journey from her childhood in Bristol to her current work in North Devon, the importance of fun and non-competitive environments in sports, and the challenges of promoting diversity and inclusion in surfing.
Yvette shares her experiences of the backlash she faced when addressing issues of representation and the need for diverse voices in sports management. We explore the importance of representation and diversity in surfing and sport, the impact of Yvette’s research on UK surfing and the empowering role of surf therapy for marginalized communities.
Yvette highlights the therapeutic benefits of surfing for mental health, the challenges of finding funding for the grassroots CIC and the growth of female participation in the sport.
Wave Wahines which has supported hundreds of women and girls coming into the sport, along with running surf therapy with women living in refuge, sessions for resettled young female refugees, collaborations with Queer Surf Club, the first Trans and nonbinary youth surf session & hosting the first UK female focused surf contest which is now an annual event.
There’s huge recognition and celebration of Yvette’s powerful work in the areas of inclusion and ocean activism.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Kelly Newton is the founder of NIXI Body - absorbent & discreet underwear for periods and little bladder leaks. Nixi body has a focused mission – to keep women moving through menstruation, motherhood and menopause.
Kelly is doing so much to open up the taboo conversation around female incontinence and is an expert on stress and urge incontinence in women – a topic which is incredibly relevant in sport.
A desire to stay active was the biggest driver for Kelly to design her first pair of leak-proof underwear back in 2019 as she knows the massive impact that exercise can have on mental and physical health.
It’s been a joy to watch the evolution of Kelly’s company with NIXI body products now sold in Boots, Superdrug, Decathlon & Mountain Warehouse, along with being on QVC and at Parkruns.
In this episode Kelly shares her journey in sports, the challenges women face with periods and incontinence and the importance of more open conversations about women's health.
We explore Kelly’s motivation to create leak-proof underwear and the evolution of the business. Kelly also addresses the difficulties female entrepreneurs face in securing funding and highlights the collaborative spirit among women in the product space.
Sue and Kelly also celebrate the newfound confidence that comes with age.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Baz Moffat is having an extraordinary impact in the world of women’s health.
A former GB Rower, Baz co-founded The Well HQ, an organisation that educates and empowers women to understand their bodies and use that knowledge to thrive in sport, health and life.
Baz was in the GB Rowing team from 2005-2008 – medalling at the World Championships in 2007. With degrees in Sports Science and Health Related Behaviour Change, Baz ran personal training and fitness businesses before moving into women’s health and in 2021, co-founding The Well HQ.
Baz is also the co author of ‘The Female Body Bible’.
We explore so much in this fascinating episode from the challenges of competing in sport at the highest level to the systemic changes needed to accommodate female athletes today.
Baz is refreshingly open about the challenge of running a mission-driven business whilst addressing taboos that have existed in society for hundreds of years.
It’s inspiring to hear more about the cultural shift that is finally taking place, as Baz shares her hopes for a more inclusive future in sport and physical activity.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this, the 18th series of The Game Changers I’m talking to founders and entrepreneurs. These are the women who have set up organisations that help change the landscape for all women and girls across sport.
There’s so much we can learn from their journeys as they openly share the challenges and joys in establishing new brands, finding investment and building businesses.
With new episodes launching every Tuesday this autumn the guests for this fascinating series include:
Baz Moffat – A former GB rower who co-founded The Well HQ, an organisation that educates and empowers women to understand their bodies and use that knowledge to thrive in sport, health and life.
Kelly Newton – the founder and CEO Nixi Body, which makes absorbent & discreet leak proof underwear, who has a very focused mission – to keep women moving through menstruation, motherhood and menopause.
Danielle Sellwood – A former Sportswear Designer and women’s sports publisher, who now shares diverse stories of sport and adventure through powerful documentaries made by her company Find It Film
Yvette Curtis – The founder of Wave Wahines a surf club enabling women and girls to access surfing at an affordable cost and in a nurturing environment. Striving to increase representation in surfing and its culture.
Lucy Horsell – the founder of PEBE Sports Bras who is driven by a mission to empower female athletes of all levels and establish the sports bra as a functional and critical piece of kit.
Laura Youngson – CEO at Ida Sports – the female sports performance footwear company. Laura’s also a STEM advocate, a TED Speaker and co founder of Equal Playing Field, highlighting the gender inequalities that exist in sport and celebrating women's football.
Mhairi Maclennan – the CEO & Co-Founder of Kyniska Advocacy, Mhairi is a Safe Sport Advocate, a sexual assault survivor and an incredible elite athlete who recently become British Marathon Champion.
Mel Bound – the founder of This Woman Runs (formerly This Mum Runs), the world's largest digital and in person running community for women, with a vision to inspire women everywhere to enjoy the life changing benefits of being active.
The Game Changers is available for free wherever you find your podcasts or you can listen directly from our website at fearlesswomen.co.uk. Please do start following the podcast now so you don’t miss out on these fascinating, inspiring new conversations.
The whole of my book ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’ is also available on the podcast. You’ll find a free audio book in series 13.
As well as listening to The Game Changers on the Fearless Women website, it’s also where you can find out more about the Women's Sport Collective, a free inclusive community for all women working in sport. We now have over 8,600 members across the world, so please do come and join us.
The Game Changers. Fearless women in sport
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Director of Sport, British Paralympic Association Penny Briscoe,
which was first released on June 27, 2023.
Our guest in this episode has been instrumental in the success of the British Paralympic team, helping them to achieve record-breaking medal hauls at 10 Paralympic Summer and Winter Games.
Penny Briscoe competed for Great Britain in Canoe Slalom before becoming Senior National Coach for the GBR team at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She has worked in para sport as coach, team manager, performance director and is now Director of Sport at the British Paralympic Association and is also the Chef De Mission for Paralympics GB. In 2017, Penny was awarded an OBE for her services to disability sport.
In this fascinating conversation we explore Penny’s path into para sport and how the role and profile of the British Paralympic Association has changed over 20 years.
Penny shares the enormous impact of London 2012, the challenges that followed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, and her ambitions for Paris 2024.
If you’d like to hear from other senior women leading British sport, previous episodes of The Game Changers include interviews with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Sally Munday OBE, Dame Liz Nichol, Dame Katherine Grainger, Sue Day MBE, Baroness Sue Campbell and Clare Connor CBE.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Jodie Ounsley, who will be presenting at the games, which was first released on May 30, 2023.
Today’s guest is Jodie Ounsley – a professional rugby player and Honorary President of UK Deaf Sport, who will also be a Gladiator in the new series that returns to the BBC later this year.
Jodie is a powerful role model for women and girls and talks openly about her deafness and how it’s impacted her life on and off the pitch.
She explains how she’s unintentionally been training for Gladiators all her life and how she’s preparing for the public profile that comes with becoming ‘Fury’ in the new series.
Jodie began her sporting career as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion before representing the UK in athletics at the Deaf Olympics. Five times Coal Carrying Champion, she then moved on to rugby where she’s represented England at 7s and now plays for the Exeter Chiefs in the Premier 15s.
Alongside her success in sport, Jodie was awarded the Young Deaf Sports Personality of the Year and was also included in the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List 2023 which recognised 30 outstanding women in sport.
Jodie’s videos on TikTok, where she shares her life as a young woman living with hearing loss, have been viewed almost 5 million times.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, which was first released on October 23, 2023.
Our guest in this episode is Ellie Simmonds, one of the world’s most celebrated Paralympians. A five-time Paralympic Champion and 14-time World Champion, Ellie shot to fame when she won her first Paralympic medals aged just 13, at the Beijing Paralympic Games.
After two gold medals there in 2008, Ellie went even better at London 2012. As the poster girl for the home games, she won 4 medals, including two Golds, and broke a further two World records. This success in London helped make Ellie the most recognised Paralympic athlete in Great Britain, if not the world. Rio 2016 saw Ellie once again top of the podium, winning another Gold and setting a new world record in the Individual Medley.
Ellie retired from the pool in 2021 after her fourth Paralympics Games in Tokyo, finishing her career with an incredible 5 Paralympic gold medals, 14 World titles, 10 European titles and countless World records broken along the way.
Ellie continues to work with a variety of charities including the Dwarf Sports Association, WaterAid, the Scouts and I AM WATER.
In recent years it’s been fabulous to see Ellie’s work in the media. Along with making powerful documentaries, Ellie’s been a guest on some of the country’s most popular shows including Celebrity Googlebox, celebrity Masterchef – which she won – and her appearance on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing last year which cemented her status as one of the nation’s most well-loved personalities.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was previously released on October 29, 2019.
Paratriathlon World Champion and Paralympic Silver medallist, Lauren also enthralled us all as a semi-finalist on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Ever wondered what it really takes to become a world champion? We're sitting down with Lauren Steadman, para-triathlon champ and Olympic silver medalist, to hear her story. From keen young swimmer to unbeatable triathlete, Lauren's journey is pretty incredible.
She'll take us back to where it all started - her first memories of sports, the challenges of growing up with one hand, and how her family backed her all the way. It's not just about being great at sports though - it's about bouncing back when things get tough, learning to be comfortable in your own skin, and working your socks off to be the best you can be.
But there's more to Lauren than just sport. She'll also chat about balancing her studies with training, and how Portsmouth Uni has been really supportive.
And just when you thought you knew her, Lauren surprises everyone by appearing on Strictly Come Dancing! She'll talk about managing her intense sports career alongside learning to dance, and how she's been inspiring people along the way.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Paralympian Sophie Carrigill, which was first released on July 26, 2022.
Sophie Carrigill is a British wheelchair basketball player who represented and co-captained Great Britain at the World and European Championships and at the Paralympic games.
She’s won world and European silver medals and reached the Paralympic semi-finals in a first for Great Britain.
Sophie’s just returned from playing wheelchair basketball professionally in Italy and continues to explore her passions beyond the court as she advocates for disabled women in sport and beyond.
Sophie talks candidly about the accident that caused her disability and the part sport has played in helping her to build her independence and strength. We explore the powerful inspiration of watching parasport at London 2012 and how she’s since had to overcome many setbacks in her sporting journey. She talks about playing professionally on a mixed team in Italy and her hopes for the future including a Paralympic medal at Paris 2024.
We also discuss how using social media has helped her to find her voice and advocate for others, as well as attracting more commercial partnerships and new opportunities.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Paralympian Claire Taggart, which was first released on February 13, 2024.
Discover the intriguing world of Boccia with world champion and Paralympian Claire Taggart on this episode of Game Changers. Claire shares her journey from skepticism to passion for this highly inclusive Paralympic sport, offering insights into its unique rules, classifications, and accessibility features. Whether you’re familiar with similar games like bowls and petanque or completely new to boccia, Claire’s firsthand experience and enthusiasm bring the sport to life, highlighting its potential for anyone to participate, regardless of physical abilities.
Claire also opens up about the challenges of raising awareness for boccia, a sport that often flies under the radar despite its competitive and strategic allure. She talks about her initial reluctance, the encouragement from her coach, and her efforts to boost boccia’s profile through social media. The conversation delves into the emotional journey of competing at an elite level while grappling with the limited recognition and visibility for boccia athletes, stressing the importance of acknowledgment and support within the Paralympic community.
Family support emerges as a critical theme, with Claire reflecting on the sacrifices her parents have made to help her compete globally. She discusses the financial and social care hurdles faced by elite athletes with disabilities, and the recent changes in gender classification within boccia. As Claire contemplates her future, including her post-Paris 2024 plans and aspirations beyond sport, she emphasizes boccia’s transformative impact and encourages more women to get involved. Tune in for an inspiring episode that highlights the power of determination, family support, and the quest for greater visibility in Paralympic sports.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft, which was first released on November 1, 2022.
Hannah Cockcroft is one of Britain’s most successful para-athletes who burst onto the world stage in 2010, breaking 9 wheelchair sprinting world records. She went on to win two golds at the London Paralympic games, with three more at the 2016 games in Rio and two in Tokyo 2021.
In the summer of 2022, Hannah won gold in the T33/34 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games record and completing the set – with Gold medals at Every. Major. Athletics. Championships.
It’s no wonder that Hannah was awarded an MBE in 2013 for her services to athletics which was followed by an OBE in last year New Year’s Honours. Hannah talks candidly about the loneliness she experienced as a disabled child with no visible role models and how that's now changing, how it felt to discover wheelchair racing, the challenges of classification in para sport and how it felt be beaten for the first time in 7 years. It's a fascinating conversation with a true trailblazer in women's sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to the Paralympics at Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, which was first released on September 15, 2020.
Dame Sarah Storey is the most successful British female Paralympian of all time with 38 World titles, 14 Paralympic Golds and 76 world records.
Sarah was just 14 when she made her Paralympic debut at Barcelona 92, winning five medals including two Golds. She went on to win more medals in the pool at Atlanta, Sydney and Athens before moving to cycling and winning more medals on the track and the road at Beijing, London and Rio. Sarah’s also six times British national track champion.
Sarah, and her husband Barney, now run Storey Racing, and Sarah’s also the Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this final episode of series 17, Sue Anstiss talks to Stef Reid, a remarkable para-athlete who has spent her life breaking boundaries.
Stef is a track and field Paralympian - a World Champion, four-time Paralympian, triple Paralympic medallist and five-time world record holder.
Having retired from the track in 2022 Stef now works as a keynote speaker, broadcaster and executive coach, also turning her hand to modelling and acting.Steph was the first amputee to walk the London Fashion Week catwalk and starred in the British reality TV show Dancing on Ice in 2022.
This is an extraordinary conversation with a truly inspiring woman.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
When it comes to building culture and leading an organisation there are few individuals doing it better than Tara Dillon, the CEO at CIMSPA (The Chartered Institute for Sport and Physical Activity).
Voted as one of the top 5 CEOs in the Times best companies initiative Tara remains passionate about the potential for the sport and physical activity sector to be a vital support arm for the NHS.
Tara has transformed workplaces with her transformative attitude to fostering a collaborative environment and building trust. Hear how Tara’s unique hiring practices, alternative annual leave policy and coaching style of management enable every team member to thrive as a superhero in their role.
At the forefront of CIMSPA’s work since her appointment in 2015, Tara leads initiatives that help professionalise the workforce and enhance the career prospects of those working in sport, leisure and fitness.
Tara began her career in sport and physical activity as a lifeguard in her local leisure centre back in 1987. In 2001 She was appointed Contract Manager at DC Leisure Management, a company specialising in the development and management of leisure facilities on behalf of local authorities.
She went on to be the Executive Director of IQL - the trading arm of the Royal Lifesaving Society and joined CIMSPA as CEO in 2015.
Tara’s sense humour shines through in this fabulous episode. It would be hard not be inspired by her relentless pursuit of excellence.
This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Elevate trade show in London.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Can you be a professional climber and still be scared of heights? How much is success down to problem solving versus physical strength? And what can we do to ensure this fantastic activity is inclusive for all?
These are just some of the questions I put to Molly Thompson-Smith, a shining light in British climbing who was ranked number 1 in the world at just 16.
Molly will be representing Team GB at the Paris Olympics when climbing returns for the second time in 2024.
This fascinating episode also explores Molly’s journey from her early days in Ladbroke Grove to becoming a leading force in the competitive climbing world and six times National Champion – overcoming serious injuries on the way to emerge stronger than ever.
Molly sheds light on the ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and increase female participation in climbing, while also addressing the significant issues of diversity and inclusion within the community.
I learnt so much about the sport of climbing in this episode and can’t wait to see Molly in action at the Olympics on August 6, 8 and 10.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix is the diving sensation who won Gold at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships last year and will be one to watch at the Paris Olympics where she’s competing in both the individual and synchronised 10 metre events.
Andrea openly shares her journey in sport and her passion to address stereotypes around aesthetics and body image. We explore the impact of intense training and competition on Andrea’s mental health after Tokyo, how her faith and a change in mindset have had a positive impact on her results. Andrea reflects on the joy she’s now found in the sport and her future ambitions.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
My guest on The Game Changers today is cricketing legend Charlotte Edwards who shares her extraordinary journey from making her England debut at just 16 to becoming one of the sport's most influential figures as a player and coach.
Breaking countless records throughout her 20-year playing career, Charlotte was appointed England Captain in 2006 and led the team to win the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2009 along with three outright Ashes series.
Following her playing career, Charlotte was appointed Director of Women's Cricket at Hampshire in 2018 and has gone on to become a much respected and hugely successful coach for teams in the ECB’s domestic league, The Hundred, WPL in India and WBBL in Australia.
Awarded an MBE in 2009 and a CBE in 2014, in 2022 Charlotte was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. She even has a competition named after her – The Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
What drives one of Britain's top rally drivers to push the limits on and off the track? Join us for this inspiring conversation with Catie Munnings, as she shares her remarkable journey from sporty teenager to a trailblazing figure in motorsport.
Find out how Catie’s unique, motorsport-centric upbringing set the stage for her rapid ascent in rally racing. From perfecting handbrake turns at just 13 to extraordinary achievements in rally driving and Extreme E racing, Catie’s story is a testament to passion and perseverance.
Catie shares the pivotal role her family has played in her career and the mental fortitude required to excel in rally driving's high-stakes environment. Learn about the physical demands rally driving imposes and how motorsport legend Michèle Mouton provided inspired Catie as a young driver.
We delve into the broader landscape for women across motorsport, discussing initiatives that are levelling the playing field, as Catie provides an insider's perspective on E Extreme’s commitment to gender equality, with mixed-gender teams racing in remote, environmentally affected locations.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about racing, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.
Catie Munnings is one of Britain’s most successful racing talents, a rally driver, Red Bull sponsored athlete and TV presenter who now competes in Extreme E - a radical, all electric off-road racing series in the most remote corners of the planet impacted by climate change.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we head into Wimbledon, LTA President Sandi Procter talks to Sue Anstiss about female representation at the very top of tennis, why volunteers are essential to running of the sport across the country and how Padel and Pickleball could be key to bringing more women to tennis.
Sandiis President of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) - and the most senior volunteer in British Tennis.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This weeks episode of The Game Changers features professional golfer Georgia Hall who talks to Sue Anstiss about winning the British Open with her dad as her caddy, the loneliness of playing on the LPGA Tour and why she doesn’t work with a sports psychologist.
Georgiawon the Women’s British Open in 2018 and now plays on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. She’ll be taking part in her first Olympics this summe
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Commonwealth Champion Weightlifter Emily Campbell talks to Sue Anstiss about the changing perception of strong women in society, her medal prospects at the Paris Olympics and inspiring female body confidence.
Emily shot to fame at the Tokyo Olympics, winning Britain’s first ever weightlifting medal before going on to win Gold at the Commonwealth Games the following year. Emily hopes to be back on the podium for Paris 2024.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Ahead of a huge summer for women’s sports, we’re back with the biggest-ever season of The Game Changers, launching across all podcast platforms on June 18. The ten episodes in this bumper season include Olympians, Paralympians, World Cup winners, European Champions, Presidents and CEOs.
It’s also the most diverse series ever in terms the sports featured with guests from athletics, cricket, climbing, diving, golf, ice skating, motor racing, rugby, tennis, triathlon and weightlifting.
Once again, we’re delighted to share that the series is supported by Sport England through a National Lottery Award with new episodes launching every Tuesday throughout the summer.
The guests for this powerful series include
Emily Campbell – who shot to fame at the Tokyo Olympics, winning Britain’s first weightlifting medal before going on to win Gold at the Commonwealth Games the following year. Emily hopes to be back on the podium for Paris 2024
Georgia Hall – the English professional golfer who won the Women’s British Open in 2018 and now plays on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. She’ll be taking part in her first Olympics this summer
Sandi Procter – President of the LTA the Lawn Tennis Association and the most senior Volunteer in British Tennis talks to us as we head towards Wimbledon
Catie Munnings – one of Britain’s most successful racing talents, a rally driver, Red Bull sponsored athlete and TV presenter who now competes in Extreme E - - a radical, all electric off-road racing series in the most remote corners of the planet impacted by climate change.
Rhona Lloyd – Scottish Rugby International also playing for Great Britain on the Rugby 7’s circuit and hoping to head to Paris this summer with Team GB
Charlotte Edwards – the legendary former England Cricket Captain, World Cup and Ashes winner who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2022. Charlotte’s now a hugely successful coach leading teams in The Hundred, WPL and The Big Bash League
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix – the diving sensation who won Gold at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships last and will definitely one to watch at the Olympic Games this summer when she takes to the 10m board
Molly Thompson-Smith – a shining light in climbing who was ranked no. 1 in the world at just 16. With climbing returning to the Olympics for the second time in 2024, we’re hoping to Molly in action in Paris this summer
Tara Dillon – one of the most senior women working in the physical activity sector as the CEO of CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity
And
Stef Reid – the multi-talented Paralympian who competed for Canada and Great Britain, winning European, World and Paralympic medals in track and field. Now turning her hand to ice skating and triathlon.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
As we look forward to Paris 2024, we're sharing this previous episode with Olympian Dame Jess Ennis-Hill which was released on October 27, 2020.
In this episode, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill explores her incredible journey from an enthusiastic young girl at a summer camp to becoming Olympic and three-time World Champion in Heptathlon.
It was a privilege to talk to one of Britain’s greatest all-time athletes as she took us through her early days, remembering the excitement of school competitions and the challenge of balancing her sporting career with life as a young woman.
Jess talks about the athlete-coach relationship that propelled her to winning ways, their contrasting personalities and communication styles, along with the patience required for long term success.
Talking candidly about the physical and mental challenges of being a full-time athlete and a university student, Jess reflects on how a devastating injury before the Beijing Olympics became a turning point in her career and how sports psychology played a pivotal role in her recovery and continued success.
Jess shares her extraordinary career's emotional highs and lows, from the intense pressure of being the poster girl for London 2012 to the joy of winning her gold medal on ‘Super Saturday’. She also opens up about balancing motherhood with elite training, and the extraordinary motivation her son Reggie provided for her comeback at the Beijing World Championships.
As Jess reflects on her life post-retirement, managing a fitness app, and supporting women's health, it’s clear that we can learn so many inspiring lessons from one of the most remarkable athletes in women's sports.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was previously released on May 10, 2022.
Orla Chennaoui is an extraordinary woman who has many talents including being a multilingual TV sports presenter.
Having worked at Sky News and Sky Sports, Orla is now a Lead Presenter for Eurosport, working across cycling, MotoGP and the Olympics.
With her background in hard-news and investigations, Orla has always had an open and frank approach to sports reporting whether that’s in front of the camera or hosting podcasts and writing regular columns for Rouleur magazine and the Metro newspaper.
Amongst her many accolades Orla’s also just been nominated as sports presenter of the year at the Sports Journalists Awards 2022.
In this fascinating episode we explore Orla’s work as a broadcaster, including her move from news to sports presenting, the perception of female broadcasters and why it’s been so important that she retains her authentic style on screen.
Ahead of a massive summer for women’s cycling with the Tour de France Femmes in July, we discuss the growth in coverage and whether cycling needs to be re-packaged to attract new audiences.
Orla talks openly about why she stopped drinking, as she, and podcast host Sue Anstiss, celebrate the huge positives of living a life without alcohol.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode of the Game Changers was previously released on June 15, 2021.
Dr Pippa Grange is a highly sought-after, influential sports psychologist and a culture coach working across elite sports and business internationally.
In this episode, Pippa talks about family turmoil growing up, her formative years travelling and working in Australia, her first reaction to the job offer with England Football and the media spotlight she faced in the aftermath of the 2017 World Cup.
Within football, Pippa has worked to change the culture of a sport historically steeped in bravado and hyper-masculinity. She has recently written an incredible book, "Fear Less: How to Win at Life without Losing Yourself" to address fear, understanding the role it plays in your life and how to combat it.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
It’s a very special one-off episode of The Game Changers podcast today featuring two trailblazing women from Man City Women, as the club celebrates its 10th professional season in the WSL.
The Man City Women’s story combines success on the pitch with continued progression off the field, as the club continues to break new boundaries, playing a significant role in the growth of the women’s game.
It was a privilege to talk with Esme Morgan, a much-celebrated young defender with Man City and England, and Charlotte O’Neill, Managing Director at Man City Women.
Esme Morgan was a lifelong City fan who joined the club at under 15 level and quickly progressed through the regional talent squad into the Man City Women’s first team.
A Lioness who has featured throughout all youth levels of the England national team set-up, Esme was first called up to the under-17 England team in 2017. She won her first England senior cap in October 2022 and was included in the FIFA Women's World Cup squad in 2023.
Charlotte O’Neill, the Managing Director of Man City Women, is a former England and Super League netballer who held key positions at British Swimming, the Olympic Games in Beijing and London, and the Rugby World Cup before joining Manchester City in 2015.
As Director of Operations and Development, Charlotte oversaw strategic direction and delivery at Man City’s Boys’ Academy and was appointed Managing Director of Man City Women in December 2023.
It was fascinating to hear from these two incredible women as they openly shared their career stories and experiences at Man City.
A big thank you to Nissan, a long-term partner of Man City Women across the past decade, for sponsoring this special episode.
Abbie Ward. A Bump in the Road a powerful documentary, chronicles the remarkable journey of an England rugby player as she battles back to the professional game just 17 weeks after the birth of her baby in July 2023 and then to secure her place back in England’s Six Nations squad for 2024.
Watch now
UK on ITVX: https://www.itv.com/watch/abbie-ward-a-bump-in-the-road/10a5679a0001B
Worldwide on RugbyPass TV: https://rugbypass.tv/video/6069
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was previously released on November 15, 2022.
Rimla Akhtar, Wendy Taylor, Tess Howard and Holly Bradshaw join Sue Anstiss to consider the impact of sports kit for women and girls.
There's been much talk about women's sports kit recently, from issues around Wimbledon whites, girls forced to wear skorts for PE and women not allowed to wear the hijab to play sport to extremes of female athletes objectified and sexualised with revealing clothing, high cut leotards & bikini bottoms.
This panel of game changers addresses some of the challenges and provides practical recommendations that will enable more choice for more women.
Our four game changing guests were:
- Rimla Akhtar – former Chair of the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the Football Association Council. Rimla was awarded an OBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in sport
- Wendy Taylor - Lead on girls work at the Youth Sport Trust including the hugely successful ‘Girls Active’ initiative which is delivered in partnership with This Girl Can and Women in Sport
- Tess Howard - a GB Hockey player who’s team won gold at the Commonwealth Games this summer. Tess is a real sports Kit activist, helping to change the guidelines to make sports policy more inclusive
- Holly Bradshaw – an Olympian who’s been very publicly outspoken about the challenges facing female track and field athletes.
Abbie Ward. A Bump in the Road a powerful documentary, chronicles the remarkable journey of an England rugby player as she battles back to the professional game just 17 weeks after the birth of her baby in July 2023 and then to secure her place back in England’s Six Nations squad for 2024.
Watch now
UK on ITVX: https://www.itv.com/watch/abbie-ward-a-bump-in-the-road/10a5679a0001B
Worldwide on RugbyPass TV: https://rugbypass.tv/video/6069
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was previously released on April 14, 2020
Jacqui talks about her lifelong obsession with football, how she changed careers at 27 to re-train as a journalist and how lonely and isolated she felt after the hideous build up to her first appearance on BBC’s Match of The Day.
Being the first female commentator on Match of the Day is how Jacqui is best known to many. She went on to present the show in 2015, and in 2016 was awarded an MBE for her services to broadcasting and diversity. Jacqui presented the BBC’s flagship sports news show Sportsweek, hosted Euros and World Cups for BBC and ITV and now hosts football and darts for ITV. She recently became the first female host of Sky Sports Sunday Supplement show.
It’s no wonder that in 2015 Jacqui was named as the 8th most influential woman in sport by the Independent.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
S16 Bonus
This episode was previously released on October 29, 2019.
Paratriathlon World Champion and Paralympic Silver medallist, Lauren also enthralled us all as a semi-finalist on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was previously released on June 4, 2019 as the very first episode of The Game Changers
Having won 11 Paralympic Gold medals and the London Marathon six times, Tanni now sits as an independent peer in the House of Lords and is Chair of ukactive.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode of The Game Changers was preiously released on July 7, 2020.
Captain of the Lionesses and Man City, Steph has represented her country at every level, with over 100 appearances for England.
Steph’s also led Man City to two Women's FA Cups, three Continental Cup successes and the FA Women's Super League title, as well as landing the PFA’s Merit Award in 2019.
Representing Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, Steph became a household name by scoring in all three group matches, including the winning goals against New Zealand and Brazil.
Steph proudly led the Lionesses to their World Cup semi-final last year in France, watched at home by almost 12 million viewers.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“It was such a shock for me and it still is. I still don't understand it to this day. I actually didn't sleep that night because I didn't want to wake up and it be something I had to deal with again.”
Mo Hunt discussing her surprise exclusion from the Rugby World Cup squad in 2023
Ahead of this weekend’s start of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, I’m thrilled to say that my guest today is Mo Hunt, a much-celebrated international rugby player who's represented her country for over 13 years.
Mo was part of the England team that won the World Cup in 2014, won numerous Six Nations Championships and, as a Sevens player, has represented Team GB at the Olympics in 2016 and 2021 and England at the Commonwealth Games.
Mo is captain of Gloucester Hartpury, the PWR club that won the Premiership title in 2023 the same year that Mo helped England lift the inaugural WXV Trophy in New Zealand.
Mo’s now back in the England programme with a full-time contract as the team works towards a home World Cup in 2025.
It was fabulous to talk at length with Mo – one of the most popular players in today’s Red Roses squad.
We explore her route into rugby (spoiler alert: she was a high-level netballer) and her rapid progress into national representation and winning a World Cup.
Mo shares her experience of the journey from playing for England as an amateur to today’s fully professional era, the challenge of switching between playing 15s and rugby 7s for England and Team GB and the importance of female coaches in the game.
Mo is incredibly open about how she, and her family, were affected by her surprising exclusion from the Rugby World Cup squad in 2023 and how that decision has gone on to impact her life and her playing career today.
It’s such an exciting time for the game and players like Mo, as she reflects:
“I don't feel like I've ever really achieved my true ability in an England shirt, which is why I'm so excited by this new campaign and new coaches coming in…”
Get your tickets to watch Mo and the Red Roses play in this year’s Women’s Six Nations here: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/rfu/Events?preFilter=23
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
My guest today is Lisa O'Keefe, a former Scottish international rugby player who was a director at Sport England for 14 years and is now Secretary General of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, the world's largest network dedicated to gender equality in sport and physical activity.
Lisa is responsible for leading the Secretariat while it's hosted in the UK until 2026.
A passionate advocate for women's sport and breaking down barriers to participation, Lisa led groundbreaking insight work at Sport England, which paved the way for much innovation, including the globally recognised This Girl Can campaign.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“It’s very difficult to find venues in the UK. Teams in the USA have permanent venues where they train. We're stuck with pokey little sports halls where we're constantly fighting the badminton mafia for space.”Today’s episode is an adrenaline-fueled journey into the world of roller derby with the formidable Kristen Dusting, a silver medalist in the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup who's seen it all. We explore the incredible history and growth of what many consider to be the most inclusive of sports - revolutionary, loudly LGBTQ plus inclusive, actively anti-racist, and women and non-binary led.
From the sport's humble beginnings in the era of the Great Depression to its punk rock-fueled resurgence and today's dynamic scene, we explore the essence of roller derby's allure. The sport has become a beacon of inclusion, championing women and non-binary individuals in a way few sports have managed.
Kristen's been playing roller derby with London since the sport's beginnings in the UK in 2006 and has been very much part of growing this grassroots women's and non-binary sport from the ground up, not just within the UK but globally.
When not skating or coaching, Kristen owns a skate shop where she combines her passion for the sport with roller skates and the wonderful roller derby community. She continues to play for London roller derby's top team, London Brawling, who are currently ranked number one in Europe and hope to make it to the 2024 World Championships in Portland, Oregon.
We also celebrate the sport's profound impact on mental health and its proud connection to the LGBTQ+ community, fostering an environment where everyone can flourish.
As Kristen mentioned, if you’re interested in getting involved as Team Manager for England Roller Derby in the next world championships please drop an email to Englandrollerderby@gmail.com
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Today’s guest is Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, an ultra-runner, award-winning businesswoman, social justice activist, personal trainer, running coach and co-founder and trustee of the community and campaigning charity Black Trail Runners. The mother of four and grandmother of three, recently published her memoir, Black Sheep, a story of rural racism, identity and hope.
It’s fascinating to hear how a short walk/jog in the depths of post-natal depression evolved through marathons and ultra-distance races into Sabrina becoming a torchbearer in the running community.
Sabrina opens up about the trauma she experienced growing up as a black child on the poverty line in a small town in England, the impact of her addiction to alcohol, and what led her to the Marathon de Sables aged 40.
We explore how it’s possible to mentally push yourself through the discomfort and stress of a gruelling race, why women have such success over long-distance events and her running ambitions for the future.
Sabrina is forthright about the urgent need for diversity in trail running and the outdoors. We explore the creation and impact of Black Trail Runners, considering the obstacles that runners of colour face, and celebrate initiatives like Black to the Trails that are reshaping the narrative.
This powerful episode highlights the significance of community, representation and the collective work needed to create a trail running environment that welcomes every runner, regardless of their background.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“The utopia of officiating should be that anybody, regardless of gender, can umpire any game”.
Sue Redfern is a much-celebrated cricket umpire and former England player. Sue became the youngest ever female to play cricket for England when she started her career at just 16 and went on to represent her country for the next five years, including playing in the 1997 World Cup in India. Having retired from the game and moved away from cricket, Sue came back to work at the ECB and, in 2012, decided to give umpiring a go.
Her impact over the following decade has been quite remarkable, and she's now a member of the professional umpire team for domestic cricket in England. She's also an international development panel umpire for the International Cricket Council and has umpired various international matches, including five World Cups.
In 2018, Sue was awarded an MBE for her services to women's cricket, and last year, she became the first female to umpire in a men's first-class cricket match in England.
I was fascinated to know what it’s like to be centre stage at some of the biggest cricket events in the world and how it’s possible to retain your focus in a sport that can last hours.
We discuss Sue’s playing career and where we’ve seen the biggest changes in the women’s game over the past two decades as she reflects on what it was like to umpire a Women’s World Cup in 2017, having played in a World Cup 20 years before.
Sue talks candidly about how she deals with nerves before the biggest games and shares her thoughts on the disparity in payment for elite female umpires and what needs to change.
It’s exciting to learn more about the huge growth in women’s cricket for those playing and officiating from a woman who’s been such a trailblazer in the sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
‘The most intricate sport nobody’s ever heard of’ – Claire Taggart describing her sport of Boccia.
With the Paris Paralympics just a few months away, it was fantastic to hear from Claire Taggart, world number one at Boccia, and find out more about this inclusive sport.
Claire represented Paralympics GB in Rio and Tokyo and became Northern Ireland’s first-ever Boccia world champion in 2022.
We discover more about this extraordinary sport, which has no Olympic equivalent and is uniquely open to all athletes, regardless of the severity of their physical disability.
Claire talks incredibly openly about her diagnosis with dystonia as a teenager, its impact on her life, how she went on to find Boccia and the impact it’s had.
It’s a fascinating conversation that covers a wide range of issues, from new gender categorisation in the sport to the challenges of social care funding for disabled people.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“The England management in place now, and the type of environment we try to create for the senior team is very different to before… the environment at England camp is a much friendlier and nicer one than it was a handful of years ago.”
We start a new series with a fabulous conversation with Jess Carter, a professional footballer with England and Chelsea.
Jess was one of the Lionesses that won the Euros in 2022 and went on to win silver in the World Cup in 2023.
Surprisingly, representing England was never an ambition for Jess as a young player.
She talks candidly about how the shift in intensity as a Chelsea player impacted her, the challenge of her early games for England and the positive change she’s seen in the England set-up under the leadership of Sarina Wiegman, which has enabled players to flourish and the national team to fulfil its potential.
We explore the real issue around diversity in the national team and WSL, why Jess is so comfortable talking publicly about her sexuality, and how she personally deals with negative comments on social media.
It’s a refreshingly open conversation with a high-profile England player.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Welcome to The Game Changers. It’s hard to believe this is series 16 of the podcast, which celebrates the trailblazers in women’s sport exploring critical issues around equality in sport and beyond.
We are so pleased that again this season of The Game Changers is supported by Sport England through a National Lottery Award. We’re incredibly grateful for their ongoing support, which enables us to share the stories of these inspiring women working across the sporting landscape.
My wonderful guest list for this series includes:
Jess Carter, an incredible professional footballer who was part of the Lionesses team that won the Euros in 2022 AND silver in the World Cup in 2023. Jess also plays for Chelsea in the WSL.
Claire Taggart - ranked number one in the world at Boccia, Claire represented Paralympics GB in Rio and Tokyo and looks all set to medal at Paris 2024.
Sue Redfern, a former England Cricketer who is now a blazing a trail as a much respected cricket umpire in the men's and women’s games.
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys – an ultrarunner, author, social justice activist AND co-founder of the community and campaigning charity Black Trail Runners.
Lisa O’Keefe – former Scottish International Rugby Player and director at Sport England who is now Secretary General for the International Working Group for Women in Sport
Kristen Dusting – a silver medallist for England in the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup and multi-medal winning skater for London Roller Derby.
Steph Harries - Managing Director at Women’s Sports Group, who was formerly Controller of Production for BBC Sport
And
Mo Hunt – a legendary England rugby player who’s won a World Cup, numerous Six Nations Championships and represented Team GB at the Rio Olympics. Mo’s now captain of Gloucester Hartpury, leading her team to victory in the 2023 Premiership.
This new series of The Game Changers will be released on Tuesday February 6 so please subscribe now and don’t miss out on these fascinating, inspiring conversations.
The Game Changers is available for free across all podcast platforms, or you can listen directly from our website at fearlesswomen.co.uk.
This is also where you’ll find details of all the trailblazing guests featured in previous series – there are over 170 of them. You can also listen to my book ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’ for free on the podcast. You’ll find the entire audio of the best-selling book in series 13.
The Fearless Women website is also where you can find out more about the Women’s Sport Collective, a free, inclusive community for all women working in sport. Membership includes access to networking events, regional groups, webinars, mentoring schemes, our LinkedIn Group, monthly newsletters, free places
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Now entering its 5th year, The Game Changers continues to evolve, providing a safe space for female athletes and senior women in sport to share their stories and explore critical issues around equality and inclusion.
Ahead of series 16, which launches in February, we're sharing a special highlights episode from 2023.
Preeti Shetty, Director at Brentford Football Club, shares her shocking first experience as a spectator at a Millwall game and her challenge in raising funds in sport and tech as a woman of colour.
Paralympic legend Ellie Simmonds shares the ongoing impact of the bullying culture in Paralympic Swimming ahead of Rio 2016, and we hear from Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal FC, about the blatant sexism and misogyny she faced as the first female director at Fulham FC in the 90s.
International Football Manager Kelly Lindsey highlights what needs to change if we're ever to see more female professional football coaches, and the Guardian's Suzanne Wrack explores what we can all learn from the brave actions of the Spanish team after last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup.
UFC Champion, Molly McCann, talks of how her tough upbringing enabled her to become the fighter she is today and finally, Jeanette Kwakye, Olympic athlete turned broadcaster, says that despite loving the tiny bikini bottoms she wore to compete, she now sees the dramatic impact inappropriate sports clothing is having on girls participation in sport.
The impact of The Game Changers podcast was also recognised by Sport England in 2023, when they awarded Fearless Women a three-year grant to create a further 9 series. We're so grateful for their ongoing support and thanks also to our fantastic Executive Producer, Sam Walker.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was originally released as part of Series 3 on April 7, 2020.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever female players, Kelly Smith MBE is England women’s record goal scorer and four-time Women’s Premier League winner with Arsenal Women.
Kelly talks openly about how tough it was playing football as youngster and being kicked off two teams for being a girl, how England is now the best place for any young girl wanting to play professional football and why she feels it’s so important to now talk openly about her past struggles with alcohol to encourage others to open up and talk more openly about mental health.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
A re-released episode originally published as part of Series 3 on May 19, 2020.
At the time of the original release Casey was Manager at Man United Women, and had been capped over 100 times for England and captained the Lionesses and Team GB during the London 2012 Olympics.
Casey talks us about how she was bullied for playing football as a girl, her surreal first cap in front of a crowd of 45,000, what makes a great captain and leader, the difference in life as a manager versus a professional player and how she’s managing life as Manager at Manchester United Women.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was originally released as part of Series 2 on Sept 17, 2019.
Former England Cricket Captain, Clare Connor has transformed the game from grassroots to the elite level, she is now ECB Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director England Women.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was originally released as part of Series 1, on July 16, 2019.
Team GB’s most decorated female Olympian with 5 Olympic rowing medals (including Gold at London 2012) Katherine is now the Chair of UK Sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode was originally released as part of Series 1 on June 4, 2019.
Four times Ironman World Champion, Chrissie is now Global Lead of Health and Wellbeing for Parkrun.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Today’s guest is the most successful female sailor in Olympic history - Hannah Mills OBE.
Hannah won a silver medal for Team GB alongside Saskia Clark at London 2012, before the pair went on to win Gold in Rio 2016. Hannah retained her Olympic title with new partner, Eilidh McIntyre at the Tokyo Games in 2021, and was also the Team GB flagbearer for those games.
Off the water Hannah’s hugely passionate about the environment. She’s an International Olympic Committee Sustainability Ambassador, who launched the Big Plastic Pledge in 2019, and co-founded Athletes of the World, an athlete group campaigning for positive impact around climate change.
In 2021, Hannah joined Sir Ben Ainslie’s SailGP Team as its first female sailor as part of SailGP’s Women’s Pathway Programme. And in 2022 she returned to the water just a few months after the arrival of baby Sienna.
Hannah was awarded an MBE in 2017 & an OBE in 2022, for her services to sailing and the environment.
From her first experience on the water, through an extraordinary Olympic career, Hannah talks so openly about her journey to become the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history.
Her journey since Tokyo has also been incredible, and we explore Hannah’s transition to a SailGP team on the Women’s Pathway and what the future holds for women in this very male dominated sport.
Hannah is refreshingly honest about the challenges faced in returning to sport after having a baby, and it’s wonderful to learn about the support from SailGP that’s made this possible.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Juliet Slot is Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal Football Club and a board director at the British Olympic Association.
At Arsenal Juliet heads a department with a broad remit including marketing, data and insight, commercial partnerships, ticketing, hospitality, conferencing and events, retail licensing and new commercial ventures.
Juliet's whole career has been in the sports industry, with senior roles at adidas, Fulham Football Club, London 2012 and Ascot Racecourse, before she joined Arsenal. In exploring her earlier roles in sport, we talk about selling sports clothing to women and what Juliet learnt from the challenging experience of getting partners on board for the London 2012 bid.
Passionate about gender equality in sport, Juliet is leading the way through her work at Arsenal FC, which has long been a driving force in women's football.
Juliet is incredibly open in sharing her learnings, as we explore everything from the data and insight needed to market women’s sport and drive ticket sales, to finding new sponsors for the women’s team while managing the expectations of elite female footballers, who are now household names.
Sharing some shocking stories from her time as the first female Director at Fulham Football Club in the 90s, Juliet reflects on how much things are now changing for women working in football, especially at clubs like Arsenal.
This is a fascinating interview with a woman leading her field, generously sharing her learnings with others across sport.
A huge thank you to Sport England, who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery grant.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Jeanette Kwakye is former international athlete turned broadcaster.
This British sprinter was five-time British champion, Olympian and world indoor silver medallist, competing in the Olympic final of the 100 meters in Beijing 2008.
Since retiring as an athlete and becoming a journalist in 2013, Jeanette's become a regular broadcaster across the BBC, Sky Sports and Channel 5. Jeanette works across many sports, having anchored world championships and athletics, swimming and taekwondo, along with Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
In 2020, Jeanette became the first Black woman to present boxing on British TV and regularly presents the BBC Women's Football Hour show, BBC Five Live Breakfast and Fighting Talk. She's also hosting an exciting new show for Sky Sports' this autumn, bringing the British Basketball League, Men's and Women's games, to our screens.
In 2017, Jeanette wrote a children's book called Femi the Fox, which teaches the younger generations about West African culture, and in 2021, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to sports and sports broadcasting.
Jeanette is incredibly open about her life as an elite track athlete - who as a youngster was sometimes a challenge to coach.
We talk everything from the issue of drugs in sport and the revealing sports kit worn by female athletes (which Jeanette loved when competing) through to her own challenges with injuries and how it felt to miss out on London 2012, having started the year as Britain’s fastest woman.
We track Jeanette’s career path to becoming a prominent sports broadcaster in a space where there were few black women, and how it feels to now be on the other side of the microphone being the first person to talk to emotional British athletes as they finish their events at major Championships.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Layla Guscoth describes herself on social media as half netballer, half doctor.
In 2016, Layla qualified as a doctor and somehow has managed to balance that career with being a professional netballer.
Co-captain for the England side at the 2023 World Cup, Layla now has both Silver and Bronze World Cup medals.
Layla's played for a number of Super League teams in the UK and Australia and captained both Mavericks and Thunderbirds.
We explore how Layla has managed to balance two incredible careers, her pathway into elite netball and the women that influenced her progress, recognising her as a whole human, not just an exceptional athlete.
As Layla shares her journey, including injuries, setbacks and time overseas, we consider what’s changed for netballers with increased professionalism, and what the future holds in terms of broadcast, investment and increasing media profile of the sport.
Layla was incredibly open in discussing what a fully professional sport could look like in the future; what makes a great captain and is it time to think again about those netball dresses?
It was a privilege to hear Layla reflect back on her extraordinary netball career.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Suzy Wrack is a much-celebrated women’s football writer for The Guardian.
As an author, Suzy wrote the award-winning book 'A Woman's Game: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Women's Football', along with the leadership book 'You Have the Power' with England Women’s football captain Leah Williamson, and her new book 'Strong Women', which was published this month.
Suzy shares her journey into journalism and how her work at The Guardian enables her to combine her joint passions for social impact and sport.
We talk about Suzy’s investigation into the abuse of Afghanistan Women’s Football team, and she reflects on how un-regulated, self-governed sports can harbour abusers at many levels.
Generously sharing advice for those hoping for a career in sports media, Suzy is open about the realities of being a woman working in male dominated sector and how coverage of women’s football in print media is finally changing. That said, she also shares her disappointment that we’ve not seen more change following the Euros in 2022.
Thank you once again to our partners at Sport England who support The Game Changers with a National Lottery grant.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Professional boxer Caroline Dubois is Youth Olympic champion, World Youth champion, four-times European Youth champion, Team GB Olympian and now IBO lightweight Champion.
A pioneering female athlete with a stellar professional record of 8 wins no defeats and 5 knock outs, Caroline is known for her immense power and her explosive punches.
Caroline talks openly about her recent IBO title and her ambitions to win more World Titles.
Sharing her experience of being a young athlete on the British Boxing pathway, we explore how she overcome disappointment from Tokyo 2020, why she gave up her dream of Olympic Gold to turn professional at just 19 and how she copes with feelings of regret.
We talk about the different between amateur and professional boxing as an athlete, the incredible growth in the visibility of professional women’s boxing and why she won’t be trying MMA anytime soon.
Caroline has witnessed huge changes for women in boxing from the days when she pretended to be a boy so that she could train in a boxing gym, but she believes there’s still much that need to change - primarily more respect for female fighters.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery award.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest in this episode is Ellie Simmonds, one of the world’s most celebrated Paralympians. A five-time Paralympic Champion and 14-time World Champion, Ellie shot to fame when she won her first Paralympic medals aged just 13, at the Beijing Paralympic Games.
After two gold medals there in 2008, Ellie went even better at London 2012. As the poster girl for the home games, she won 4 medals, including two Golds, and broke a further two World records. This success in London helped make Ellie the most recognised Paralympic athlete in Great Britain, if not the world. Rio 2016 saw Ellie once again top of the podium, winning another Gold and setting a new world record in the Individual Medley.
Ellie retired from the pool in 2021 after her fourth Paralympics Games in Tokyo, finishing her career with an incredible 5 Paralympic gold medals, 14 World titles, 10 European titles and countless World records broken along the way.
Ellie continues to work with a variety of charities including the Dwarf Sports Association, WaterAid, the Scouts and I AM WATER.
In recent years it’s been fabulous to see Ellie’s work in the media. Along with making powerful documentaries, Ellie’s been a guest on some of the country’s most popular shows including Celebrity Googlebox, celebrity Masterchef – which she won – and her appearance on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing last year which cemented her status as one of the nation’s most well-loved personalities.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery award.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
The Game Changers podcast returns on Tuesday October 31 with eight more trailblazers in women’s sport exploring their careers and key issues around equality in sport and beyond.
The award-winning podcast is support by Sport England through a National Lottery Award and hosted by Sue Anstiss MBE.
The superb guest list for this latest series includes:
Caroline Wozniacki – A professional tennis player who was ranked world number one for 71 weeks at the height of her career, and who won the Australian Open, before retiring from the game in 2020 having been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. In 2023, now mother to two small children, Caroline announced her surprise return to professional tennis.
Ellie Simmonds - one of the world’s most celebrated Paralympians with an incredible 5 Paralympic gold medals, 14 World titles, 10 European titles and countless World records. Ellie retired from the pool in 2021, but continues to be one of the nation’s most well-loved personalities and a regular on our TV screens.
Caroline Dubois – A pioneering professional British boxer and Olympian, who won European, World and Olympic Youth titles, and is now IBO Lightweight Champion.
Layla Guscoth – an England netballer who incredibly combines this role with her career as a doctor. Having won silver and bronze World Cup medals, Layla’s captained her country along with teams in the Netball Super League and in Australia.
Suzy Wrack – A British journalist and much-celebrated women’s football writer for The Guardian, Suzy’s also the award-winning author of ‘A Woman's Game’ and does an incredible job driving social change through her coverage of women’s sport.
Jeanette Kwakye – former British sprinter, 5-time British Champion, Olympian and world indoor silver medallist, who’s gone on to become a much-respected sports broadcaster across the BBC, Sky and Channel 5.
Juliet Slot – Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal Football Club, and a non-exec Director of the British Olympic Association, with previous senior roles at Ascot Racecourse, London 2012, Fulham Football Club and adidas. Juliet’s passionate about gender equality in sport and is leading the way through her work at Arsenal.
And
Hannah Mills - the most successful Olympic female sailor in history, Hannah went on to join Ben Ainslie’s SailGP team as its first female sailor, returning to the water just a few months after the birth of her baby Sienna. Hannah’s also a passionate advocate for positive impact around climate change.
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The Game Changers is available for free across all podcast platforms, or you can listen directly from the Fearless Women website www.fearlesswomen.co.uk.
This is also where you’ll find details of all the trailblazing guests featured in previous series – there are over 150 of them. You can also listen to the best-selling book ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’ for free on the podcast. You’ll find the entire audio of the best-selling book in series 13.
The Fearless Women website is also where you can find out more about the Women’s Sport Collective, a free, inclusive community for all women working in sport. Help progress your leadership ambitions networking events, regional groups, webinars, mentoring schemes, LinkedIn Group, monthly newsletter, complimentary places at industry conferences and much, much more. It’s all completely free.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest in this special bonus episode is professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, ranked number one in the world at the height of her career.
Caroline’s professional career took off at 15 when she joined the WTA Tour, and her meteoric rise saw her ranked world number one for 70 weeks.
Having won the Australian Open in 2018, Caroline was at the peak of her tennis career when she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Caroline retired from tennis in 2020 and then, much to the delight of tennis fans across the world, in 2023, now mother to two young children, she announced her surprise return to professional tennis.
It was such a privilege to talk to Caroline. We explore her phenomenal rise to world number one, and the impact of returning to that position again years later when she also won the Australian Open.
Caroline talks frankly about her Rheumatoid Arthritis – its diagnosis and how it impacts her life as an elite athlete. She also talks about her passion to help other women with the Advantage Hers* campaign.
We explore the impact of her surprise return to professional tennis this year, the changes she’s seen and her plans for the future.
As a mother returning to play her sport at the very highlight level Caroline Wozniacki is a huge inspiration to working mothers everywhere.
- The Advantage Hers campaign is supported and paid for by UCB. For more information visit www.advantagehers.co.uk”Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery award.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s incredible Heptathlon Gold Medal at the World Championships this weekend, we’re re-releasing this special episode of The Game Changers.
Now a two-time World Champion, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (KJT) has overcome many challenges during her extraordinary impressive athletics career which includes appearances at three Olympic Games. We’re so excited to see her compete again in Paris 2024.
In this episode, Katarina talks about tackling anxiety and body issues, transforming her mental approach to the sport, learning to handle the pressure after lsoing the love of the sport and how she handled the internal conflict when her childhood role model, Jessica Ennis-Hill, became her biggest rival.
Katarina also discusses the complicated preparations for the postponed Tokyo Olympics and being an ambassador of the Game On initiative, launched with Liverpool Football Club and Nike to help youngsters access sport in their local area.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate the Football World Cup, we’re re-releasing episodes of The Game Changers podcast with incredible trailblazing women in football.
With 71 international caps under her belt, spanning 14 years, Anita Asante is a formidable England defender who played top club football for many clubs including Aston Villa, Arsenal and Chelsea. She is manager at Bristol City WFC gaining promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League for the 2023/24.
In this episode, she shares her hopes for the inclusivity of the game, playing over seas, using her platform to 'voice up' for the LGBTQ plus community and putting the onus back on the Governing Bodies to govern the politics and policies of the game.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Emma Hayes is Manager at Chelsea Women. In 2023 she led Chelsea to their sixth FA Women's Super League win, and once again Emma’s team won the FA Cup taking her winning tally to five .
It’s a fascinating conversation where Emma talks very openly about her life, her career and shares lots of advice for others hoping to be high level coaches in the future.
Just to flag, there’s a little bit of occasional background noise of this podcast as the house next door to Emma’s had some building work going on while we spoke. It’s not too disturbing but just to let you know.
Massive thanks to Barclays for once again supporting this series of The Game Changers which focuses on fearless women in football, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate the Football World Cup, we’re re-releasing episodes of The Game Changers podcast with incredible trailblazing women in football.
Gabby Logan is one of Britain's most influential women in sport. A former international gymnast Gabby is now a household name presenting many of our most popular sports TV programmes including the Olympics, London Marathon, Match of the Day, World Athletics Championships and Sports Personality of the Year.
Gabby talks openly about her career path from Sky to the BBC, and why she's so passionate about improving the coverage for women's sport.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate the Football World Cup we’re re-releasing episodes of The Game Changers podcast with incredible trailblazing women in football.
Professional footballer, media personality, lawyer, philanthropist and now best selling author, Eni’s high profile racism case against the FA led to critical reforms within the sport.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate the Football World Cup we’re re-releasing episodes of The Game Changers podcast with incredible trailblazing women in football.
With 172 appearances for her country, Fara Williams is the most capped player in the history of English football.
Fara shares her experience of being homeless as a young player, and how she went on to have an extraordinary 20-year career. Fara talks about her plans for the future and her hopes for the future of the women's game, having recently announced her retirement from professional football.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate the Women’s World Cup we’re re-releasing episodes that feature some of the incredible trailblazing women who are featuring out in Australia and New Zealand.
Today it’s one of the world's leading female professional players, Lucy Bronze was UEFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2019 and in 2020 was named The Best FIFA Women's Player.
Having played in the US at at several British clubs including Man City, Lucy went on to spend three years in France at Olympique Lyonnais, Europe's most successful team before returning to Man City in 2020. Lucy is now playing for FC Barcelona and is an experienced member of the Lionesses squad which won the UEFA Euros in 2022.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this final episode of season 14, we talk to Eilish McColgan, an incredible distance athlete.
Eilish holds the European record for 10,000 on the road, as well as British records at 5,000m and 10,000m on the track and road, and in the half marathon. With European medals indoors and outdoors on the track, Eilish represented Team GB at 3 Olympics in London, Rio and Tokyo.
In 2022 Eilish became Commonwealth Games Champion over 10,000 metres, a feat that repeated her mum's victory 36 years earlier and broke the Commonwealth Games record.
A few days later, she was back to take a silver medal over 5,000m. And then, in 2023, Eilish broke her own British Half Marathon Record and became the first British Woman to win the Berlin Half Marathon. She also eclipsed Paula Radcliffe's UK record, running 10k in 30 minutes.
In this episode we explore Eilish’s incredible sporting journey and her pathway to success. We hear about how severe injuries led her to dramatically adapt training, how she’s embraced social media and become an outspoken advocate for body positivity in sport and the challenges athletes face today around sports sponsorships.
Thank you for Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Molly McCann, also known as Meatball Molly, is a mixed martial artist, formerly a Cage Fighters champion, who is currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In this very open interview, Molly takes us back to her life growing up in Liverpool, surrounded by alcohol and addiction, and the childhood experiences that led her to follow a different path and become a world famous MMA fighter.
We explore what it’s like to lose your privacy and how Molly now deals with the negativity and trolling that arise from her growing profile.
Molly is a cousin of Katie Taylor and we discuss the huge positive impact female fighters can have in society.
Molly is already using her profile to drive social change, especially when it comes to providing opportunities for her home community, and there’s no doubt she’ll continue to have a huge impact as she considers a move into politics in the future.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Louise Minchin is a journalist, presenter, author and podcaster, who presented BBC’s flagship morning show, BBC Breakfast, for over 20 years.
Louise also has a passion for endurance sport. Having raced her first triathlon in 2013, she went on to compete in her Age Group at five World and European triathlon championships before completing a number of extreme events including some of the toughest long-distance triathlons in the world.
Louise talks frankly about how she re-discovered sport in her 40s, having regrettably stopped competitive swimming as a young girl, put off by the shape of her muscular arms.
We explore Louise’s activity as a vocal campaigner for menopausal women – talking openly about her own struggles on the BBC – along with her experiences as a contestant on shows like ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and ‘Masterchef’.
Louise’s has just published her second book ‘FEARLESS, Adventures with Extraordinary Women’ and it’s a joy to hear about the impact of the inspirational women featured. It was also fascinating to explore how taking on physical challenges can help women be bolder elsewhere in their lives.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a Nationl lottery grant.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Our guest in this episode has been instrumental in the success of the British Paralympic team, helping them to achieve record-breaking medal hauls at 10 Paralympic Summer and Winter Games.
Penny Briscoe competed for Great Britain in Canoe Slalom before becoming Senior National Coach for the GBR team at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She has worked in para sport as coach, team manager, performance director and is now Director of Sport at the British Paralympic Association and is also the Chef De Mission for Paralympics GB. In 2017, Penny was awarded an OBE for her services to disability sport.
In this fascinating conversation we explore Penny’s path into para sport and how the role and profile of the British Paralympic Association has changed over 20 years.
Penny shares the enormous impact of London 2012, the challenges that followed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, and her ambitions for Paris 2024.
If you’d like to hear from other senior women leading British sport, previous episodes of The Game Changers include interviews with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Sally Munday OBE, Dame Liz Nichol, Dame Katherine Grainger, Sue Day MBE, Baroness Sue Campbell and Clare Connor CBE.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through the National Lottery.
Game On is a powerful documentary that explores the recent growth in women’s sport and its impact across society.
Available on NETFLIX, the film addresses the controversial issues and myths that have prevented gender equality in sport, why things are now changing, and what the future holds.
You can watch ‘Game On’ on Netflix now: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81678387
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This episode is a slightly different format, as I talk to a panel of game changers about a specific topic – and in this case it’s women in sports coaching.
Just 10% of accredited coaches at the Summer and Winter Olympics over the past decade have been female and we rarely see women in high profile coaching roles in our biggest sports.
This conversation explores why this is and what needs to change?
My guests for this episode were:
- Kelly Lindsey, Sporting Director at Lewes FC & former Head Coach of the Afghanistan women’s national team and the Moroccan women’s national team
- Giselle Mather, Director of Rugby at Ealing Trailfinders and formerly Director of Rugby at Wasps Women who was the first female Level 4 rugby coach in Britain
- Jess Freeman, Community Coach at Harlequins & a rugby coach at Dorking
- Sarah Kelleher, former Irish Hockey Captain who is now a national coach for teams in England and Ireland
Having discussed their own experiences and journeys as women in sports coaching we explore the current gender balance in football, rugby and hockey in grassroots and elite coaching, and consider which sports are doing things well.
We discuss why having more women in coaching matters, what makes a ‘good’ coach and what’s preventing equality. Finally we consider what needs to change for the future and my guests share some fantastic advice for other female coaches.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This is an utterly fascinating conversation with Preeti Shetty, a hugely well-respected figure in sport, particularly in the area of sport for positive social change.
CEO and founder of Upshot, Preeti is also a Board Director of Brentford Football Club, the Vice Chair of Street Child United, a Director of London Sport and sits on Women in Football’s Board committee.
As the head of Upshot, Preeti focuses her efforts on proving the difference non-profits can makes to people's lives and communities through impact measurement and evaluation.
Having grown up in Dubai, before moving the UK to work at the BBC, Preeti shares how she discovered the power of sport to change the world.
We explore her work at the Football Foundation and the challenges she faced as a woman of colour seeking to gain investment to buy Upshot from her employer.
Having been spat at on her first visit to watch a Premier League Football match at Milwall, she could understandably have walked away from the sport, yet she now sits as a Board Director of Brentford FC.
It’s little wonder that Preeti is so respected and admired in the sports industry.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Games Changers Podcast with a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Eve Muirhead OBE is one of the world’s most successful curlers, who became Olympic Champion as skip for the British team at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 having carried our flag at the Opening Ceremony.
Eve went on to become World Champion in the Mixed Doubles later that year before announcing her retirement from curling as current Olympic, European and World Champion. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen Birthday Honours.
As well as her extraordinary accolades on the ice, Eve is also highly accomplished golfer and bagpiper.
We’re so grateful to Eve for her openness in this conversation where we discuss everything from the pressures of being skip of a team and her mental health struggles during COVID, through to the joy of returning to Scotland after winning Olympic gold and what the next chapter of life might hold.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Today’s guest is Jodie Ounsley – a professional rugby player and Honorary President of UK Deaf Sport, who will also be a Gladiator in the new series that returns to the BBC later this year.
Jodie is a powerful role model for women and girls and talks openly about her deafness and how it’s impacted her life on and off the pitch.
She explains how she’s unintentionally been training for Gladiators all her life and how she’s preparing for the public profile that comes with becoming ‘Fury’ in the new series.
Jodie began her sporting career as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion before representing the UK in athletics at the Deaf Olympics. Five times Coal Carrying Champion, she then moved on to rugby where she’s represented England at 7s and now plays for the Exeter Chiefs in the Premier 15s.
Alongside her success in sport, Jodie was awarded the Young Deaf Sports Personality of the Year and was also included in the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List 2023 which recognised 30 outstanding women in sport.
Jodie’s videos on TikTok, where she shares her life as a young woman living with hearing loss, have been viewed almost 5 million times.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
The guests featured in the new series of The Game Changers could be the most diverse yet, with Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champions, alongside elite coaches, broadcasters, CEOs, Paralympic GB’s Chef de Mission and a Gladiator!
The Game Changers podcast features candid interviews with trailblazing women in sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls across society. Along with discussing their careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with the toughest challenges, each episode also addresses wider equality issues in sport and beyond.
The popularity of this award-winning podcast continues to grow, in line with the increased profile and appetite for women’s sport. The Game Changers now ranks in the top 5% of all podcasts globally, and series 14, which launches on Tuesday May 30, will be supported by Sport England through a National Lottery Award.
The remarkable line-up for the new series includes:
- Jodie Ounsley – A professional rugby player who represented England at Rugby 7’s, is Honorary President of UK Deaf Sportand a recently announced Gladiator in the new BBC series
- Eve Muirhead MBE – One of the world’s greatest ever curlers, who won Olympic Gold in Tokyo as the skip for Team GB, and was voted 3rd in last year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year
- Preeti Shetty – the CEO of Upshot, who’s a director at Brentford Football Club and a passionate advocate for the power of sport to drive social change
- Penny Briscoe OBE – a former international canoeist, who’s been a driving force in revolutionising parasport as Director of Sport for the British Paralympic Association and Chef de Mission for Paralympics GB
- Louise Minchin – A BBC Breakfast presenter for over 20 years, who represented Great Britain as an Age Group Triathlete and is now an author, podcaster and someone taking on extreme sporting challenges
- Molly McCann, also known as Meatball Molly – a professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in UFC
- And Eilish McColgan – British and European Record holder, 3 time Olympian and Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist from Birmingham 2022
The series also includes a fascinating panel exploring the topic of women in coaching with:
- Jess Freeman – a community coach with Harlequins Rugby Club
- Kelly Lindsey – former US soccer player who is now Sporting Director at Lewes FC
- Giselle Mather – former England rugby player who is now Director of Rugby at Ealing Trailfinders
- And Sarah Kelleher – who captained the Irish Women’s Hockey team and now coaches national sides in England and Ireland
The Game Changers is hosted by Fearless Women’s CEO, Sue Anstiss MBE, an author, film maker and co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective.
Head of Equality at Sport England, Garnet Mackinder, comments: ‘Sport England is excited to be supporting the next season of The Game Changers. The podcast is an innovative way of sparking conversations about tackling inequalities that is aligned to the Uniting the Movement strategy. Hearing from amazing women will help to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and encourage more women to work in sport.”
Previous game changing guests, of which there are now over 110, include Jess Ennis-Hill, Gabby Logan, Katherine Grainger, Lucy Bronze, Laura Woods, Judy Murray, Sarah Storey, Denise Lewis, Shaunagh Brown, Kelly Smith, Clare Balding, Kate
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To mark the fact that the entire Game On book is now available to listen to free on The Game Changers podcast, today we are sharing a previous episode in conversation with the author, Sue Anstiss
In this special episode of The Game Changers, recorded in front of a live audience, Sue is interviewed by the rather brilliant Hannah Wilkes from Sky Sports.
Sue shares much about her own relationship with sport, along with the joys & challenges across her career from sports marketing with Gatorade in the 90’s, dealing with redundancy, building a sports PR agency & then launching Fearless Women.
Sue talks about the history & impact of the Women’s Sport Trust, what’s happening in women’s sport right now and what needs to change in the future.
From inequality in pay and board diversity through to investment, visibility and fan engagement, it’s a conversation that addresses so much that’s happening in women’s sport today.
Just before this interview Sue was shortlisted as a Changemaker in The Sunday Times Sportswomen of The Year Awards in 2020. Since then she was recognised on the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List 2023 as one of the 30 most influential women in sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this moving and thought-provoking episode of The Game Changers, I talk to Maria Bobenreith, Executive Director of Women Win, to explore how sport is being used to enable young women to exercise their rights across the world.
We consider how sport enables girls to develop their innate leadership, the power of joy to transform even the toughest lives and how nationalism trumps sexism when it comes to success on the world stage.
Maria describes powerful examples of how sport is driving social change across the world, and openly shares her learnings from her previous role as a former Global Director of Community Investments at Nike.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
What’s the difference between ‘sports development’ and ‘sport for development’ and how are organisations using sport as a tool to generate social change.
This chapter explores the powerful impact sport can have on the some of the most prevalent problems affecting women in the global South such as gender based violence, childhood marriage and lack of education opportunities.
We consider what it is that makes sport so powerful, and talk to leaders in the space including Radha Balani, Lex Chalat, Maria Bobenrieth and Katie Sadlier, who generously share their expertise.
Examples of current programmes for women and girls are also highlighted, along with the incredible impact they are making in places like Kenya, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Uganda, Sudan and Brazil.
The episode finishes with the conclusion to Game On and my thoughts on the way forward for women’s sport and how we can all play our part.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
This chapter considers the inequalities we see more broadly in women’s sport - across all ages and abilities – and what’s finally being done to address this.
From little girls not allowed to join the boys playing football in the playground, teenage girls unable to play a sport they love because clubs don’t have girls teams, through to older women uncomfortable about exercising in public for fear of ridicule.
Why are girls already less active than boys at just 7 and how does this difference widen as they move from childhood to adolescence?
I explore the great work that is now being done to address these issues from leading sports organisations and schools through to race directors and charities.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Moya Dodd, one of the most influential women in global sport.
Former vice-captain of the Australian women’s football team, Moya served on the board of Football Federation Australia and Asian football's governing body, before she became one of the first women to join the FIFA Council, where she took a lead role on gender reforms.
Moya still sits on FIFA committees along with the IOC Athlete’s Entourage Commission. She is Honorary President of Women in Sports Law, Chair of Common Goal and serves on the board of Barefoot to Boots.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In today’s chapter we address the lack of racial diversity in women’s sport – from grassroots participation through to our national teams and boardrooms.
Why don’t England’s national teams in sports like cricket, rugby union, rugby league, football and hockey reflect the ethnic diversity of our society?
What did it take for sport to finally wake up to the issue, what’s being done to address it now, and who are the inspirational women driving change?
This chapter explores some of the factors that might impact participation through to elite pathway including income, education, the location of elite training centres, along with very practical elements such as the sportswear on offer and profile of role models.
We can all be more intersectional in our approach. Just as we call for more women on sports boards, women in sports media and women in elite coaching, we must also ensure those women who have been excluded in the past are also at the table, and that our pathways to elite sport are open to all young women, whatever their race or ethnicity.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery grant
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Today we re-release an episode with Maggie Alphonsi, one of rugby's greatest female players.
Having helped England win a record breaking 7 consecutive Six Nations crowns and the 2014 World Cup, Maggie has gone on to be as influential off the field as she was on it.
Maggie talks openly about how rugby changed her life, her experience of representing her country and how it felt to break new ground as the first woman to commentate on men’s rugby at a World Cup.
Thank you for Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
‘I hate the word homophobia. It’s not a phobia. You’re not scared. You’re an arsehole’. Morgan Freeman, 2012
Sport can be an incredibly inclusive space, welcoming women whatever their sexuality – and in many cases providing a haven for a young woman, potentially normalising her identity in a way she may not have experienced elsewhere.
And yet sadly, society’s perception of LGBTQ+ women can also be the very thing that drives girls away from sport, with National Governing Bodies historically choosing to downplay the high percentage of queer women in their national sides.
In this important chapter of my book ‘Game On – The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’, I explore the history of LGBTQ+ women in sport and its impact on participation, and how a more inclusive society today sees high profile gay athletes like Megan Rapinoe no longer penalised by sponsors in the way Billie Jean-King and Martina Navratilova were in the past.
I talk to Kate Richardson-Walsh and Casey Stoney about the issues of stereotyping in women’s sport, and consider how tough it can be to explore the subject of transwomen’s inclusion in sport with the constant vitriol surrounding any discussion of the topic.
Thank you to Sport England for supporting The Game Changers podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
It’s little wonder that broadcaster Laura Woods is so admired by men and women alike - her warmth, humour and humility are all on full display in this delightful interview for The Game Changers podcast.
We’re re-releasing it today to ensure that Laura’s wise words and authenticity reach an even bigger audience.
Twice voted the SJA Sports Presenter of the Year, Laura openly shares her journey to the high profile roles she holds today as host of talkSPORT’S flagship Sports Breakfast Show and presenter for ITV Football, DAZN Boxing and NFL UK.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
’Spare us the unaesthetic spectacle of women trying to look and act like men’ - IOC member, 1950
For too long sportswomen have faced the almost impossible task of competing as athletes whilst also maintaining what society deems as typically ‘feminine’ appearance in order to appeal to broadcasters, promoters and sponsors.
And so we see women still playing elite sport in dresses, hiding their muscular bodies and being asked about their outfits rather than their performances in post match interviews, while sports brands chose models over athletes to promote their products and sports federations put women and girls in skimpy outfits in order to increase their sex appeal.
This 'female athlete paradox’ also prevents thousands of young women from enjoying sport, concerned their femininity will be questioned if they participate in ‘mannish’ sports.
This chapter explores all those issues and highlights how things are finally changing for sportswomen.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Whilst I’m not sure any one chapter of ‘Game On’ is more important than the rest, if I had to pick one for all men to listen to it might be chapter 13 - ‘In The Red Corner’.
It’s ironic that historically it was men talking about ‘women’s bodies’ that led to the banning of them from sport, but now we have men in sport who don’t want to talk about women’s bodies, and that too has a negative impact.
This chapter explores the lack of sports science devoted to women’s bodies and how that then impacts everyone from elite sportswomen to girls getting started in sport.
Why do we see so many female ACL injuries and how does the impact of concussion vary by gender?
Hear about what’s changing now that we’re finally having open conversations, who’s leading the way and what still needs to change.
Thanks to Sport England who support the Game Changers Podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In celebration of the fact that Denise Lewis received a Damehood in the New Years Honours, we’re delighted to re-release her interview on The Game Changers podcast this week.
Olympic gold medallist in the heptathlon and much loved by the British public, Denise is now President of Commonwealth Games England.
Along with her busy life supporting charities whilst raising her family, Denise regularly graces our TV screens, whether that’s commentating on BBC sports coverage or appearing on shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Comic Relief.
Denise is an incredibly warm person who openly shares so much about her life.
It was a privilege to talk to her, exploring the challenges she faced in her extraordinary sporting career, what it felt like that night in Sydney when she finally won Olympic Gold and hearing her thoughts on some of the most pressing issues for equality in sport today.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Why are just 10% of coaches at Olympics and Paralympics female? What stops women reaching the highest levels of elite sport as coaches?
It turns out it’s not the experience and skill of the women, but a system that disadvantages them at every stage.
From the perceptions of what make a ‘good coach’ through to way coaching courses are delivered, there’s so much that can be improved.
And then there are the male professional players (with no coaching experience) parachuted into the highest profile coaching roles in women’s sport in place of female coaches with decades of experience. And this is not just happening in the WNBA, but closer to home when you consider Phil Neville’s appointment as England Manager for the Lionesses.
These issues and what needs to change are explored in Chapter 12 of ‘Game On – The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Think of the phrase male ally as a verb rather than a noun. How can you help drive gender equality in sport?
Game On charts the unstoppable rise of women’s sport, with many trailblazing, game-changing women leading the charge, but ultimately having men onside will be essential if true equality in sport is ever to be achieved.
This week’s audio chapter of the book ‘Game On’ explores the topic of male allies, celebrating the men that are already on board and providing practical guidance for those that want to do more.
Along with the high profile male allies like Andy Murray, David Coulthard, Ugo Monye and Justine Rose, I also applaud those doing so much in running sports organisations, investing in sponsorship and generating more media coverage.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Following an incredible year for women’s football and the Lionesses, this week we’re re-releasing and episode with Baroness Sue Campbell – Director of Women’s Football at the FA.
Having led the National Coaching Foundation, established the Youth Sport Trust and Chaired UK Sport, Sue’s role at the FA has been transformational.
It’s a fascinating and insightful conversation with one of the most respected people in British sport.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
‘The leadership and management of football, one of the most diverse games on the planet, is still controlled, fundamentally, by white men’. Dame Heather Rabbatts, 2020
It’s generally accepted that organisations led by diverse boards are more successful, have better governance and make better decisions. Yet for many sports not much has changed from the 1800s when organised sport was first developed – organised for men, by men.
This chapter explores what’s happening in the running of global sport. After years of governance scandals at major sports organisations including FIFA, the FA, the IOC, the IAAF and the ICC are we finally seeing improved gender balance at the very top, or is the shift taking too long?
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
General Manager of Lewes FC Women, an extraordinary football club with massive ambitions – the first club in the world to pay its male and female players equally.
Maggie has had a fascinating career path, having worked for Amnesty International on human rights issues, Transparency International, the world’s largest anti-corruption organisation and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, where she was director of public policy and sport integrity.
Maggie’s also the Director of Communications at Equal Playing Field, a charity dedicated to advancing women’s equality in sport from grassroots to elite levels. As mentioned in the podcast, Lewes FC is completely fan owned.
You can find out more here: https://www.lewesfc.com/owners
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
We hear so much about female athletes as role models - but what impact do they really have?
Does increased profile of elite sportswomen drive grassroots sports participation and do they help change perceptions about gender equality more broadly in society?
And what of the way female athletes are depicted in sports media? Do we see them excelling in their sport like their male counterparts, or do other aspects take precedence - their appearance, relationships and emotions?
In the week's chapter of 'Game On' I explore all these questions, along with the extraordinary growth in female athlete activism.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Stacey has represented her country at an international level in two sports – football and boxing. Following a successful football career, where she represented England, played in the FA cup final, and played overseas for six years in the US and Sweden; Stacey then went on to pursue her dreams of a career in boxing.
During her six-year amateur boxing career, Stacey became European silver medallist and three-time national champion. She then turned professional and 2018 became the first British woman to win the Commonwealth title.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Why do we see so few women working as sports journalists and does that impact the coverage of women’s sport?
The gender balance in sports broadcasting is getting better, but still women face relentless sexism and misogyny just for doing their jobs.
In this chapter we speak to some of the trailblazers in sports media including Jacqui Oatley, Anna Kessel and Elly Oldroyd.
What was it like in the past, how have things changed and what might the future hold for women talking sport?
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
I’m often asked if I have a ‘favourite’ amongst the 100+ trailblazers in women’s sport I have had the privilege of interviewing on The Game Changers podcast.
Whilst it’s an impossible question to answer – I’ve learnt so much from all of the incredible women I’ve spoken to - there is one fascinating interview that always comes to mind as especially entertaining and moving.
Rose Reilly shares her extraordinary story - a young woman banned from Scottish football who went on to win a World Cup with Italy – in such an engaging way. There’s so much we can all learn today from her attitude and approach to life.
I’m therefore excited to re-release Rose’s episode today.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get the crumbs and I want women to have the cake, the icing and the cherry on top too.” Billie Jean King, 2016
How will women’s sport ever thrive without equality in funding and investment?
It’s totally unrealistic to expect women’s team sport to reach the level of men’s when players have never had access to the same funding, prize money, professional contracts or personal endorsement as the men.
This chapter looks critically as the state of play for women’s professional sport and how things are finally changing.
It explores the US National Team’s fight for equal pay and how prize money is impacting sports like cricket and football in the UK with The Hundred and the FA Cup.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
It’s been a massive week for women’s cricket (and wider women’s sport) with the first player auctions in the inaugural Women’s IPL breaking all records.
It feels very timely then, to re-release this powerful interview with former England Cricketer and World Cup Winner Ebony Rainford-Brent.
Having been a trailblazing player, and the first black woman to play cricket for England, Ebony has gone on to lead the way as a sports broadcaster and activist for inclusion in cricket.
Thank you to Sport England who support the Game Changers Podcast via a National Lottery grant.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
“Sponsors and brands are looking at women’s sport with new eyes. They are looking at what they can get from women’s sport from the story and the purpose. Ultimately it’s about what it says as them as a brand.” Lisa Parfitt, The Space Between
Why are we finally seeing a massive increase in women’s sport sponsorship, and what does women’s sport offer brands that men’s doesn’t?
How do the experts think broadcasting rights, access and private investment could change things in the future for women’s sport?
Thank you for Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In the past 5 years we’ve seen huge changes in the size of crowds coming to watch women’s sport.
Records are constantly being broken as fans flock to the biggest stadia, and we’re seeing a very different make up in the audience – a more inclusive, friendly fan base.
But what’s driving this change and how can clubs and sports help accelerate this growth? And who are the fans of women’s sport anyway?
This chapter explores what needs to change to maintain this momentum.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this episode we revisit the conversation with legendary broadcaster and best-selling author Clare BaldingCBE.
Clare has hosted numerous major events including the Olympics and Paralympics, Wimbledon, the Boat Race and The Grand National.
Clare is a huge sporting trailblazer, and, along with sharing her own career path, in this podcast she also explores how we might drive gender equality in sport.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Why does women’s sport receive so little media coverage?
When a sports editor says ‘no one is interested in women’s sport’ does he actually men that ‘he’ is not interested in women’s sport? Is that why are our newspapers are full of men writing about men’s sport for men?
And what of the quality of coverage? What impact do we see when broadcasters finally invest in high quality production?
Finally, what impact could digital content have for women’s sport
Things are slowly improving, but as this chapter illustrates, there’s much to be done if women’s sport coverage is ever to reach the levels of men’s.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Why do women only play three sets of tennis at Grand Slam tennis events and not five like the men?
In this chapter Sue explores how historical beliefs about women’s bodies and the impact of physical activity are still impacting women’s sport today.
Did we really believe that women only had a finite amount of energy or that their wombs might fall out if they were too energetic? And how did that pseudo-scientific result in football being banned for 50 years?
This chapter sheds light on the past to help us shape the future for women’s sport.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
The opening chapters of the book ‘Game On’ – which featured in audio on the previous episodes of this podcast – mentioned the incredible Kate Richardson Walsh OBE.
Kate was captain of the England and GB Hockey team when they won bronze at London 2012, and then went on to win gold in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games.
We’re sharing Kate’s remarkable story again here this week on The Game Changers.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hello and welcome to The Game Changers, the podcast that celebrates trailblazing women in sport.
I’m Sue Anstiss, and I’d like to start with a big thank you to our partners, Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery award.
I’m excited to say that this 13th series of the podcast will be a serialisation of my book, ‘Game On - The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’.
This second episode features chapter two of the book where I share 12 Game Changing moments in women’s sport from the past decade.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hello and welcome to The Game Changers, the podcast that celebrates trailblazing women in sport.
I’m Sue Anstiss, and I’d like to start with a big thank you to our partners, Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery award.
I'm excited to say that this, the13th season of the podcast is a serialisation of my book, Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport.
In each episode, you’ll hear a new chapter, covering the history and challenges women’s sport has faced over the years, the incredible growth we’re now seeing and the trailblazers who have led the way.
This first episode includes the book's foreword, written by Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, my introduction and the first chapter, ‘Why does it Matter’?
Thanks for listening
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
In this special episode we’re sharing a roundup of some of the highlights from 2022.
First up, Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft talked about being an advocate for all wheelchair users.
Next, in a fascinating conversation with Radha Balani from Beyond Sport we addressed the issues of anxiety, depression and eating disorders in WSL footballers.
We brought together a powerful panel of experts to explore the issues of women's sport kit. Wendy Taylor from the Youth Sport Trust shared some shocking stats about how periods & clothing affect girls’ participation in school sport before Rimla Akhtar shared her personal experience of clothing bans. Finally, why are women still wearing dresses to play sport? GB Hockey player and sportswear activist Tess Howard enlightens us.
Sue Day is now head of operations and finance at the RFU. The former England Captain had 59 caps for her country. She spoke to me about being an LGBTQ+ woman in rugby.
In an incredibly moving conversation with Kelly Lindsey, the Former Head Coach of the Afghanistan Women's Football Team, tells me about the process of creating a national team and what football meant to Afghan women.
Dr Emma Ross reflects on her work at the English Institute of Sport and why sports science is currently failing our elite female athletes.
In panel discussion on racial inclusion in women's’ sport, Garnet Mackinder, Diversity lead at Sport England and a former Prem 15s rugby player shares her personal experience of finding rugby, before the ECB’s Shruti Saujani highlights her learnings from taking cricket to women in South Asian communities. Finally, we hear from former British Paralympian, Anne Wafula Strike, as she highlights the importance of how we talk about women’s sport.
Hear Sarah Hunter, England captain and England’s all-time most capped rugby player on the importance of young girls seeing strong, powerful female roles models.
The first guest to ever return to The Game Changers podcast, Sally Munday, CEO at UK Sport, talks so openly about how we change attitudes to gender in sport.
Rachel Pavlou, a total trailblazer in women’s football, reflects on the Euros and why its so important to recognise the people that played a part in the growth of the women’s game
Finally we hear from Shaunagh Brown, former England Professional player on the role of allies in sport.
If you’d like to hear more from these incredible trailblazers, you can find the full episodes all podcast platforms, or head over to fearlesswomen.co.uk
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery Award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Sally Munday is CEO of UK Sport and a former CEO of England and GB Hockey.
To mark our 100th episode we returned to talk to this extraordinary woman, considered by many to be one of the most influential individuals in British Sport. This episode was also recorded live in front of an audience at Leaders Week London.
To find out more about Sally’s early life and the transformative work she did in over 20 years at England Hockey, do go back and listen to episode 3 in the very first series.
Sally is incredibly candid in this fascinating episode as she first shares her experience of leading UK Sport as COVID struck and what changes were needed to the organisation, the sports sector and her leadership style.
We talk about the changing culture of UK Sport, gender balance in Team GB, Paralympics GB and elite coaching and the work of the organisation around major international events.
Sally is very frank about what is needed to overcome the inherent misogyny that still exists in sport, and we also talk about important issues of safeguarding and athlete welfare.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Rachel Pavlou was described as the most selfless person in women’s football by former England coach (and a previous guest on this podcast) Hope Powell. Rachel has over 30 years of sports development experience, specialising in the development of women's football at The FA for almost 25 years.
Rachel is currently the FA Women’s Development Manager specialising in Diversity & Inclusion. Her main areas of responsibility are to develop football opportunities for females in under-represented communities.
She is also a designated Expert in Women's Football Development at FIFA, and a Trustee at the Aston Villa FC Foundation. Rachel’s been a key member in the implementation of the Barclays FA Women's Super League, and has managed participation and talent development programmes, along with heading up research into mixed football and initiating the Kick Off Your Career campaign.
Rachel continues to be an integral part of The FA’s work, through her experience working at both the domestic and international level of the women’s game.
It’s no wonder that Rachel was the woman most suggested when we asked on social media for potential guest for The Game Changers.
Her passion for the game and ability to drive change is extraordinary, but she does all this with huge humility.
We explore the vast changes in women’s football and attitudes to the women’s game when she first joined the FA in the 90’s. Rachel shares her own path in sports development and coaching, and we explore the development and future of the Women’s Super League and the potential legacy of the Lionesses win in the Euros this summer.
Rachel is very open about the challenge the FA faces in making women’s football truly ‘For All’ and shares her learnings and work in the diversity and inclusion space. We also explore what other sports can learn from the experience of women’s football in the past decade.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through the National Lottery
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Garnet Mackinder, Anne Wafula Strike & Shruti Saujani join Sue Anstiss to explore equality in sport.
As we fight for gender equality in sport are we doing enough to ensure our approach is intersectional? What needs to change to ensure all women feel welcome in sport from grassroots participation to elite pathways & the boardroom.
It’s a topic that can be uncomfortable as people worry they might say the wrong thing or use the wrong language. It’s not just a matter of asking ethnically diverse women to be the experts on all things inclusion - we all need to do our own research here.
That said, we were thrilled to welcome this expert panel this podcast who all work in the D&I space and kindly agreed to help explore this topic with some lived experiences as they shared practical recommendations to help us all make sport more inclusive.
Our four game changing guests were:
- Garner Mackinder - an Equality Lead at Sport England who played semi-professional rugby at Exeter Chiefs and has been capped by England 7s.
- Anne Wafula Strike - an extraordinary para-athlete who is also an author, inspirational speaker, disability rights campaigner and powerful advocate for the less fortunate in society - passionate about equality and the right of disabled people to be heard.
- Shruti Saujani - Engagement Lead for ED&I at the England and Wales Cricket Board having led the ECB’s Dream Big Desi Women project. This saw Shruti and her team focussed on empowering more women in Britain from South Asian backgrounds to play cricket at all levels.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Emma Mitchell was Red Rose number #19, with an international rugby career that spanned 15 years. She won 57 caps for England and Great Britain, competed in 4 World Cups with the 1994 World Cup win being her career highlight.
Following her retirement in 2002, Emma went on to coach at club, regional and international level in the USA, Canada and the UK.
In 2007 Emma joined the English Institute of Sport as a Performance Lifestyle Coach, supporting over 200 elite GB Hockey athletes and coaches over four Olympic cycles. Over the last 10 years, she’s also been involved in a number of coach development programmes, providing mentoring support to coaches in Tennis, Squash, Sailing, Hockey, Rugby, Swimming, Boxing and Football.
In this fascinating and entertaining conversation, we explore the early days of women’s rugby in England in the 1980s and Emma shares the conditions laid down for women to be allowed to play at London clubs and what it took to place for your country.
What she’s learnt from a life in coaching and in her role as a lifestyle Advisor at the EIS. What can women’s team sport learn from Olympic and Paralympic programmes as it becomes professional and what the future looks like for women’s rugby players globally.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
To celebrate Jill Scott being crowned Queen of the Jungle, in the 2022 'I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out If Here', we’re giving you another chance to hear this brilliant interview with her. Enjoy!
Football legend Jill Scott MBE won over 160 caps for England, played in four World Cups, was part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics and was a member of the winning England team at this summer's Euros.
Jill left her hometown club of Sunderland to play for Everton in 2006 and went on to help them win the FA Women's Premier League Cup in 2008 and FA Women's Cup in 2010.
In 2008 she was voted the FA Players' Player of the Year and 2011 the FA International Player of the Year. The FIFA technical report after the 2011 Women's World Cup described her as one of England's four outstanding players: "an energetic, ball-winning midfielder who organises the team well, works hard at both ends of the pitch and can change her team's angle of attack."
Jill was awarded an MBE the 2020 New Year’s Honours for services to football.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Donna Fraser is a 4-time Olympian who now specialises in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in sport.
Donna won medals at 400m at World and European Championships and the Commonwealth Games and reluctantly retired from Athletics in 2009 after a breast cancer diagnosis.
She went on to become UK Athletics’ first Equality, Diversity and Engagement Lead, working to champion ethnically diverse communities and inclusivity at all levels of the sport. Following a role as D&I Lead for Birmingham 2022, Donna was appointed as the first director of equality, diversity and inclusion for the Professional Cricketers' Association.
An incredible sportswoman who’s gone on to deliver such powerful work around inclusion it’s little wonder that Donna was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List.
We talk about Donna’s incredible career & she reflects on being part of one of the greatest events in Olympic history, when Cathy Freeman won the 400m in Sydney 2000, why talking openly about her breast cancer diagnosis was so important and what more needs to change to ensure sport is inclusive for all.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Rimla Akhtar, Wendy Taylor, Tess Howard and Holly Bradshaw join Sue Anstiss to consider the impact of sports kit for women and girls.
There's been much talk about women's sports kit recently, from issues around Wimbledon whites, girls forced to wear skorts for PE and women not allowed to wear the hijab to play sport to extremes of female athletes objectified and sexualised with revealing clothing, high cut leotards & bikini bottoms.
This panel of game changers addresses some of the challenges and provides practical recommendations that will enable more choice for more women.
Our four game changing guests were:
- Rimla Akhtar – former Chair of the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the Football Association Council. Rimla was awarded an OBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in sport
- Wendy Taylor - Lead on girls work at the Youth Sport Trust including the hugely successful ‘Girls Active’ initiative which is delivered in partnership with This Girl Can and Women in Sport
- Tess Howard - a GB Hockey player who’s team won gold at the Commonwealth Games this summer. Tess is a real sports Kit activist, helping to change the guidelines to make sports policy more inclusive
- Holly Bradshaw – an Olympian who’s been very publicly outspoken about the challenges facing female track and field athletes.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Sarah Hunter is a rugby legend. The world's most capped female rugby player and most capped England player (male or female). Sarah captains England into a World Cup Final this weekend. A World Cup winner in 2014, Sarah has played in four World Cup Finals, and captained England to Six Nations Grand Slam wins and a record breaking run of over 30 consecutive wins.
Sarah took over the England captaincy in 2015 and in 2016 was name England’s Player of the Year by the Rugby Players’ Association and World Rugby’s Player of the Year and awarded an MBE for her Services to Rugby. Along with discussing how she's managed to keep playing and winning for so many years (Sarah is now 37), we explore why rugby is such a powerful sport for challenging traditional societal perceptions of femininity and how the women's game is leading the growth of the sport globally.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Sarah Hunter is a rugby legend. The world's most capped female rugby player and most capped England player (male or female). Sarah captains England into a World Cup Final this weekend. A World Cup winner in 2014, Sarah has played in four World Cup Finals, and captained England to Six Nations Grand Slam wins and a record breaking run of over 30 consecutive wins.
Sarah took over the England captaincy in 2015 and in 2016 was name England’s Player of the Year by the Rugby Players’ Association and World Rugby’s Player of the Year and awarded an MBE for her Services to Rugby. Along with discussing how she's managed to keep playing and winning for so many years (Sarah is now 37), we explore why rugby is such a powerful sport for challenging traditional societal perceptions of femininity and how the women's game is leading the growth of the sport globally.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Sarah Hunter is a rugby legend. The world's most capped female rugby player and most capped England player (male or female). Sarah captains England into a World Cup Final this weekend. A World Cup winner in 2014, Sarah has played in four World Cup Finals, and captained England to Six Nations Grand Slam wins and a record breaking run of over 30 consecutive wins.
Sarah took over the England captaincy in 2015 and in 2016 was name England’s Player of the Year by the Rugby Players’ Association and World Rugby’s Player of the Year and awarded an MBE for her Services to Rugby. Along with discussing how she's managed to keep playing and winning for so many years (Sarah is now 37), we explore why rugby is such a powerful sport for challenging traditional societal perceptions of femininity and how the women's game is leading the growth of the sport globally.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hannah Cockcroft is one of Britain’s most successful para-athletes who burst onto the world stage in 2010, breaking 9 wheelchair sprinting world records. She went on to win two golds at the London Paralympic games, with three more at the 2016 games in Rio and two in Tokyo 2021.
In the summer of 2022, Hannah won gold in the T33/34 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games record and completing the set – with Gold medals at Every. Major. Athletics. Championships.
It’s no wonder that Hannah was awarded an MBE in 2013 for her services to athletics which was followed by an OBE in last year New Year’s Honours. Hannah talks candidly about the loneliness she experienced as a disabled child with no visible role models and how that's now changing, how it felt to discover wheelchair racing, the challenges of classification in para sport and how it felt be beaten for the first time in 7 years. It's a fascinating conversation with a true trailblazer in women's sport.
During the conversation we reference an ITV clip with a young Hannah and her first Barbie in a wheelchair, you can find it here.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hannah Cockcroft is one of Britain’s most successful para-athletes who burst onto the world stage in 2010, breaking 9 wheelchair sprinting world records. She went on to win two golds at the London Paralympic games, with three more at the 2016 games in Rio and two in Tokyo 2021.
In the summer of 2022, Hannah won gold in the T33/34 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games record and completing the set – with Gold medals at Every. Major. Athletics. Championships.
It’s no wonder that Hannah was awarded an MBE in 2013 for her services to athletics which was followed by an OBE in last year New Year’s Honours. Hannah talks candidly about the loneliness she experienced as a disabled child with no visible role models and how that's now changing, how it felt to discover wheelchair racing, the challenges of classification in para sport and how it felt be beaten for the first time in 7 years. It's a fascinating conversation with a true trailblazer in women's sport.
During the conversation we reference an ITV clip with a young Hannah and her first Barbie in a wheelchair, you can find it here.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Fantastic news for all fans of women’s sport and equality - The Game Changers podcast returns on November 1st with an incredible line up of guests and the one hundredth episode featuring one of the most influential women in sport, Sally Munday. The new series also includes two panel discussions considering women’s sport clothing and racial equality in women’s sport.
Once again, this season of the award-winning podcast is backed by Sport England through a National Lottery award.
The Game Changers podcast features candid interviews with trailblazing women in sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls across society. Along with discussing their careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode also addresses key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
This season’s inspiring line-up includes:
Hannah Cockcroft – one of Britain’s most successful para-athletes who has won Gold medals at every major championship including Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games
Sarah Hunter – England’s most capped Rugby Player, and a World Cup winner who captained her country to a record-breaking number of consecutive wins
Donna Fraser – a four-time Olympian, who specialises in in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in sport and has recently joined the Professional Cricketers Association
Emma Mitchell – a former World Cup winning international rugby player, who works as a Performance Lifestyle Coach at the English Institute of Sport
Rachel Pavlou - Women's Development Manager at the Football Association who’s been instrumental in the development of the women's game for more than 25 years
In this series we’ll also include panel discussions considering:
Women’s sports clothing with Rimla Akhtar, Wendy Taylor, Tess Howard, Holly Bradshaw
Racial inclusion in women’s sport including, Garnet Mackinder, Anne Wafula Strike and Shruti Saujani
Finally, we’ll be celebrating our 100th episode by returning to talk to a very special guest who featured in our first series and is considered by many to be the most influential woman in British Sport – Sally Munday, the CEO of UK Sport.
The Game Changers is hosted by Sue Anstiss MBE, author of ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’, CEO of Fearless Women and co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective.
Previous game changing guests include Jess Ennis-Hill, Gabby Logan, Katherine Grainger, Lucy Bronze, Laura Woods, Judy Murray, Sarah Storey, Denise Lewis, Shaunagh Brown, Kelly Smith, Clare Balding, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Lizzie Deignan, Emma Hayes, Chrissie Wellington, Maggie Murphy, Sue Campbell and Tanni Grey-Thompson, along with male allies including Ian Wright and Ugo Monye.
The Game Changers is available free of charge across all podcast platforms including iTunes, Spotify and Google or you find out about all the guests from this and the previous series and listen here - https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Jodie Cunningham is one of Rugby League’s most recognisable stars playing for St Helens and England.
She was named Woman of Steel for her incredible form during Saint's treble winning season in 2021, and, having represented England in two world cups, she's now working towards her third as England compete in the Rugby League world cup on home soil this autumn.
A huge advocate for women's sport and equality in the UK, Jodie now works full-time at the RFL as a National Women's and Girls’ Development Manager and is also an ambassador for the Rugby League World Cup.
We explore why physical sports like Rugby League are becoming so appealing to young women, the impact of the Super League and TV coverage on the growth of the women’s game and what it will take for the sport to finally become professional so that the women can be paid to play in the same way as their male colleagues.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Ali Donnelly is Executive Director of Digital, Marketing and Communications at Sport England.
She is a former Senior Civil Servant, who worked at Downing Street where she was the Prime Minister's Deputy Official Spokesperson and the Head of News.
Ali was previously Head of Communications at Premiership Rugby club Wasps and has also worked in media and public affairs roles at the BBC have started her career as a journalist at the Evening Echo newspaper in Ireland.
A passionate women's rugby fan and campaigner Ali also runs the award-winning website Scrumqueens and is Director of Women's Rugby at Teddington and a member of the RFU’s Rugby Growth Committee. Her new book is called: 'Scrum Queens - The History of Women's Rugby'.
Along with exploring Ali’s career pathway in sport and business, we review the current state of play for women’s rugby and the potential with 2025 World Cup on the horizon in England. What more needs to change for equality in women’s sport and to ensure young women don’t stop being active in their teenage age years?
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Alice Dearing is one of the world's top marathon swimmers and a true game changer in the sport. In 2021 she became the first black woman to swim for Great Britain at an Olympic Games, representing a huge milestone for diversity in the sport.
Alice is also co-founder of the Black Swimming Association, an organisation that advocates for water, safety and inclusion for Black and Asian minorities within swimming.
Her passion for diversity and inclusion has seen her recognised globally as an advocate for change.
Alice talks about her journey as a Black swimmer and how she transitioned into Marathon swimming. We explore the work of the Black Swimming Association and how they are working to overcome some of the societal myths about Black swimmers.
We hear why Alice thinks it’s important to step forward and change perceptions as a role model for others and her plans for the future… including Paris 2024.
Find out more about the Black Swimming Association here: https://thebsa.co.uk/
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Radha Balani is a much-respected industry professional who's having a huge impact in the sport for development arena.
Radha started her career in the university sports sector before working for leading organisations in sport, including the Football Foundation, Women in Sport, London Sport, and now as co-Managing Director of Think Beyond.
It’s a fascinating conversation as we explore the world of Sport for Development and how sport can be used intentionally to transform the lives of women and girls.
We explore Radha’s diverse career in sports leadership, and how organisations like BUCS, the Football Foundation and Women in Sport are driving change for grassroots participation.
Radha highlights the growing trend for athletes to use their profile to drive social change whilst still competing and we also touch on the need to recognise the mental health issues facing many elite athletes today.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Fiona Morgan is Sail GP’s director of purpose and impact, who's driving the championship’s commitment to a better future and a better sport.
She's been instrumental in creating the pioneering ‘impact league’, Sail GP’s world first initiative to make sustainability essential to the fabric of sport.
With nearly 20 years’ experience in the sports industry, Fi has an exceptional track record of shaping social impact strategy and delivering campaigns for some of the world's most high-profile sports brands.
She's worked with a host of global athletes throughout her career from tennis legend Chris Everett, through to David Beckham and Bradley Wiggins, and was also responsible for developing the commercial strategy for the London 2012 Olympic games.
Fi believes deeply in the power of sport to drive wellbeing and to ensure a better world.
We explore sustainability developments at Sail GP and they are also impacting other sports and what’s being done for gender equality in sailing and more widely across sports.
Fi talks openly about her own career in commercial sports and how she finds balance as a senior woman who’s also raising a young family along, with sitting on various boards including The Hundred’s Manchester Originals.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Meghan MacLaren, is a hugely successful professional golfer, and significant voice in the sport, commenting on the game and the culture that surrounds it through her hugely popular blog and social media presence. Meg graduated from Florida University in 2016 with a degree in English and Political Science, along with seven Division 1 College Golf victories. She was a member of the victorious 2016 Curtis Cp team, won two ladies European tour Access Events and in 2017 received the LET order of merit. She's a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, a winner on the LPGA Symetra tour in the US and is currently ranked sixth on the Ladies European Tour order of merit. Meg is incredibly passionate about gender parity in golf and women’s sport, which forms the basis of much of our conversation. We explore Meg’s path into professional golf and why the pay, coverage and opportunities for the women’s game are still so far behind men’s. Meg talks candidly about why she turned down the opportunity to play in a Saudi backed LET event last year and how the new LIV series could potentially impact the future of the game. We talk wider diversity in golf, changes at the LPGA and her plans for the future both as a professional player and beyond. Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery. Executive Producer – Sam Walker Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss A Fearless Women production
Sophie Carrigill is a British wheelchair basketball player who represented and co-captained Great Britain at the World and European Championships and at the Paralympic games.
She’s won world and European silver medals and reached the Paralympic semi-finals in a first for Great Britain.
Sophie’s just returned from playing wheelchair basketball professionally in Italy and continues to explore her passions beyond the court as she advocates for disabled women in sport and beyond.
Sophie talks candidly about the accident that caused her disability and the part sport has played in helping her to build her independence and strength. We explore the powerful inspiration of watching parasport at London 2012 and how she’s since had to overcome many setbacks in her sporting journey. She talks about playing professionally on a mixed team in Italy and her hopes for the future including a Paralympic medal at Paris 2024.
We also discuss how using social media has helped her to find her voice and advocate for others, as well as attracting more commercial partnerships and new opportunities.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss @sueanstiss
A Fearless Women production
Fantastic news for all fans of women’s sport and equality – a new series of The Game Changers will be released on Tuesday July 26, 2022. And for the first time, all seven new episodes in series 11 will be released immediately, ensuring there’s plenty of great, inspiring content to listen to this summer.
Once again, this season of the award-winning podcast is backed by Sport England through a National Lottery award.
The podcast sees Sue Anstiss MBE talking to trailblazing women in sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls across society. Along with openly sharing their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode also addresses key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
This season’s line-up includes:
- Alice Dearing – The first black woman to swim for Great Britain at an Olympic Games talks about what more can be done to break down barriers for African, Caribbean and Asian communities in aquatics
- Megan McLaren – Much respected professional golfer, Meg considers why the pay, coverage and opportunities for female golfers are still so far behind the men’s and what’s changing now.
- Ali Donnelly – An Executive Director at Sport England and author of ‘Scrum Queens’, Ali considers the current state of play for women’s rugby how we can all play a part in the drive for equality in sprot
- Radha Balani – the Managing Director of Think Beyond, Radha highlights how sport can change the lives of women and girls across the world
- Sophie Carrigill - British wheelchair basketball player shares how sport can challenge perceptions for all women with disabilities
- Fi Morgan – Sail GP’s director of purpose and impact, explores the power of sport to drive wellbeing and to ensure a better world for all.
- Jodie Cunningham - St Helens and England Rugby League star, named Woman of Steel in 2021, considers the future growth of the women’s game & the impact of this autumn’s home World Cup
The Game Changers is hosted by Sue Anstiss, author of ‘Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’, CEO of Fearless Women and co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective.
Game changing guests from the previous series including Jess Ennis-Hill, Judy Murray, Gabby Logan, Katherine Grainger, Lucy Bronze, Judy Murray, Sarah Storey, Denise Lewis, Clare Balding, Kate Richardson-Walsh and Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Phil Smith, Executive Director of Partnerships at Sport England explains why the organisation is supporting The Game Changers:
"Supporting the development of existing and aspiring leaders a focus of Uniting The Movement. We think it’s a catalyst for bigger change in the industry. The Game Changers podcast champions women from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. The amazing and inspiring stories they uncover, from women of all backgrounds, makes it a must-listen.”
Commenting on the launch of the 11th series, Sue says: “We are delighted to be partnering again with Sport England as there’s such synergy with the work they do to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport.
“Sport England’s backing and collaboration enables us to broaden the reach of the podcasts, ensuring more people, from all backgrounds, have the opportunity to hear these inspiring stories.”
You can find out more about all the guests from this and the previous series, and listen to all the episodes, from the Fearless Women website. This is also where you can find out about the Women’s Sport Collective, a free network for all women working in sport.
Lizzie Deignan is one of the world’s greatest ever female cyclists.
She’s won World, Commonwealth and National titles as a road cyclist and is an Olympic silver medallist.
Lizzie is now also changing the narrative around motherhood and elite sport. Having returned to cycling after the birth of daughter Orla, last October she won the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes after pulling away from the peloton with more than 80km to go in what a spectacular race.
In this fascinating episode we talk about how Lizzie’s team, Trek Segafredo, are supporting her during her latest pregnancy, the importance of the Tour de France Femme this summer for the profile of women’s cycling and what can be done to ensure equal prize money in the future.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss
A Fearless Women production
Isa Guha was the first woman of South Asian origin to represent England in sport when she made her international cricket debut in 2002, aged 17.
Her career, which spanned a decade, included winning the 2009 Women's World Cup, Women's World T20 and three Ashes Series.
Isa is now firmly established in sports media, having broken many barriers along the way both presenting and commentating for global broadcasters. She’s currently an integral part of the Fox Cricket coverage in Australia and Test Match Special combined with heading up the BBC TV coverage in the UK.
It’s recently been announced that she will also be joining the BBC line up for Wimbledon this summer.
As the first woman on the Professional Cricketers Association board, Isa has overseen an important time in the transition of the game as women strive for equity in cricket but also as the game aims to tackle racism.
Isa is incredibly open as we discuss what more cricket can do to make the sport inclusive for women of all backgrounds and she shares how she built her broadcasting career. Isa also reflects on Shane Warne’s legacy and the new foundation she is establishing in her mother’s name, Take her lead.
You can order Isa’s mum’s beautiful cookbook - Roma’s Recipes - here.
Thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Executive Producer – Sam Walker
Host – Sue Anstiss
A Fearless Women production
Today’s guest is transforming the way women talk about their bodies.
Dr Emma Ross is the former Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport where she led the smartHER progamme, educating coaches and athletes about the female body in high performance sport.
Since then, Emma’s worked with everyone from elite athletes and top coaches through to head teachers and schoolgirls - passionate about making sport a better environment for all women.
In 2020 Emma co-founded The Well HQ, an organisation that educates and empowers women to understand their bodies and use that knowledge to thrive in sport, health and life.
In recognition of all she is doing for the wellbeing of women and girls, in 2021 Emma received the Sunday Times Sports Women of the Year Changemaker Award.
In this important episode we explore the lack of female focused sports science research and why that matters for women of all ages.
Emma shares her journey from education to applied sports science at the English Institute of Sport to all she is doing today with the Well HQ.
We talk about the challenges facing male coaches working with young female athletes, how some sports are finally having conversations about women’s bodies that have been deemed taboo for decades but also recognise that one football club talking openly about tracking players’ periods doesn’t mean we’ve solved the problem across sport.
It’s such a powerful conversation and Emma’s passion to ensure sport is something that all women can enjoy throughout life is infectious.
Find out more about Emma and her work at https://www.thewell-hq.com/
A big thank you to our partners, Sport England who support The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Executive Producer: Sam WalkerSound Production: Rory Auskerry
A Fearless Women production
Orla Chennaoui is an extraordinary woman who has many talents including being a multilingual TV sports presenter. Having worked at Sky News and Sky Sports, Orla is now a Lead Presenter for Eurosport, working across cycling, MotoGP and the Olympics.
With her background in hard-news and investigations, Orla has always had an open and frank approach to sports reporting whether that’s in front of the camera or hosting podcasts and writing regular columns for Rouleur magazine and the Metro newspaper.
Amongst her many accolades Orla’s also just been nominated as sports presenter of the year at the Sports Journalists Awards 2022.
In this fascinating episode we explore Orla’s work as a broadcaster, including her move from news to sports presenting, the perception of female broadcasters and why it’s been so important that she retains her authentic style on screen.
Ahead of a massive summer for women’s cycling with the Tour de France Femmes in July, we discuss the growth in coverage and whether cycling needs to be re-packaged to attract new audiences.
Orla talks openly about why she stopped drinking, as she, and podcast host Sue Anstiss, celebrate the huge positives of living a life without alcohol.
With thanks to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery.
Host: Sue Anstiss
Executive Producer: Sam Walker, What Goes on Media
Sound Production: Rory Auskerry
A Fearless Women production
Tammy Parlour MBE is the co-founder and dynamic CEO of The Women's Sport Trust, and works with leaders across sport, media and business, to raise the visibility and increase impact of women's sport. Away from her role at the Women’s Sport Trust, Tammy is a master in the Korean martial art of Hapkido having practiced for 40 years. She set up her own hapkido and meditation school in the early nineties and still coaches regularly. A non-executive director for AFC Wimbledon Ladies, in 2019 Tammy was awarded an MBE for her services to gender equality in sport.
As the Women’s Sport Trust marks its 10th anniversary this year, we explore how things have changed in the past decade and why female athletes make such powerful role models.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Pippa Britton is Wales’s most successful Archer, a double Paralympian and double world champion. Pippa made the podium at six consecutive world championships and won 24 medals at 24 international events.
Pippa also represented the Welsh able bodied archery team on more than 20 occasions and has broken many world and national records.
After retiring from competing, Pippa decided to give back to sport and society combining her understanding of diversity and equality with her experience of governance. She's had a number of prominent non-executive board roles, including the vice-chair of Sport Wales and UK anti-doping and the chair of Disability Sport Wales.
We explore much in this conversation including the importance of diverse sports boards and what more needs to be done to improve the way we treat athletes at the end of their sporting careers.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Along with game-changing women in sport, The Game Changers features male allies and today’s guest is having a huge impact on the visibility of women's sport.
Jonathan Licht is a managing director of Sky Sports. He originally joined Sky back in 1998 after starting his career at Eurosport, he was appointed managing director for Sky Sports in 2021 and is leading the business into its fourth decade of operation.
During his career at Sky Johnathan has overseen a number of significant initiatives that have made a massive impact on the profile of women's sport, especially in cricket, netball, golf and football.
Jonathan shares his own journey as a male ally for women’s sport, and we explore what more broadcasters like Sky can do to ensure gender parity across the sector both in front of and behind the camera.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Shaunagh Brown is a professional rugby player for Harlequins and England who encourages us all to re-think gender stereotypes in sport and across society.
A former Hammer Thrower who competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Shaunagh trained as a British Gas engineer and a commercial diver, before becoming a full-time firefighter with the Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
Now on a 3-year sabbatical from the fire service, Shaunagh is a full time, professional rugby player, currently playing for England in the Women’s Six Nations having won the Grand Slam in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and for Harlequins who won the Premier 15’s Final in 2021.
Shaunagh recently starred in an Amazon Prime documentary ‘No Woman, No Try’ which explores inequality through the lens of rugby and the women and men championing change across the sporting community.
After winning the Premier 15s final with Harlequins in 2021 she made a passionate speech that went viral.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Fantastic news for all fans of women’s sport and equality – the 10th series of The Game Changers podcast is launched today with an incredible line up of guests and backing from Sport England through a National Lottery award.
This award-winning podcast sees Sue Anstiss talking to trailblazing women in sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls across society. Along with openly sharing their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode also addresses key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
The new launches on April 12, 2022, with a line-up that includes:
- Shaunagh Brown – this professional rugby player for Harlequins and England encourages us all to re-think gender stereotypes in sport and across society
- Jonathan Licht – the Managing Director of Sky Sports explores what more broadcasters can do to ensure gender parity as he shares his own journey as a male ally for women’s sport
- Pippa Britton – learn about the importance of inclusion across sport with Pippa Britton, a double Paralympian who is now Vice Chair of Sport Wales and UK Anti-Doping
- Tammy Parlour – the co-founder and CEO of The Women’s Sport Trust explores why female athletes make such powerful role models
- Orla Chennaoui – the multi-talented sports broadcaster, podcaster & writer shares the power of being authentic as a woman reporting sport
- Emma Ross – the former Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport explains why we need to talk more openly about women’s bodies in sport
- Isa Guha – from World Cup winning England cricketer to acclaimed cricket broadcaster, Isa Guha shares her experience of building a career in a male dominated sport
- Lizzie Deignan – hear how one of the world's most accomplished cyclists is changing the narrative around motherhood and elite sport
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Today's guest is recognised as one of the world’s greatest ever netballers. Serena Guthrie was part of the England team that secured that incredible gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games against Australia on the Gold Coast. Serena played in New Zealand and Australia, before returning home to Team Bath in 2019 where she captained the Roses to bronze in a home World Cup. In recognition for all she’s done for netball in 2019 she was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list.
Serena been Captain of England Netball and Team Bath, with over 100 caps for her country, she’s played in 3 Netball World Cups and Birmingham 2022 this summer should have been her 3rd Commonwealth Games but things changed this month, when she announced she was having a baby and retiring from netball.
In this fascinating conversation Serena talks openly about the challenges she's faced in her long career and we explore the commercial potential and future strategy for Britain’s most popular female sport.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
What does the future hold for the fans of women's sport? I find out in this conversation with Angela Ruggiero - a four-time Olympian, and Gold Medallist in ice hockey, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 with the longest career of any man or woman in a USA hockey jersey.
With an MBA from Harvard Business School, Angela's held leadership positions at the highest levels of global sport including the executive board of the International Olympic Committee and Chief Strategy Officer for LA’s successful 2028 Olympic bid.
Listed in ‘Forbes 25 most powerful women in sport’, Angela is Co-Founder and CEO of the Sports Innovation Lab, a fan intelligence and market research firm.
She's also an incredible advocate for gender equality.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Anne Wafula Strike is an extraordinary para-athlete who is also an author, inspirational speaker, disability rights campaigner and powerful advocate for the less fortunate in society.
Born in Kenya, Anne contracted polio at the age of two, resulting in paralysis of her lower body. Arriving in the UK in April 2000, she was introduced to wheelchair racing in 2002 and in 2004 became the first Kenyan wheelchair racer to represent her country at the Paralympics in Athens. Following a successful application for British citizenship in 2006, Anne became a member of Team GB.
A winner of the BBC's 'My Story' competition, her superb autobiography: ‘In my Dreams I Dance’ was published in 2010. In 2014 Anne was received an MBE for her services to disability sport and charity and in 2020 she was named as a special envoy to the Commonwealth.
In this fascinating episode we hear much of Anne’s incredible life story, and, having overcome so much in her own life, she shares how we can all use our voices to campaign for the rights of others in society.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Sue Day was a legend on the rugby pitch – former England captain at 15s and 7s –Sue played in three World Cups, helped win three Grand Slams and was one of England's top try scorers with 61 tries from 59 caps.
She was made President of Wasps in 2013 – the first woman to hold that role in the club’s 146-year history.
A qualified chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in financial roles at KPMG, Sue is now COO and CFO of the RFU and leads the Business Operations team which includes finance, legal and governance, technology, people, strategy and Twickenham Stadium operations.
Sue’s also a founding trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust and has been an incredible driving force for equality across women’s sport. It was wonderful to see her recognised for this in 2020 when she was awarded an MBE for her services to gender equality in sport.
In this interview Sue shares her personal journey in rugby and we explore many of the current challenges and opportunities facing women’s sport. Sue also shares what hosting a home Rugby World Cup could mean for future of the women’s game.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Kelly Lindsey is a former professional footballer who's also played in the US national team. Since retiring as a player at just 23 following many injuries, she's thrived as an incredibly successful coach leading teams across the world in the US, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Morocco. Last year was appointed as Sporting Director at Lewes FC the first gender equal football club in the world.
Kelly is renowned for her passion and courage in tackling some of the less attractive issues in women's football, whether it's being a voice for the voiceless in support of female players in Afghanistan or calling out those in the highest positions of leadership at national and international federations, Kelly's doing so much to ensure that football can truly be a game for all.
In this powerful episode we explore many issues including human rights abuses in football and its powerful potential to drive gender equality.
In the podcast I refer to the launch of Fearless Football and you can watch Kelly’s moving presentation here.
You can also join me as an owner of Lewes FC via this link: https://lewesfc.com/become-an-owner/
And find out more about the various organisation supporting those fleeing Afghanistan by following Kelly on twitter here.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out about all guests here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Ugo Monye is former Harlequins, England and British & Irish Lions rugby player, who’s now more familiar to us as a sports broadcaster, podcaster and TV presenter.
He’s a captain on BBC’s Question of Sport and also took part in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
When not talking about rugby on TV shows and podcasts, Ugo is Chair of the RFU’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group and recently became a Trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust charity.
A passionate male ally for women’s sport, Ugo confronts whether women’s rugby is truly professional right now, why more investment is needed for quality media coverage and how much more top male players can do to publicly support their female colleagues.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Shruti Saujani is Senior Manager for Cities & Volunteers at the England and Wales Cricket Board - the ECB. She's passionate about ensuring cricket is a sport for everyone, and helping women from South Asian backgrounds overcome many of the barriers they face in sport.
Shurti's work has seen her lead a team that has engaged and recruited 2,000 South Asian females into volunteering roles as a part of cricket’s game wide volunteer strategy.
Her dedication for a more equal playing ground in cricket and sports has seen her appear on the BBC, Sky and become a trustee with Miss Kicks Foundation.
Recognised as a 'Sports Industry Next Gen Leader' in 2021, Shruti has grown and developed her leadership skills in diverse commercial roles. Before working in sport, was recognised for bringing culture change in the automotive industry.
In this fascinating conversation Shruti shares her learnings for creating an inclusive sports environment, the path to getting more women from diverse backgrounds onto the elite pathway and how recent revelations about the treatment of Azeem Rafiq impacted her personally and professionally.
A huge thank you to our partners Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
Find out about all our guests here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss.
Holly Bradshaw is Britain’s most successful pole vaulter, consistently ranked among the world's best having won medals at various European and World Championships across the past decade. Current British record holder in the event indoors and outdoors, for many athletics fans it was one of the highlights of the Tokyo Olympics to see Holly win a bronze medal. In this fascinating episode Holly talks openly about how social media and the attitude of coaches impacted her body confidence as a young athlete.
We explore the issues around female sports clothing and how the revealing nature of the choices available today are impacting young female athletes.
Holly also shares more about her research into the 'post Olympic blues' and the depression that can follow that elation of big events for athletes and coaches and we also talk about motherhood and sportswomen.
Holly explains why it matters that she remains a very authentic sports influencer for young women.
A huge thank you to our partners, Sport England who are kindly supporting the next three series of The Game Changers podcast through the National Lottery.
You can find out more about all our guests here.
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Fantastic news for all fans of women’s sport and equality - The Game Changers podcast returns this month with an incredible line up of guests and backing from Sport England through a National Lottery award. This award-winning podcast sees Sue Anstiss talking to trailblazers in women sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls across society. Along with openly sharing their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode also addresses key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
The new launches on February 15 2022 with a line-up that includes:
- Holly Bradshaw – Olympic Medallist
Britain's most successful pole vaulter talks body confidence and sports clothing, along with what it takes to be an authentic sports influencer for young women - Shruti Saujani – City Programme Manager, ECB
We hear Shruti’s first-hand experience of bringing more South Asian women into cricket and how we can diversify sport for women of all backgrounds - Ugo Monye – Former Rugby Professional & Sports Broadcaster
A Trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust, Ugo shares what it means to be an authentic male ally for women’s sport and how we can encourage other men to lend their voice to drive equality for all -
Kelly Lindsey – Performance Director, Lewes FCThis former professional US player and Afghanistan Women’s National coach talks passionately about human rights abuses and the powerful potential for gender equality in football
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Sue Day – Chief Financial & Operations Officer, RFU
The former rugby player and England captain explores current challenges and opportunities facing women’s sport and what hosting a home Rugby World Cup could mean for future of the women’s game - Anne Wafula Strike – Former Paralympian & Equal Rights Campaigner
Having overcome so much in her life, Anne shares how we can all use our voices to campaign for the rights of others in society - Angela Ruggiero – CEO, Sports Innovation Lab
This 4-time ice hockey Olympian and Gold Medallist, who held leadership positions at the highest levels of global sport, explores what the future holds for fans of women's sportSerena Guthrie – England Netball Captain
Renowned as one the world’s greatest ever netballers, Serena explores the commercial potential and future strategy for the Britain’s most popular female sport
The Game Changers is hosted by Sue Anstiss MBE, co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective and CEO of Fearless Women, a company driving positive change in women’s sport. Game changing guests from the previous series including Gabby Logan, Katherine Grainger, Lucy Bronze, Judy Murray, Sarah Storey, Denise Lewis, Clare Balding, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chrissie Wellington and Jess Ennis-Hill.
Commenting on the launch of the ninth series, Sue says: “I am so thrilled to be partnering with Sport England as there’s such synergy with the work they do to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport. From the much celebrated This Girl Can campaign and initiatives that help shape school sport for girls, to schemes that encourage women as volunteers in the workforce, along with coaches, officials and women taking leadership positions on the boards of our sports organisations.”
“Sport England’s backing and collaboration enables us to broaden the reach of the podcasts, ensuring more people, from all backgrounds, have the opportunity to hear these inspiring stories.”
In this special episode of The Game Changers, to celebrate the launch of ‘Game On’, we turn the tables and Sue Anstiss is interviewed by the rather brilliant Hannah Wilkes from Sky Sports. In another first, the podcast is recorded in front of a live audience at Leaders Week in London. Sue shares much about her own relationship with sport, along with the joys & challenges across her career from sports marketing with Gatorade in the 90’s, dealing with redundancy, building a sports PR agency & then launching Fearless Women. Sue talks about the history & impact of the Women’s Sport Trust, what’s happening in women’s sport right now and what needs to change in the future. From inequality in pay and board diversity through to investment, visibility and fan engagement, it’s a conversation that addresses so much that’s happening in women’s sport today.
Sue was also shortlisted this week as a Changemaker in The Sunday Times Sportswomen of The Year Awards.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Best known for her excellence both on the track and in the field as a multi-eventer Katarina Johnson-Thompson (KJT) is no stranger to success. At the tender age of 26, the two-time Olympian has impressive athletics career which includes her saw her crowned World Champion Heptathlete in Doha in 2019. In this episode, Katarina talks about tackling anxiety and body issues, transforming her mental approach to the sport, learning to handle the pressure after losing the love of the sport and how she handled the internal conflict when her childhood role model, Jessica Ennis-Hill, became her biggest rival. Katarina also discusses the complicated preparations for the postponed Tokyo Olympics and being an ambassador of the Game On initiative, launched with Liverpool Football Club and Nike to help youngsters access sport in their local area. Find out more about The Game Changers here. Presented by Sue Anstiss
Laura Woods is the 2021 SJA Sports Presenter of the Year and one of the leading female broadcasters in the sports industry. Laura is a regular on Sky Sports and the host of talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast, one of the most listened to shows in the UK. In this episode, Laura talks about being the class clown at school, working her way up the career ladder, being your own cheerleader and always staying authentic to yourself. Laura also discusses the importance of male allies when it comes to levelling the gender playing field, loving the sheer unpredictability of sport, how important it is to give yourself a break now and then and the amazing female role models she has looked up to throughout her career – most importantly, her mum who tunes into talkSPORT every morning at 6am.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss.
Dr Pippa Grange is a highly sought-after, influential sports psychologist and a culture coach working across elite sports and business internationally. In this episode, Pippa talks about family turmoil growing up, her formative years travelling and working in Australia, her first reaction to the job offer with England Football and the media spotlight she faced in the aftermath of the 2017 World Cup.
Within football, Pippa has worked to change the culture of a sport historically steeped in bravado and hyper-masculinity. She has recently written an incredible book, "Fear Less: How to Win at Life without Losing Yourself" to address fear, understanding the role it plays in your life and how to combat it.
Find out more about all The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss.
Carol Bates has always been a football fan but grew up in the 70’s when girls weren’t allowed to play football. At age 48, Carol set up the Crawley Old Girls to revive football for the ‘missed generation’ of women. What started with ten friends, Women’s Recreational Football (as its now known) now has over 100 women, aged from 25 into late 60s playing regularly.
In this episode, Carol talks about creating a safe place for women which promotes the benefits that exercise can have on both physical and mental wellbeing, what it felt like growing up as a girl of the ‘missed generation’ who were never allowed the opportunity to play and the pure joy she has found rediscovering the game later in life.
Find our more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Francesca Brown is founder of the award winning Goals4Girls development programme and a Prince’s Trust Ambassador. She received the 2016 Young Achievers Pride of Britain Award for her success in empowering young women through sports and education. In this episode, she discusses the vital role sport played in her formative years, her battle with mental health, heading to London on her 18th birthday with just £10 in her pocket and what inspired her to develop a programme that utilised sport to have a long lasting positive impact.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Fleur Robinson is an accomplished commercial leader with a huge passion for putting football at the heart of the community and making a positive difference to people’s lives. Find more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
With 71 international caps under her belt, spanning 14 years, Anita Asante is a formidable England defender currently playing top club football for Aston Villa. In this episode, she shares her hopes for the inclusivity of the game, playing over seas, using her platform to 'voice up' for the LGBTQ plus community and putting the onus back on the Governing Bodies to govern the politics and policies of the game.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Kelly Cates is an award-winning broadcaster who has successfully fronted sports reporting for two decades. As the eldest child of former Liverpool player and manager, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Kelly shares how she has had fight for acceptance within the industry, the journey of Sky Sports News from infancy to roaring success, her feelings upon hearing the Hillsborough verdict and and the stigma she has faced as a women at the forefront of football.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss
With 172 appearances for her country, Fara Williams is the most capped player in the history of English football. Fara shares her experience of being homeless as a young player, and how she went on to have an extraordinary 20-year career. Fara talks about her plans for the future and her hopes for the future of the women's game, having recently announced her retirement from professional football.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss
One of the world's leading female professional players, Lucy Bronze was UEFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2019 and in 2020 was named The Best FIFA Women's Player. Having played in the US at at several British clubs including Man City, Lucy went on to spend three years in France at Olympique Lyonnais, Europe's most successful team. Lucy is now back playing for Manchester City and is Vice Captain of the Lionesses.
Find out more about The Game Changers here.
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Chief Women's Football Officer at FIFPRO, the global football players' union, Amanda is a soccer player, coach and data-driven marketer. Her previous roles include Vice President of Fan Engagement at Major League Soccer (MLS) and President of United Soccer. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Maria is Executive Director of Women Win, an organisation that leverages the power of sport to equip adolescent girls and young women to exercise their rights. A former Global Director of Community Investments at Nike, Maria championed sports and play as a powerful tool for social change.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Professional footballer Jess Fishlock has played in nine countries winning numerous accolades include a UEFA Women’s Champions League winners medal. Wales’ most capped footballer. Jess is the first player, male or female, to reach 100 caps for her country. Off the field Jess is a role model for the LGBTQ+ community.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Fleet Street's first female football writer, Julie Welch blazed a trail for women in sports media. An award-winning sportswriter for the Observer, Julie was the 'girl in the press box' for 15 years. Julie openly shares her observations around what makes a great sports journalist, sexism in sports reporting and how much more she's gone on to achieve in her 50's and 60's.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
The first South Asian woman to coach in men's professional football, it was her twin brother's mental health breakdown and her role as a young carer, that motivated Manisha Tailor to work in grassroots football. She progressed through the game and was appointed as an academy coach at QPR. In 2017 Manisha received an MBE for services to football and diversity in sport.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Dawn Scott shares her unconventional path to be becoming a sports scientist, her role in helping the US National Team win two World Cups and Olympic Gold and her hopes for the Lionesses at the next Euros and World Cup. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
An award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Jessica has worked in the sports industry for over a decade, for organisations including the BBC, BT Sport and TalkSPORT. Jessica now presents Sky Sports News and hosts the Women's Football Show on Sky. As a former football player, Jessica is committed to levelling the playing field and ensuring sport is accessible to marginalised communities.
Her chat show B is for: Black gave unique insight into the lives and experiences of black and mixed race women in sport.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
The new series, which is sponsored by Barclays, launches on Tuesday March 2, 2021 and will feature: * Jessica Creighton – Award winning journalist and broadcaster working for Sky Sports * Dawn Scott – Senior Physical Performance Manager for the Lionesses, having previously helped the US Women’s National Team win two World Cups and Olympic Gold * Manisha Tailor – the first South Asian woman to coach in the professional men’s game and a champion for diversity in football * Julie Welch – the first female football writer on Fleet Street. A woman who blazed a trail for women in sports media * Jess Fishlock – professional footballer who has played in 9 different countries. Wales’ most capped player and a global role model for the LGBTQ+ community * Maria Bobenrieth – CEO at Women Win, a powerful organisation leveraging sport to enable women and girls across the world to exercise their rights * Amanda Vandervort – Chief Women’s Officer at FIFPRO, the global players’ union, and former Vice President of Fan Engagement at Major League Soccer * Lucy Bronze - Professional footballer at Man City, Vice-Captain of the Lionesses, UEFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2019 and FIFA Women’s Best Player of the Year 2020
Find out more about the The Game Changers here
A footballing legend, TV and radio personality, Ian Wright is a huge supporter of the women's game. In this 50th episode of the podcast the Barclays Football Ambassador openly talks about the challenges facing female pundits, sponsorship and broadcast deals and the potential impact of a home Euros in 2022.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
This football legend has 149 caps for England and plays for Man City. She’s played in four World Cups and was part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics. Jill Scott left her hometown club of Sunderland to play for Everton in 2006 and went on to help them win the FA Women's Premier League Cup in 2008 and FA Women's Cup in 2010.
In 2008 she was voted the FA Players' Player of the Year and 2011 the FA International Player of the Year. The FIFA technical report after the 2011 Women's World Cup described her as one of England's four outstanding players: "an energetic, ball-winning midfielder who organises the team well, works hard at both ends of the pitch and can change her team's angle of attack."
Jill was awarded an MBE the 2020 New Year’s Honours for services to football.
Host is Sue Anstiss
Jane Purdon leads Women in Football as its CEO. A qualified lawyer, Jane has worked at the highest level of football and sport. As Head of Governance and Leadership at UK Sport Jane oversaw the creation of the Code for Sports Governance.
Before this she worked at the Premier League as Director of Governance and began her career in football as Club Secretary at Sunderland FC.
Sian Massey-Ellis is one of England’s highest profile female match officials, working the in the Premier League and EFL. Sian has been a real trailblazer for female officials, appointed to matches in the Football League Trophy, UEFA Women's Champions League, the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
Sian turned professional in 2010 and in August 2011 was appointed to the ‘Select Group’ of match officials, a panel of English professional football referees and assistant referees, appointed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
In 2017 Sian was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours for her services to football.
Mary Harvey was a goalkeeper for the US Women's National Soccer team, winning both the World Cup and Olympic Gold. A former Director of Development at FIFA, Mary did much to drive gender reforms, and the work she did still has huge global impact for the women’s game.
Mary also served on the board of US Soccer for 12 years and was CEO for the US Women’s Professional Soccer league.
Mary is now Chief Executive of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights.
As manager of the Scotland women's team, Shelley Kerr led them to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 2019. A former Scottish international, Shelley captained Scotland as well as clubs including Kilmarnock and Hibernian. During her playing career she won every domestic honour in Scotland and played in the UEFA Women's Cup. She won 59 caps for Scotland between 1989 and 2008.
As a manager, Shelley gained experience at Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans before taking charge of the Scotland women's under-19 national team in 2009. She gained the UEFA Pro Licence in January 2013, shortly before moving to manage Arsenal Ladies who she led to an FA Women's Cup and Continental Cup double in 2013, and a second FA Cup in 2014.
Gail Newsham has spent almost three decades telling the story of the Dick, Kerr Ladies - arguably the most important team in the history of women's football. Gail is the author of ‘In A League of The Own!’ the authoritative book about the famous team and the history of women’s football. Growing up near the factory in Preston where the team was originally formed, Gail was aware of their existence, but knew nothing much about them until she organised their first ever reunion in 1992. Her comprehensive research, which unearthed much information that would have been lost forever, included meeting some of the actual women who played before the FA Ban.
It was Gail’s work that that lead to Lily Parr becoming the first female player to be inducted in the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2017 the team received a Special Recognition Award from the FA and in 2018 the Dick, Kerr Ladies were recognised by the Royal British Legion for their contribution during the First World War.
As a former footballer herself, with a career spanning almost twenty years, Gail began playing in the early 1970s and eventually signed for Preston Rangers WFC, playing in two Women's FA Cup semi-finals.
In 2019, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Central Lancashire in recognition of her extraordinary work.
Arsenal legend Rachel Yankey was the first professional female player registered in England, and went on to became one of the country’s most successful and well known footballers. She became England’s most capped playing in 2013, beating Peter Shilton’s record with 129 caps.
Having played in the UK for Arsenal, Fulham and Birmingham City Rachel Yankey’s honours include five Premier League Championships, two Women’s Super League Championships, 11 FA Women’s Cups, 7 Women’s Premier League Cups, 1 UEFA Women’s Cup. She also played at the London 2012 Olympics.
In 2017 Rachel was inducted into the National Football Museum in 2017. She received an MBE in 2006 and an OBE in 2014 for services to football and coaching.
Gabby Logan is one of Britain's most influential women in sport. A former international gymnast Gabby is now a household name presenting many of our most popular sports TV programmes including the Olympics, London Marathon, Match of the Day, World Athletics Championships and Sports Personality of the Year. Gabby talks openly about her career path from Sky to the BBC, and why she's so passionate about improving the coverage for women's sport.
Series 6 The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and features fearless women in football. It launches on Tuesday November 3, 2020 and guests include * Gabby Logan: Leading sports broadcaster * Rachel Yankey: Arsenal and England legend * Shelley Kerr: Former international now Scotland Manager * Gail Newsham: Author of ‘In a League of Their Own’ and an expert on The Dick Kerr’s Ladies * Mary Harvey: Olympic and World Cup winner, now CEO at the Centre for Sports and Human Rights * Sian Massey-Ellis: Professional match official * Jane Purdon: CEO at Women in Football * Jill Scott: Lioness and Man City player and coach
In this season finale, it’s Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Olympic Gold medallist from London 2012 and three times World Champion.
Judy Murray OBE, a former international tennis player, Fed Cup Captain and coach to many champions including her sons Jamie and Andy.
Skipper of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, Tracy was also the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. The story of Tracy and her team is beautifully told in the 2018 documentary Maiden.
A former Olympian, Katie led the transformation of high performance sport in New Zealand and now heads women's rugby at World Rugby. We talk gender balance, female coaches, leadership, sport for development, player welfare, sponsorship and World Cups.
Ebony Rainford-Brent is a former England cricketer, World Cup Winner, sports broadcaster at the BBC and Sky, Director of Women’s Cricket at Surrey, motivational speaker and a podcast host. Is there no end to this woman’s talents?
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
Alison Oliver is Chief Executive at the Youth Sport Trust, the children’s charity working to ensure every child enjoys the life-changing benefits that come from sport and play. A former PE teacher and fellow Loughborough graduate, Ali is hugely respected across the entire sports and education sector. This series of The Game Changers is supported by Sport England, who have done so much to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport.
Dame Sarah Storey is the most successful British female Paralympian of all time with 38 World titles, 14 Paralympic Golds and 76 world records. Sarah was just 14 when she made her Paralympic debut at Barcelona 92, winning five medals including two Golds. She went on to win more medals in the pool at Atlanta, Sydney and Athens before moving to cycling and winning more medals on the track and the road at Beijing, London and Rio. Sarah’s also six times British national track champion.
Sarah, and her husband Barney, now run Storey Racing, and Sarah’s also the Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region.
This series of The Game Changers is supported by Sport England, who have done so much to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport.
Eleanor Oldroyd is one of Britain’s most respected sports broadcasters. If you love sport, you’ll be incredibly familiar with Elly’s voice as she’s been on our airwaves since the 1990’s and is a real trailblazer for women in sports media. Twice voted Sports Presenter of the Year, Elly hosts powerful debates and documentaries for the BBC and right now she hosts BBC 5Live’s Weekend Breakfast and The Inside Track. Along with regular cricket commentary, Ellie’s often a guest on shows like Fighting Talk, and of course, she’s been a key BBC presenter at every Olympics and Paralympics since 1992.
This series of The Game Changers is supported by Sport England, who have done so much to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport.
From the much celebrated This Girl Can campaign and initiatives that help shape school sport for girls, to schemes that encourage more female volunteers in the workforce, support female coaches and officials, and ensure more women, from all backgrounds, take leadership positions on the boards of our sports organisations.
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
Welcome to series five of The Game Changers, the podcast where you’ll hear from extraordinary, trailblazing women in sport. I am thrilled to say that this series of The Game Changers will be supported by Sport England, who have done so much to tackle the inequalities women face across all areas of sport.
From the much celebrated This Girl Can campaign and initiatives that help shape school sport for girls, to schemes that encourage more female volunteers in the workforce, support female coaches and officials and ensure more women take leadership positions on the boards of our sports organisations.
My remarkable guest list for this series includes:
- Eleanor Oldroyd – one of Britain’s most respected sports broadcasters
- Dame Sarah Storey – The most successful female British Paralympian of all time
- Alison Oliver – Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust
- Ebony Rainford-Brent – Cricket World Cup winner and now much respected sports commentator
- Katie Sadleir – Former Olympian, now General Manager of Women’s Rugby at World Rugby
- Tracey Edwards MBE – Skipper of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race
- Judy Murray OBE – former international tennis player and coach to many champions including her sons Jamie and Andy
- and
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill – Olympic Champion and three times World Champion Heptathlete
The new series launches on Tuesday September 8, so please be sure to subscribe now, so you don’t any of the episodes.
You can find out more about all 41 of my incredible guests from this and the previous series at fearlesswomen.co.uk or find come and say hello on social media where you’ll find us on twitter, facebook and Instagram @sueanstiss or @thegamechangers__
The Game Changers podcast. Fearless women in sport
Emma Hayes is Manager at Chelsea Women. Having twice led Chelsea to the FA Cup and Super League double, once again this year Emma’s team won the Barclays FA WSL. It’s a fascinating conversation where Emma talks very openly about her life, her career and shares lots of advice for others hoping to be high level coaches in the future.
Just to flag, there’s a little bit of occasional background noise of this podcast as the house next door to Emma’s had some building work going on while we spoke. It’s not too disturbing but just to let you know.
Massive thanks to Barclays for once again supporting this series of The Game Changers which focuses on fearless women in football, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
This week's guest is Dame Heather Rabbatts, a businesswoman whose career has covered law, government, sport and media, including high profile positions at the Football Association, Millwall Football Club, the BBC and Channel 4. Heather now heads the Women’s Sports Group so, as well and discussing her career and advice for leadership, we also explore the future of commercial income for women’s sport from rights deals to sponsorships.
I’m incredibly grateful to Barclays for supporting this series of The Game Changers which will focus on fearless women in football, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
Dr Rimla Akhtar is former Chair of the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation and the first Muslim woman to sit on the Football Association Council. Ranked by Forbes and the Independent as one of the most powerful women in international sports, in 2015 Rimla was awarded an MBE for "her contribution to equality and diversity in sport” The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
Had Rose Reilly been born a boy, she would undoubtedly be celebrated as a national hero, one of Scotland’s greatest ever footballers. As it is, her amazing career and her story went untold for decades by those who should have be celebrating her incredible sporting achievements. Eight league titles, World Player of the Year award, four golden boots, a professional career in France and Italy a World Cup medal. It’s a fascinating story and Rose is a delightful and entertaining guest on the podcast. Once again, this series of The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and will focus on fearless women in football. In each of the 8 episodes I’ll be talking to a trailblazing woman, reinforcing Barclays huge commitment to the beautiful game.
Our guest this week is Ebru Koksal.
Following a career in New York as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, Ebru became CEO at Galatasaray. She was the first woman to be elected to the Executive Board of the European Club Association and became the first, and only, female General Secretary of the Turkish Football Federation. Ebru is now Chair of Women in Football.
I’m incredibly grateful to Barclays for supporting this series of The Game Changers which will focus on fearless women in football, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
My guest this week is Stacey Copeland. Stacey has represented her country at an international level in two sports – football and boxing. Following a successful football career, where she represented England, played in the FA cup final, and played overseas for six years in the US and Sweden; Stacey then went on to pursue her dreams of a career in boxing.
During her six-year amateur boxing career, Stacey became European silver medallist and three-time national champion. She then turned professional and 2018 became the first British woman to win the Commonwealth title.
I’m incredibly grateful to Barclays for supporting this series of The Game Changers which will focus on fearless women in football, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport
My guest today is Moya Dodd, one of the most influential women in global sport. Former vice-captain of the Australian women’s football team, Moya served on the board of Football Federation Australia and Asian football's governing body, before she became one of the first women to join the FIFA Council, where she took a lead role on gender reforms.
Moya still sits on FIFA committees along with the IOC Athlete’s Entourage Commission. She is Honorary President of Women in Sports Law, Chair of Common Goal and serves on the board of Barefoot to Boots.
I’m so grateful to Barclays for once again choosing to sponsor this series of The Game Changers which will focus on fearless women in football. In each of the 8 episodes I’ll be talking to trailblazer, reinforcing Barclays huge commitment to the beautiful game.
My guest today is Steph Houghton MBE, captain of the Lionesses and Man City. Steph’s represented her country at every level, with over 100 appearances for England. Steph’s also led Man City to two Women's FA Cups, three Continental Cup successes and the FA Women's Super League title, as well as landing the PFA’s Merit Award in 2019.
Representing Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, Steph became a household name by scoring in all three group matches, including the winning goals against New Zealand and Brazil.
Steph proudly led the Lionesses to their World Cup semi-final last year in France, watched at home by almost 12 million viewers.
I’m thrilled to say that once again, this series of The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and will focus on fearless women in football.
Hello and welcome to series four of The Game Changers, the podcast where you’ll hear from extraordinary, women in sport. Once again, this series of The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and will focus on fearless women in football. My remarkable guest list for this series includes:
- Steph Houghton MBE – Captain of the Lionesses and Man City
- Moya Dodd – one of the most influential women in world soccer and former member of the FIFA Council
- Stacey Copeland – former England footballer turned professional boxer
- Ebru Koksal – former CEO of Gallatassaray and now Chair of Women in Football
- Rose Reilly MBE – legendary World Cup winner, who played professionally in Italy and France
- Rimla Akhtar MBE – former Chair of the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation and a champion for diversity in sport
- Emma Hayes MBE – the hugely successful Manager at Chelsea Women
- Dame Heather Rabbatts – former Chair of Milwall and the first woman to sit on the FA Board
The 4th series launches on Tuesday July 7, so please be sure to subscribe now, so you don’t miss a single new episode.
You can find out more about all my guests at fearlesswomen.co.uk or find us on twitter, facebook and Instagram at The Game Changers.
The Game Changers podcast. Fearless women in sport
My guest this week is Hope Powell CBE, the trailblazing former England Women’s Football manager and the first woman to be awarded a UEFA Pro License. Hope’s had so many incredible achievements and awards. An OBE, a CBE, honorary degrees from several universities, she was the second woman to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of the legendary Lily Parr.
The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Football
Casey Stoney MBE is Manager at Man Utd Women. Capped over 100 times for England Women, Casey also captained the Lionesses and Team GB during the London 2012 Olympics. Casey talks us about how she was bullied for playing football as a girl, her surreal first cap in front of a crowd of 45,000, what makes a great captain and leader, the difference in life as a manager versus a professional player and how she’s managing life as Manager at Manchester United Women.
Today’s guest, Kelly Simmons MBE, is leading the transformation of professional women’s football in England as the Director of the Women’s Professional Game at the FA. Kelly oversees The FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, FA Women’s National League and the Women’s Pyramid of Football. Kelly’s been an extraordinary trailblazer for the women’s game, having spent over 20 years at the Football Association. Kelly was previously The FA Director of Participation and Development, overseeing the implementation of a £200M four year investment programme into children’s and grassroots football. In recognition of all Kelly’s incredible work, in 2002 she was awarded an MBE Services to Football and in 2006 she received the BT Sports Industry Award for ‘Leadership in Sport’.
If you're enjoying these podcasts and want to support women's sport further, Sue Anstiss MBE, host of The Game Changers is writing a book 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport' with the crowdfunding publisher Unbound. You can pledge your support or find out more here: https://unbound.com/books/game-on/
My guest this week is Maggie Murphy, General Manager of Lewes FC Women. It’s an extraordinary football club with massive ambitions - the first club in the world to pay its male and female players equally. Maggie has had a fascinating career path, having worked for Amnesty International on human rights issues, Transparency International, the world’s largest anti-corruption organisation and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, where she was director of public policy and sport integrity. Maggie’s also the Director of Communications at Equal Playing Field, a charity dedicated to advancing women’s equality in sport from grassroots to elite levels.
As mentioned in the podcast, Lewes FC is completely fan owned. You can find out more here: https://www.lewesfc.com/owners
If you're enjoying these podcasts and want to support women's sport further, Sue Anstiss MBE, host of The Game Changers is writing a book 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport' with the crowdfunding publisher Unbound. You can pledge your support or find out more here: https://unbound.com/books/game-on/
The Game Changers. Fearless Women in Football.
My guest today is Jo Tongue, Football Agent, Director of the Women in Football network and an ardent campaigner for equality in sport and the media. Jo takes us back to the reality of her early days in local radio, her big break at BBC Sport and how shocked she’s been representing female footballers.
Jo spent 10 years editing 606, BBC 5Live’s flagship football phone in show and is now CEO of Tongue Tied Management, a Sports Agency Specialising in Talent Management and Production.
Giving girls the same opportunities in football as boys is certainly close to the heart of my guest today. Dame Sue Campbell is Director of Women’s Football at The FA and regarded by many as one of the most respected women in sport. Sue began her career as a PE teacher in the early seventies, before going on to lecture in PE at Loughborough and Leicester Universities. She was CEO at the National Coaching Foundation (where we first met in the early 1990’s) in 1995 Sue helped found The Youth Sport Trust and went on to be CEO and then Chair for many years. Sue was Chair of UK Sport from 2003 and 2013, overseeing a step change in the delivery of British medals at the Olympics and Paralympics.
In 2008 Sue was appointed to the House of Lords as a Cross Bench Peer and earlier this year she became a Dame in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
Sue shares how being a PE teacher shaped her entire career, what it took to persuade her to join the FA and how what is happening in women’s football today will help change lives more broadly across the UK.
My guest today is passionate about ensuring all women have equal access to working in sports media. Sports presenter Jacqui Oatley was awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to broadcasting and diversity in sport. Jacqui is best known by many as the first female commentator to appear on the BBC’s Match of the Day, which she went on to present in 2015. A Director of the Women in Football network Jacqui anchored the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2013 Euros for BBC, and then the men’s 2016 Euros and 2018 World cup coverage for ITV Sport. She was presenter of the BBC’s flagship sports news show Sportsweek on 5Live and now hosts football and darts for ITV and recently appointed the first female host of Sky Sports hugely popular Sunday Supplement show. It’s no wonder that in 2015 Jacquie was named as the 8th most influential woman in sport by the Independent.
Jacqui talks about her lifelong obsession with football, how she changed careers at 27 to re-train as a journalist and how lonely and isolated she felt after the hideous build up to her first appearance on Match of The Day.
In this episode you’ll hear from the football legend that is Kelly Smith MBE. Kelly is widely regarded as one of world’s greatest-ever female players. Kelly scored a record 46 goals for England in 117 internationals before retiring after a 20 year career in 2015. Playing for Arsenal, Kelly won the League title six times and the FA Cup five times. She played in four European Championships and two World Cups and represented Team GB at London 2012. Kelly also had a career in the US, and in 2008 was awarded an MBE for services to women’s football.
Kelly talks openly about how tough it was playing football as youngster and being kicked off two teams for being a girl, how England is the best place for any young woman wanting to play professional football today and why she feels it’s so important to share her past struggles with alcohol to encourage others to talk more openly about mental health.
The Game Changers Podcast: Fearless Women in Football
Hello and welcome to Series 3 of The Game Changers, the podcast where you’ll hear from extraordinary women in sport. This series of The Game Changers is supported by Barclays and will focus on fearless women in football. In each of the 8 episodes, I’ll be talking to a trailblazing female, reinforcing Barclay’s huge commitment to the beautiful game.
The remarkable guest for this series includes:
- Kelly Smith MBE - one of the greatest-ever female players and England women’s record goal scorer
- Jacqui Oatley MBE - leading sports broadcaster and the first woman to commentate on BBC’s Match of the Day
- Dame Sue Campbell - Director of Women’s Football at The FA
- Jo Tongue – Football agent, Director of Women in Football and a tireless campaigner for equality in sport and the media
- Hope Powell CBE - Trailblazing former England Women’s Football manager and the first woman to be awarded a UEFA Pro License
- Casey Stoney MBE- Former England captain with over 100 caps and now Manager of Manchester United Women
- Kelly Simmons MBE - Director of the Women’s Professional Game at The FA
- Maggie Murphy – General Manager at Lewes FC Women, the first football club in the world to pay its male and female players equally.
You can find out more about all my guests at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers or find us on twitter and Instagram at The Game Changers.
The Game Changers podcast. Fearless women in Football.
Professional footballer, media personality, lawyer, philanthropist and now best selling author, Eni’s high profile racism case against the FA led to critical reforms within the sport.
For more information visit https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Paratriathlon World Champion and Paralympic Silver medallist, Lauren also enthralled us all as a semi-finalist on last year's Strictly Come Dancing.
Go to Fearless Women to find out more.
Former UK Sport CEO, regarded as "the most powerful woman" in British sport for many years, Liz is now President of the International Netball Federation
Former Scottish Rugby Captain who now coaches Harlequins Women, Karen is also a Chief Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police.
Find out more here.
Legendary broadcaster and best-selling author Clare presents major sports events including the Olympics, Paralympics, Wimbledon and The Boat Races.
Find out more here.
As CEO at England Netball, Jo transformed the sport's profile, participation and performance, with Gold at the Commonwealth Games and a home World Cup.
Find out more here.
Women's Sports Editor at the Telegraph, Anna co-founded Women in Football and is the author of the extraordinary book 'Eat Sweat Play'.
Find outmore here.
Managing Director for Women’s Cricket at the ECB and former England Captain, Clare has transformed the game from grassroots to the elite level Find out more at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
One of Britain's best-known Olympic Gold medallists, Denise is now a popular sports commentator and President of Commonwealth Games England. https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Series 2 of The Game Changers will launch on September 10 2019. Eight more enlightening interviews with trailblazing women in sport - all challenging the status quo and breaking down barriers for women and girls everywhere. Sue Anstiss MBE gives a preview of what’s to come in this series, as she talks frankly with some of the most influential women in British sport including elite athletes, media, coaches and CEOs. You can find out more about all the guests at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers The Game Changers Podcast: Fearless Women in Sport
Team GB's most decorated female Olympian with 5 Olympic rowing medals (including Gold at London 2012) Katherine is now the Chair of UK Sport. https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Co-founder and joint CEO of The Women's Sport Trust, Jo was awarded an MBE in 2019 for services to gender equality in sport.
Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
The face of England netball for 11 years, with 114 caps, Pamela is the only player to have won seven league titles. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
With a record 375 caps for her country, Kate was England and GB captain for 13 years, culminating in Hockey Olympic Gold in Rio 2016. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
One of rugby's greatest female players, Maggie helped England win a record breaking 7 consecutive Six Nations crowns and the 2014 World Cup Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
As England Hockey CEO Sally has transformed the sport at elite and grassroots levels. She's now been appointed as the new CEO of UK Sport. For more information visit https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Having won 11 Paralympic Gold medals and the London Marathon six times, Tanni now sits as an independent peer in the House of Lords and is Chair of ukactive. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Four times Ironman World Champion, Chrissie is now Global Lead of Health and Wellbeing for Parkrun. Find out more about The Game Changers here
Presented by Sue Anstiss
Sport has the power to transform people’s lives, both on and off the field. Sport reflects and magnifies society and that’s why women’s sport is especially important - it can help knock down barriers and challenge the status quo. In The Game Changers podcast you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in women’s sport as they talk frankly about their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with some of the toughest challenges they’ve faced. You may be surprised at what you hear - you’ll certainly be inspired. You can find out more about all the guests at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers The Game Changers Podcast: Fearless Women in Sport Presented by Sue Anstiss