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Off The Bench: The Women’s Sport Podcast
Billie Jean King
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Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam tennis titles during her career, but made her name through her fight for equality on and off the court.
She is one of the founders of the Women’s Tennis Association, inspired the world with her Battle of the Sexes win over Bobby Riggs, is an LGBTQ+ icon and was one of the pioneers who fought for equal prize money in tennis more than 50 years ago. Along with her partner Ilana Kloss, she is also part of the ownership group for a number of sports teams and is involved in the launch of a new women’s hockey league in North America too.
Ahead of her milestone 80th birthday, Molly caught up with Billie at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, where they reflected on her life's work and discussed her hopes for the future of women’s sport.
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Laura Robson
39:15|This week’s episode is with Laura Robson - former British No 1 tennis player, Olympic medallist, Sky Sports pundit, BBC commentator and the youngest tournament director in tennis.She talks about her life as a youngster on tour, what it’s like to have your career brutally cut short by injury, experiencing FOMO at the Paris Olympics, and how she pivoted to life on the sidelines with a microphone in hand.Watch the US Open exclusively live on Sky Sports and streaming service NOW from 26 August.
This is Off The Bench: The Women's Sport Podcast
01:48|Welcome to Off The Bench where journalist Molly McElwee invites extraordinary women athletes, coaches and leader in sport onto the show. They'll be sharing the stories that have defined their careers, including how they found ways to smash through barriers and succeed regardless.From difficult injuries, to living life online as an athlete, to finding their way in a male-dominated industry, these incredible women will be sharing what they've learned along the way.
Molly Thompson-Smith
39:57|Team GB climber Molly Thompson-Smith is the next in our series of Olympic and Paralympic stars ahead of Paris 2024. After missing out on Tokyo three years ago, Molly spoke about reframing that failure as a positive, the injury hurdles she has overcome, climbing's relatively new space in the Olympics and how she navigates a mainly white, male sport as a woman of colour.
Katie Boulter
31:17|British number one tennis player Katie Boulter joins Molly, as the next in our series of Olympic and Paralympic guests ahead of Paris 2024. Katie Boulter has had the season of her life, breaking into the world’s top 30 for the very first time and securing a spot at her very first Olympic Games. Fresh from winning the third WTA title of her career, Katie speaks about overcoming chronic fatigue and a serious back injury, the pressure around being British number one at Wimbledon, and also about how she and Alex De Minaur feel about being tennis’ couple of the moment.
Lizzie Deignan
37:04|Cyclist Lizzie Deignan joins Molly, as the first in our series of Olympic and Paralympic guests ahead of Paris 2024. Lizzie is a former world champion road racer, Olympic silver medallist and the first woman to win the famous Paris-Roubaix race… and she’s had some of her greatest success since she became a mother in 2018. During the episode Lizzie took us through some of the biggest challenges that she’s faced in her career, how she juggles motherhood and cycling, and why she remains more motivated than ever heading into another Olympic Games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shaunagh Brown
56:30|Shaunagh made her name after her rousing speech about women’s rugby just after winning the Premier 15s domestic title went viral in 2021. Now, after just a few months away from playing, she has u-turned on her decision to retire and will return to rugby in the autumn.Always a leader on and off the pitch, Molly and Lauren ask her about what it is like to be a sport’s poster girl, switching from athletics to rugby relatively late in life, and dealing with the constant stereotypes being thrown her way.
Orla Chennaoui
43:28|Orla fronts Eurosport’s cycling and Olympic coverage, is due to begin a new stint as TNT’s rugby union presenter, and is also the founder of motivational wellbeing platform Ten Times Braver. In a lively discussion with Molly and Lauren, Orla outlines how she navigated her way through obstacles in sports broadcasting - including sexual assault/harassment - and how she learned to block out the fear of judgment to express herself through her sense of style.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt
45:33|England’s legendary fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt is only just coming to grips with her impending retirement, and she joins Off The Bench to reflect on her astounding career in an emotional episode.During 19 years in an England shirt, Sciver-Brunt won three World Cups, four Ashes, and took 335 wickets - the highest tally in the history of English women’s cricket. She had to overcome challenges along the way: the steep jump from amateur to professional cricket, her personal struggles alongside being an LGBTQ role model and facing retirement.