The Telegraph Women's Sport podcast

In this episode of the Telegraph Women’s Sport Podcast, we’re tackling a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of sports: the impact of kit on female athletes. Hosted by Dame Laura Kenny, we’re joined by a line-up of guests who know the challenges all too well. Tess Howard, a pioneering England and GB hockey player, shares her journey advocating for rule changes that allow women to wear shorts instead of skorts, explaining the practical and symbolic significance of this change for female athletes. Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill takes us back to her early career, outlining the discomfort she faced with ill-fitting sportswear, and discusses the positive changes brought about through athlete feedback and collaboration with kit brands. We also hear from Laura Youngson, co-founder of IDA Sports, and netball star Britney Clarke, who shares her personal struggles with kit sizes.

In this episode of the Telegraph Women’s Sport podcast, we’re talking about money. Host Dame Laura Kenny is joined by three guests to delve into the financial landscape of women’s sports. Dani Rowe, a former British cyclist, shares her experiences with the stark pay disparities in road cycling. In 2018, she earned just €30,000, while her male counterparts made more than half a million. She discusses the importance of investing not only in the top tiers of sport but also at the grass-roots level to create a sustainable future. Maggie Murphy, a champion for gender equality in sports, discusses the commercial opportunities that arise from athletes leveraging their multifaceted personalities. She talks about how integrating personal interests can make sponsorships more appealing and impactful. Jenny Mitton, women’s sport lead at M&C Saatchi, highlights how younger sports fans value and reward brands that invest in women’s sports. She points out that these fans are motivated by more than just the games; they seek to support the overall growth and visibility of women’s sports.

In this episode of the Telegraph Women's Sport Podcast, we're delving into the topic of body image. Hosted by Dame Laura Kenny, we bring together three women to share their stories and insights. Ellie Boatman, a Great Britain rugby sevens player, opens up about her journey through body image struggles and overcoming an eating disorder to develop a healthier relationship with her body and food. She emphasises the influence of social media on body perceptions and the importance of education around its dangers. Amy Truesdale, an Paralympic taekwondo champion, speaks about her confidence in competing in a male-dominated sport despite her disability. She highlights the necessity of focusing on performance over aesthetics, celebrating individual differences, and rejecting societal pressures. Kate Dale, campaign director of "This Girl Can" at Sport England, brings her expertise in promoting women's participation in sports, discussing the need for positive reinforcement and conscious behaviour around diet culture and appearance. She champions the importance of understanding female physiology in training to shift focus from appearance to performance. If you have been affected by an eating disorder, contact the NHS or Beat for help.

In this episode of the Telegraph Women's Sport podcast, we’re diving into the topic of inspiration. Host Dame Laura Kenny is joined by three trailblazers known for pushing boundaries.Carla Ward, a football player turned manager, discusses how the mentorship of Emma Hayes guided her through the pressures of the Women’s Super League. Highlighting the importance of visibility, Carla shares her vision for empowering young girls in sports.Zara Lachlan, a 21-year-old preparing for an extraordinary solo rowing journey from Europe to South America. Transitioning from BMX racing to ocean rowing, Zara recounts her intense preparation and the inspiration she draws from female role models.Sue Dorrington delves into her pioneering journey in women’s rugby, from discovering the sport at 23 to helping to organise the first Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991. Sue touches on the growth of women’s rugby and the significance of representation in retaining young girls in sports.

In this episode of the Telegraph Women's Sport podcast, we’re talking about motherhood. Sam Quek is joined by two people who really know the reality of being a mother in elite sport and the challenges we face at any level when returning to sport post-partum. Having added gold medals in Rio and Tokyo to the silver she won in London, Hannah Mills is the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history. She’s currently competing for Ben Ainslie’s Great Britain Team in SailGP.And Jo Perkins is the head physiotherapist for the Wales women’s rugby team. She has previously worked for the Scarlets and the Football Association of Wales, and is a keen runner herself.For more Women's Sport news from the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Telegraph Women's Sport podcast, we look at a subject that is sadly still a sporting taboo: periods. Sam Quek is joined by two women to discuss the impact of the menstrual cycle on women in sport – from understanding our bodies better to kit concerns.  Dr Emma Ross, is a physiologist that focuses on the data gap in women’s sport science. She was formerly head of physiology at the English Institute of Sport & has since founded The Well HQ, which delivers education programmes on women’s health. She's a co-author of the best-selling book The Female Body: A Revolution in Women's Health and Fitness. Bobby Clay was the European junior 1500m champion and hotly-tipped for higher honours as a middle-distance runner, but aged 18 she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, which brought a premature end to her sporting career. You can read more about Bobby's story here.For more Women's Sport news from the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of the Telegraph Women's Sport podcast, we look at one of the hottest topics in women’s sport right now: ACL - three letters that can strike fear into sportspeople. An anterior cruciate ligament injury means a lengthy spell on the sidelines and women are more likely to suffer them than men. But why? How can the risk be reduced? And what is it like to go through rehab for such a serious knee injury?  Sam is joined by three people who know more about this tricky injury than most.Fiona Pocock won more than 30 caps for England and played in the 2010 Rugby World Cup, but she also spent long periods on the sidelines with injury. She now runs her own personal training company, specialising in female-specific programmes.Tess Braunerova is a Premiership rugby player & international for the Czech Republic - she did her ACL the season before last.And Tom Jacobs is a chartered physiotherapist who has worked in both elite and grass-roots sport. He helped set up the Sporting Knee Injury Prevention Programme (SKIPP) after seeing an increase in ACL ruptures amongst teenagers playing sport.For more Women's Sport news from the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve all enjoyed seeing the rise of coverage in women’s sport in recent years, but there is undoubtedly still work to do. Join Olympic hockey legend Sam Quek as she chats to women across the sporting world about the big issues and talking points – from ACL injuries and activism to menstruation and motherhood.This episode takes a look the importance of coaching in sport, from guiding youngsters at the start of their sporting journeys to helping elite athletes as they challenge for trophies and medals.Sam is joined by three people who know all about the many facets of quality coaching. Giselle Mather was part of England’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 1994, but she's also excelled in the coaching sphere as the first woman to earn the RFU’s Level Four coaching badge. She's has been involved in the set up at London Irish, Wasps and now Ealing Trailfinders. Willie Kirk was in charge of Hibernian Women when they won trophies in 2010 and 2011, and has worked in the Women’s Super League with Bristol City, Everton and now Leicester. In the season just finished he oversaw a remarkable turnaround as Leicester recovered from having zero points at Christmas to avoid relegation.And Abbie Johnson, a community cricket coach, who has been coaching since she was 14 at her local club Louth and also works part-time in the county set-up with Lincolnshire. She has continued to coach alongside her studies and caring for her mother while she underwent cancer treatment.For more Women's Sport news from the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.