“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.

Here is Yvette's Surfing & Diversity Report

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