Champion Women: Why We Still Have to Fight for Our Place in Sport
International Women’s Day is more than just a celebration—it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
As a woman in sport, I’ve spent my life proving myself. Not just in the pool, on the field, or in the gym—but in boardrooms, coaching meetings, and conversations where my expertise is questioned before I even open my mouth. Because being a woman in a male-dominated industry means you don’t just get to be good. You have to be exceptional—and even then, it’s often still not enough.
The Double Standard of Being a Woman in Sport
When you’re a woman in sport, the expectations are endless. You have to be talented, driven, and accomplished—but not too much. You need to prove your knowledge—but stay humble. You should be strong—but never intimidating. Confident—but not cocky. Proud—but still feminine. And, of course, if you’re a mother, you’d better be balancing it all perfectly—because God forbid you put your own ambitions first.
And if you do rise to the top? Well, that must be because of something other than your talent.
I’ve lost count of the times my success has been dismissed, undermined, or sexualized. When TriSwim grew into the respected business it is today, I didn’t just receive congratulations—I received whispers. “Whose favour did she pull for that?” “I bet it’s because of her looks.” “She must have slept her way there.”
Let that sink in.
Not wow, look at what she built. Not she’s an expert in her field. Not she’s changed lives through her work.
Instead, how could a woman have achieved this on her own merit?
I’ve been spoken down to by men in power, belittled in emails, compared to a teenage daughter throwing a tantrum. I’ve had my qualifications questioned by people who wouldn’t dare challenge a male coach with half the experience.
And here’s the worst part: it’s not just men who do this.
The Women Who Tear Other Women Down
You’d think that as women, we’d lift each other up. That we’d recognize the struggle, the barriers, the sacrifices. And yet, some of my harshest critics have been other women.
The ones who roll their eyes at my success. The ones who look for reasons to discredit me, to whisper, to spread negativity. The ones who should be standing beside me, but instead choose to tear me down.
Why?
Because society has taught women to compete, not collaborate. To see another woman’s success as a threat, rather than an inspiration. To think there’s only room for a few of us at the top—and if she’s winning, that must mean I’m losing.
And that mindset needs to change.
You Want to Talk About Credentials?
I’ve spent my life earning my place in sport.
I wasn’t handed this career—I built it.
I started out as a county-level swimmer, but I didn’t stop there. I played football for Watford Girls, netball for Hertfordshire, competed in gymnastics and trampolining, earned a purple belt in kickboxing, ran long distance for my school, and still found time to be head girl for my contributions to sport and music.
I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro while seven weeks pregnant. Six weeks postpartum, I did my first Tough Mudder. I lost three stone training for my first triathlon under Gordon Ramsay’s GR100 team just ten months after giving birth.
While raising two children, I put myself through two degrees and a master’s in Applied Sport Science, all while building TriSwim from the ground up. I became a British Swimming Level 3 Head Coach, a Swim Smooth Senior Mentor, an STA Ambassador, and a trusted expert in video analysis for Olympic commissions around the world.
I didn’t just teach swimming—I shaped the next generation of coaches. I’ve worked with Olympians, mentored high-level athletes, and fought to make open water swimming a more accessible and empowering space for all.
And yet, to some, it still isn’t enough.
Why? Ask yourself. If I were a man, would my expertise be questioned the same way? Would my success be attributed to my talent—or something else entirely?
Would I be respected for the work I’ve done—or reduced to my gender?
Champion Women. Build Them Up.
If you read this and feel uncomfortable, good. That means it hit a nerve. It means it made you think about the bias that still exists, even subconsciously.
Because this isn’t just my story—it’s the reality for countless women in sport, in business, in leadership.
And it’s time to stop the cycle.
If you’re a man in sport, ask yourself how you speak to and about women in your field. Are you giving them the same respect you’d give a male counterpart? Are you listening, learning, supporting?
If you’re a woman in sport, ask yourself if you’re lifting other women up—or tearing them down out of fear or insecurity. Are you celebrating success, or looking for flaws?
And if you see bias, call it out. Change doesn’t happen by staying silent.
Women shouldn’t have to fight harder for visibility, for respect, for their place at the table. We deserve to be here. We’ve earned it.
So next time you see a woman achieving something great, don’t tear her down. Champion her.
Because when one woman rises, we all rise. 💙
Laura x
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