“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

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