Lauren Bell is, without doubt, one of England's most exciting fast bowlers. A cricketer with seemingly effortless poise and power, at just 25, she's learnt to handle the expectation that comes with being an elite athlete, and the difficulties of pursuing sport as a career as a female.

Born and raised in Berkshire, Bell has something of a reputation in the industry - for being grounded, xxx, and down-to-earth. She's also a keen advocate for balancing more intense training blocks with all-important R&R - she regularly posts as much on her Instagram platform, where she has a staggering 2.2 million followers.

This month, she's preparing for the Women's World Cup, which will run for the next few weeks and see the best teams in the world compete for the title. England, alongside Australia and India, are amongst the favourites, and the tournament marks a major career milestone for Bell - her first 50-over World Cup and a chance to step onto the sport’s biggest stage.

Below, Bell discusses her journey so far with Marie Claire UK; the challenges of consistency at international level, the hours of thankless training, and the mental resilience that quietly underpins her success. Keep scrolling.

England bowler Lauren Bell chats confidence as the World Cup kicks off

Can you describe your life in three words?

Fun. Honour. Exciting.

What does a typical day look like for you when you're in the middle of a busy season?

It really varies depending on whether it’s a game day, training or travel. We play a lot of cricket - once you get into April, you’re not really stopping until September.

I’ll always try and have a good breakfast, and then on an average day, we'll be training – either at home with Hampshire, my county, or at a different venue if I’m with England. That would normally be three or four hours, with some bowling and some gym work. As bowlers, we work a lot on our strength.

We may have some meetings about the upcoming opposition and our plans, or there may be time to play some golf. [My team and I] love going out for coffee if we’re together, and a few of the girls and I love to get our nails done if we can get the chance – colour-matching the kit is always the aim.

Was there a specific moment when you realised cricket could become your career, rather than just something you loved doing?

I don’t know that there was a specific moment; it just kind of became the path. I played football a lot as a kid and was in the Reading academy.

Then, when the KSL (Kia Super League) was kicking off in 2016, I became part of Southern Vipers under Lottie, and I loved it. A lot of investment in the sport suddenly made opportunities like this all the more possible – it was like, ‘Ah cool, I can actually make a career of this!’.

I went on an England A tour in 2022 and ended up with the senior team for the Ashes Test match and the World Cup. It just became the thing for me, which is an absolute dream.

What has been the biggest lesson elite sport has taught you about confidence and resilience?

Just try and enjoy it. It’s not always easy to do when there’s a lot of outside noise and pressure, but we’re so lucky to do what we do. It’s such a privilege to represent England and travel around the world with some of my best friends, doing something I love. Remembering that helps a lot.

How do you look after your mental wellbeing when you're dealing with the pressures of competition, travel and public scrutiny?

It’s good to talk, to each other, to friends, to family. We have a lot of professionals that we can chat to, but sometimes, it helps to get away from cricket and to speak to people outside that bubble.

We also have to try and remember that a lot of outside views aren’t actually what defines you – the people who know you the most are the people who matter.

If someone on Twitter wants to say something negative about you, then they’re welcome to their opinion, but it matters a lot less than what your coaches and teammates think.

Women's cricket has changed dramatically in recent years. What excites you most about the future of the game?

It’s changing every day! We’ll see at this World Cup; it’s already sold more tickets than they sold for the 2020 competition in Australia, and it’s just amazing that so many people want to come and watch.

It's obviously so exciting for us as players, but what I think is the most exciting part is that it’s never actually been easier to get into cricket if you’re a young girl.

When I got in, I didn’t really have an England Women’s team on the TV to look up to – so for me and most of my current teammates we got here without much of a system. But now, there are so many clubs offering cricket to girls, and there’s so much cricket for girls to watch and enjoy, that it’s never been easier for girls to find the game and hopefully fall in love.

What are the habits or routines you rely on to feel your best, both on and off the pitch?

Lots of boring stuff like getting enough sleep, drinking lots of water and moving my body. I think also finding time to do stuff you enjoy is a big thing, and making sure you’re still seeing your friends and you’ve got a life away from cricket.

On the pitch, I have two bracelets that say ‘Focus’ and ‘Reset’, and using those words as a guide to remind me to keep my energies on the next ball is a pretty useful thing for me.

What's something people often get wrong about professional athletes and the reality of your day-to-day life?

People forget sometimes how hard we work away from matchday, and that we all care very much about what we’re doing. Sometimes that’s taken for granted. It means the world to us to get to do what we do, and we work very hard to be able to do it.

Outside of cricket, what are you passionate about, and how do you switch off from the sport?

A few of the girls and I enjoy playing golf when we get the chance. It’s nice to be together on the course and focus on something that isn’t cricket.

We also love finding a good coffee spot together when we can, and nails is a thing for some of us. I’ve also got a relatively new house, so I’m always thinking about things I can get to decorate and furnish the place – and actually I’ve just bought a camera to document the World Cup, so that’s a fun new hobby!

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice at the start of your cricket journey, what would it be?

Just keep enjoying it! There’s literally nothing more important.

Sometimes you have to work quite hard in order to be able to keep smiling and keep enjoying it – there are lots of lows!. Remembering to keep enjoying it is good advice.

It's official: we're all low-key obsessed with Eileen Gu right now. The Chinese-American athlete, model, and Stanford University major (where she studies quantum physics, no less - life truly isn't fair) is the most decorated female freestyle skier in history, adding a gold and two silvers to her already history-making medal haul at this year's Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

In the process, she's become a global superstar, winning legions of fans across the world with her grace, brains and seemingly otherworldly ability on the slopes - not to mention, her quick-witted press conference responses, currently serving us daily doses of role-model inspo.

At the risk of fan-girling too hard, Gu is everything we wish we were - and everything we'd love young girls to channel, especially when it comes to mindset and mental resilience.

"Watching Eileen Gu throughout the Olympics, I found myself admiring her and also feeling genuinely hopeful for my daughter, knowing there are women like this for her to look up to," agrees chartered psychologist Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley. "We’re living through a time where women’s achievements in sport are extraordinary, yet they are still sometimes subtly diminished. Gu cuts through that completely. She seems entirely comfortable in her authority."

But how, exactly, does a 22-year-old maintain such grace and mental clarity under pressure?

The truth is - and this is something she freely acknowledges - she works hard every day to be the very best version of herself she can possibly be. Which is, in fact, good news for us all, as it proves that mental resilience isn't an innate skill; it's something we're able to develop.

Don't believe us? The science backs it up: check out this study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. And if scientific research floats your boat, you might also be interested in this study (published in the British Medical Journal of Mental Health), which reveals a link between mental resilience and a lowered risk of all-cause mortality.

But, back to Eileen Gu. Aside from fixating on her overall awesomeness, what can we learn from her approach to life - specifically, when it comes to improving our mental health and toughness? Keep scrolling to take a wander through her brain; you're welcome.

Eileen Gu is the mental resilience role model we all need - 8 mental health tips and tricks she practices daily

What is mental resilience?

First up, though, let's examine the idea of mental resilience as a subset of overall mental health. Much like physical resilience, it's about how well you can cope and regroup when things don't go according to plan - something that's vital for all of us, especially competitors like Gu.

"Mental resilience is your psychological and emotional capacity to adapt in the face of stress, uncertainty, pressure, adversity, or situations you have no control over," explains confidence expert Kamalyn Kaur.

They go on: "Resilience allows someone to experience hardship, disappointment, fear, or failure without collapsing into themselves, spiralling out of control, or defining themselves by it; importantly, it's not about being unaffected by difficulty. Instead, it is about your ability to stay flexible, emotionally regulated, and able to bounce back when things don’t go to plan."

Why is mental resilience important?

As touched on above, the benefits of mental resilience are manifold when it comes to improving overall mental health, but more than that, it enhances performance, too - whether this is on the slopes, in the workplace, or simply hanging out with your friends.

"In a culture (and world to some extent) that rewards constant performance, demands success, and defines people by achievement or accolades, mental resilience can protect against burnout, emotional fatigue, anxiety spirals, and performance-driven exhaustion," shares Kaur. "Having mental resilience enables us to keep steady, strong, and focused – even when life throws a curveball."

In a nutshell, it helps us to:

• Respond rather than react
• Maintain perspective under pressure
• Recover quickly from setbacks
• Protect our self-worth from being tied solely to achievement and performance.

7 mental resilience tools we can all learn from Eileen Gu

1. Cognitive reframing

By now, most of us have seen Gu's incredible take-down of the journalist who questioned whether she saw her silver medals as 'two golds lost'. For those who missed it, it was, quite simply, a masterclass in cognitive reframing - a technique that enables us to replace unhelpful thought patterns with more balanced and realistic perspectives.

"When challenged, Gu didn’t become defensive; instead, we witnessed a very live version of resilience," says Dr Goddard-Crawley. "She calmly dismantled the premise of the question and reframed the conversation entirely. It was quick, clever and very satisfying to watch. In that moment, she delivered the kind of response many of us only think of later, replaying a conversation from earlier that day in the safety of the shower or before we fall asleep."

2. Mental training

How many of us can say, as Gu does, that our brains are nice places to be? Chances are, not very many - but this is at the heart of good mental health. Gu is very open about how much time and care she puts into her thought processes, allowing her to respond (on the spot, might we add!) in a calm, considered way.

"Gu embodies the idea of mental training," says Keren Blackmore, certified coach and founder of Leap of Thought. " In every press conference we have now seen and watched over and over again (a million times!), she is consistently present, engaged, warm and curious. This combination is rare and the hallmark of developed self-leadership.

"In terms of how we can apply this to our lives, think about one unhelpful belief or thought about yourself that you could let go of, or work on to make your mind a better place to be?"

3. Embracing risk (but with planning)

"Resilience is not about reckless confidence, emotional indifference, or pretending not to care," cautions Kaur. "It’s the ability to embrace risk with preparation. Eileen Gu trains extensively, but once in competition, she commits fully. The psychological undertone here is powerful: prepare thoroughly, train your mind and body, then release control over the outcome.

"In everyday life, this might mean doing the work for a presentation, the pitch, or the difficult conversation, then allowing the outcome to unfold without tying it to your self-worth or value as a person."

4. Leaning in to neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity, in (very) simple terms, is the brain's ability to rewire itself in response to thoughts and experiences.

"What is also interesting, and something Gu articulates very well, is how deliberately she thinks about her performance and resilience," remarks Dr Goddard-Crawley. "She talks about neuroplasticity, the idea that the brain changes through challenge and repetition, and she treats mistakes as part of learning rather than failure. She has even suggested that her age may be one of her advantages, and there is real truth in that.

"Younger brains tend to be more adaptable and less fixed in their thinking. It’s a powerful message for young people to hear."

5. Detaching self-worth from outcome

Gu's innate confidence shines through all her interactions, leaving us, frankly, in awe. Part of this self-assurance is her focus on intrinsic self-worth as separate from her extrinsic achievements.

"Despite competing at an elite level, Eileen Gu has consistently spoken about skiing as something she loves, not just something she wins at - and that distinction matters," notes Kaur. "When identity becomes entirely performance-based, every setback feels personal. A missed promotion doesn’t just disappoint; it confirms a fear of inadequacy. A business event that underperforms doesn’t just sting; it becomes proof you’re not cut out for something.

"Developing resilience requires a psychological separation. Thinking 'This didn’t go the way I hoped,' is very different from 'This says something about who I am'."

6. Prioritising self care

As an athlete, mental and physical self-care are paramount, and this goes right back to the foundational basics of nutrition and sleep - something Gu takes care to prioritise.

"Gu is very clear about the importance of self-care and sleep, often saying she aims for around ten hours a night," shares Dr Goddard-Crawley. "Sleep is where learning settles, and emotional balance is restored. Protecting sleep as deliberately as training often shows up as clarity and composure under pressure."

7. Choosing curiosity over judgement

We've talked about Gu's openness and honesty, and this extends even to those interactions where others (mere mortals!) might feel on a back foot.

"Eileen Gu embodies self-trust, assurance and deep, non-performative, inner confidence not only in her words and trademark simple, clear articulation but also in her energy, presence and body language," says Blackmore. "Consider how she responds in the seconds before speaking, when a reporter prefaces her question with 'this isn't supposed to be rude', then goes on to ask if she thinks before she speaks.

"Rather than being defensive, or preparing for the worst, she leans in, demonstrates she's open to hearing more through her facial expression and then goes on to thank the reporter for her question. Her automatic response, to stay open, curious, light-hearted, is one, I imagine, she has trained. It's a choice she has been making for years, day after day. She chooses to validate herself, she chooses to be curious, she chooses to create an inner narrative that has helped her grow and achieve more in her 22 years than an average person could only dream of."

Mic drop, Gu.

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Hands up if you watched the Lionesses ' Euros final against Spain this summer? Seemingly, the whole nation was on its feet, willing our girls to win with every fibre of our being. And as history-maker Chloe Kelly booted in that penalty, echoing her past achievements, the pubs, homes, beaches and fields of England erupted: we'd done it, again.

Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Ella Toone and teammates have become household names, but cast your minds back a few short years, and we'll bet most people can't even name a female footballer from a decade ago. Yet all the challenges along the way - Lionesses' captain Leah Williamson, it's rumoured, gets paid the same per year as England men's captain Harry Kane makes in a week - it's fair to say that the future of women's football is bright.

One change that's made all the difference to the team? Two words: Sarina Wiegman. Since her appointment as England head coach back in September 2021, Wiegman has consistently delivered results - starting with that historic Euros win on home soil in July 2022, cemented by a repeat this year, she's quickly become synonymous with success and is widely credited with being the brains behind the Lionesses' stratospheric rise to victory.

However, we know that in order to nurture the very best future talent, having the infrastructure, investment and support at grassroots level is vital. While there's no doubt that changes have been made, a 2023 government-backed review of women's football led by ex-Lioness Karen Carney revealed a catalogue of failures, from underinvestment to a lack of career pathways for women in the sport.

And it's this inequality that's at the heart of a new campaign, spearheaded by Starling Bank in association with Lioness legend, Jill Scott. The Kick On initiative commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 grassroots football coaches and 2,000 female football players to determine the barriers women and girls face in the sport, and the findings were stark: put simply, there aren't enough female coaches in football.

According to the findings, 85% of players and 90% of coaches say there's a national shortage of female football coaches, despite huge demand: nine in ten (89%) female players and 84% of coaches want more female coaches at their club or school, while 46% of players say having the right coach is one of the biggest factors influencing their involvement in football.

So, with this in mind, we turned to Scott herself, along with current players and coaches, to find out what's going on - and, more importantly, what needs to change to secure the future of women's football.

Keen to read more of our Women in Sport content, while you're here? Don't miss our interview with rugby star Tatyana Heard, cover shoot with world-famous Rugby icon Ilona Maher, or features on the rise of female sports fans and the Formula 1 fangirl.

The future of women's football is being jeopardised by a lack of female coaches - here's what needs to change

What is the Kick On Initiative?

Jill Scott MBE is one of England's most decorated football players. The Sunderland-born midfielder earned over 150 caps and was part of the 2022 Euro-winning squad. Announcing her retirement shortly after that year's Lionesses' victory, Scott is now channelling her energy into changing the face of grassroots girls' football - starting with more female coaches.

"I could talk for hours about how important it is for players to have strong role models within the game," she shares exclusively with MC UK. "I think the game is in a great place now where players can have both male and female role models, but we need to have non-playing role models appear too, particularly within coaching."

"The Kick On campaign has a simple mission: to boost the number of female coaches across the country and to help nurture the next generation of Sarina Wiegmans, who can lead teams to success both on and off the pitch," she continues. "To do this, they’re offering free kit and equipment to more than 300 clubs as well as the resources and training for women to become a football coach themselves."

"This is really needed, as despite the recent growth of women’s sports, particularly football, research by Starling of thousands of coaches and female footballers has found that the number of female football coaches in the UK is concerningly low. Female coaches play a crucial role in the women’s game, and a national shortage means that there are fewer role models to inspire young female players and to keep them in the sport. So, we need to be asking why more women and girls aren’t getting involved in this side of the game."

Why is having a female coach so important to girls in football?

It's clear from the survey findings that female coaches are vitally important to girls in football, for a myriad of reasons.

In addition to being valuable role models (85% agree that a female coach attracts more women and girls to their teams), female coaches help girls to see a career path in the sport beyond playing, as well as challenging men's perceptions of women's place in football.

But it's not just about securing interest in the sport. Female coaches are important for retention too - 76% said that having a female coach prevents women and girls from dropping out of the team, largely due to the emotional support they're able to offer, proving it's as much about mentoring as it is about matches.

In fact, Scott goes so far as to credit her England career to one of her youth coaches.

"I had a few female coaches, but one that definitely stands out is Mo Marley, who coached me with England U19S and Everton," she tells MC UK. "She became a mentor to me, more than just being a coach, and always went above and beyond to offer me life advice when I needed it. I was around 16 years old when I first met Mo, and we still keep in touch now. She used to test me on the football pitch while teaching me the right attitude to have to be able to succeed at the highest level. I never would have played for England without her."

The old adage, you have to see it to be it, rings true for Scott, too. "I’ve always believed it’s hard to dream big if you’ve never seen anyone like you do it," she continues. "I’ve had some brilliant male coaches over the years, but having women in those roles makes such a difference. When young girls see a female coach leading a team, it shows them there’s space for them in the game too - whether that’s on the pitch or on the sidelines."

One female coach who is walking the walk is Chloe Morfey-Greenberg. In addition to coaching, she's the founder of Beyond The Ball, an inclusive club offering training sessions, matches, tournaments and more to women players. "I think female football coaches really do make a difference, no matter the level of football that you’re coaching or playing," she says. "I know from personal experience that many girls are encouraged to join a team if the team has a female coach, which Starling’s research reflects, and some might even be put off altogether if there isn’t a female coach. There is something about seeing another female around that makes you think 'I belong here'."

And the players agree. "I think that having a female coach is honestly something empowering," says 12-year-old Yara Croppo Basunti. "It makes us young footballers feel as if we can play and be given the same opportunities as anyone else. Female coaches were once in our position, so there's a greater chance they can help us progress and learn new things."

It's clear, too, from speaking to the young players, that they feel more comfortable opening up to a female coach about adolescent angst and anxieties.

"Having a female coach makes us feel safe," Croppo Basunti continues. "They’re someone who we can confide in and will be able to relate to us and possibly even help us. This is something that not many male coaches can do, especially without feeling embarrassed, with maybe not even any understanding of what we need help with."

This is something Scott relates to, as well. "From my own experience, players often feel more at ease talking about things like body confidence and so on with a female coach, and the research backs that up," she says. "Two-thirds of players with a male coach said they don’t feel as comfortable discussing body confidence issues. Having women in those positions helps create a space where girls can just be themselves."

What barriers to entry are female coaches facing?

Given that girls are dropping out of sport at an alarming rate - figures from the charity Women in Sport show that over a million teenage girls (43%) who love sport are disengaging once they've left primary school, compared with just 23% of boys - it feels more important than ever to address the reasons for this. It's clear that having female coaches is a good thing all around, so what's currently preventing women from joining coaching teams?

"Despite it being easier than ever for many female players to get into the game, it doesn’t feel that the same progress has been made for female coaches," muses Scott. "In my experience, the cost of starting out can be one of the biggest barriers, which Starling is helping with by providing crucial equipment and resources."

Morfey-Greenberg agrees, telling MC UK: "One thing I’ve found is that getting into coaching can be quite expensive. You can have all the football knowledge and the desire to coach, but you might not know anything about managing a team, or it might be the other way round, where you’ve got strong personal skills and an interest in football, but you don’t know the ins and outs of the game.

"No matter where you fall on the spectrum, you’ve got to go through the training to qualify to coach, and I certainly found the training helped enhance my technical and tactical knowledge, making me a more confident coach."

But in order to attract talent to the role, it has to be appealing to them, and it's a sad fact that the football world is still a largely male-dominated sphere. "I’ve also personally found that the environment in the male grassroots football world can be unwelcoming and intimidating as a woman," shares Morfey-Greenberg. "This has really affected my confidence at times, and I’ve considered stopping coaching altogether because of it."

What other inequalities are still present in the women's game?

While the inequalities faced by women on the pitch are being addressed, coaches and players stress that there's still a long way to go.

"I think we’ve come a long way, but there are still a range of barriers for girls both playing and staying in the game - ranging from both personal to logistical issues," agrees Scott. "Starling has been running its Kick On initiative for a few years now, with previous iterations highlighting how girls were three times more likely to quit football than boys, due to factors such as school work, body confidence issues, bullying, and an unclear path to a career in the sport negatively influencing their commitment to the game."

Many girls are concerned about safety, too, with worries over travelling to and from clubs (particularly in the darker winter months) and anxieties around being outside weighing on them.

"At my club Beyond the Ball, we have personally experienced men walking across our pitches during matches and jeering from the sidelines," reports Morfey-Greenberg. "It can feel like a constant struggle to be seen and heard in this space. But we always challenge this behaviour and would welcome our male allies to do the same. We deserve to play too."

Frustratingly, though, the inequalities being faced aren't limited to personal issues; they extend to practical barriers, too. "Last year, Starling found there’s unequal pitch access between men and women players," shares Scott. "Research found more than half of female players have booked a pitch and had it reallocated to a men’s team, with this happening on a frequent basis for many."

As is so often the case, the bottom line is money. "There’s simply more money in the men’s game, which can create financial inequalities such as a stark difference in salaries, and a lack of funding and sponsors at the grassroots level," notes Scott. "It was only back in 2018 that all WSL sides became fully professional, and players in the WSL2 only reached this recently - before then, it wasn’t uncommon for female players to have to take on other jobs to supplement their income, and it could be hard to fit football in around these."

What changes do we need to see in women's football, to encourage more female coaches in the future?

Looking to the future, it's hoped that the Lionesses' legacy will prompt more and more girls to continue in the game, and paving the way for more female coaches is a crucial part of this.

"A greater number of female coaches will increase opportunities for many young girls playing football," agrees Croppo Basunti. "Looking up to female coaches can give us a sense of wider opportunities within the sport. Hopefully, this can potentially further develop women's football in the UK!"

Both Scott and Morfey-Greenberg stress that visibility is a huge factor here. As it stands, the pathway to coaching (and other post-playing careers) is unclear, but with more exposure, things should shift.

"Cultural expectations around women in football are changing, and I think the progress of the England Lionesses and the growth of the Women’s Super League have contributed to this shift," notes Morfey-Greenberg. "However, more visibility and education is needed at grassroots - in school and clubs - to make spaces more inclusive and safe for girls and women."

"There needs to be a clearer pathway from playing to coaching, for players who are thinking of hanging up their boots," agrees Scott. "I was able to do my coaching badges back in 2015 when I was playing at Manchester City, but the crucial thing is to make coaching seem like an attractive role - I’m hoping that Sarina winning the award for best women’s coach at this year’s Ballon d’Or can help to spur things along."

"While many female coaches may worry that they’d be in the minority when going for their coaching badges, if we can keep pushing and clearing the way for more female coaches to come through, then this should shift the balance."

Watch this space.

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The Red Roses England Women's Rugby team stormed to victory on Saturday with a 33-13 win against Canada.

The final, which took place at Twickenham, saw them crowned champions of the world. Achieving that elusive title makes them the first England rugby team - men's or women's - to win since 2014.

Red Roses Head Coach John Mitchel said of their victory: "The Red Roses could dominate the world for a long time" - and I don't disagree.

While the shiny trophy and nearly 82,000 fans who turned up to show their support, setting a new record for a women's rugby match in the process, are all well and good, it's been a privilege to witness a movement and moment even bigger going on here - something which will define women's sport for years to come.

The England Women's Rugby team haven't only won the cup, but hearts, minds, and new fans nationwide, showing once again that women are unstoppable, undefeatable, and capable of so much.

Mitchel's praise perfectly sums up how I, as the Senior Health Editor here at Marie Claire UK, feel about the watershed moments we've witnessed this summer.

Witnessing history

Because it's not just the Red Roses who have seen pivotal success. Arsenal Women's team defeated favourites Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final in May, winning Women's Club of the Year in the process, and The Lionesses made history with their second consecutive Euros in July, capturing hearts across the nation.

We've seen several standout athletes getting the recognition they deserve at awards shows and in media coverage, too. Gymnast Simone Biles won Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Awards, footballer Aitana Bonmatí won her third consecutive Ballon d'Or, and 800m sprinter Keely Hodgkinson made headlines when she won bronze at the World Athletics Championships earlier this month.

England's female athletes, and female athletes across the world, are being cemented as top of their game, shutting down the trolls one win at a time.

Wins across the board

It's not just about the sharp rise in interest in women's rugby, or the fans turning out in the tens of thousands to support their favourite team. It's not about the young girls in the crowds shaping their hopes, dreams and aspirations around the role models they see storming to success on the pitch. And it's not even about men and women finally being given equal sporting opportunities after decades, if not centuries, of underrepresentation, airtime, and resources.

Rather, it's the sum of all of these things. It's certain historically niche or underfollowed sports, like women's rugby, becoming a universally appealing attraction. It's the number of athletes from disciplines who turned up to support the Red Roses team on Saturday. And it's the hope for the future that all of this brings.

The win marks a watershed moment for women's sport in general and cements the summer of 2025 as one for the history books.

And the stats cement women's sport as an undeniable mainstay, too. Figures confirm that this year saw increased global viewership, commercial spend, and record-breaking performances, and projections only indicate continued growth.

Take recent statistics from the Women's Sport Trust, as an example, which found that consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors women’s sport than men’s (9.96mil for women's, vs 8.38mil for men's, up 2% since 2023). Not just that, but 30% of consumers think more positively of brands that support women’s sport through sponsorship, compared with 20% for men’s sport.

The perception of rugby has changed - for good

Everyone will have their own personal highlights from this year. I'll never forget the moment 19-year-old Lioness Michelle Agyemang scored a 96th-minute equaliser against Italy in the Euros, ultimately giving us the all-important opportunity to make it to that final.

For thousands of others across the nation, seeing Ellie Kildunne, Meg Jones, and co storm to victory on Saturday was just as pivotal.

Speaking exclusively to Marie Claire UK in March when she featured as our cover star, world-renowned rugby player Ilona Maher reflected on how rugby players needed to show more personality to drive repeat interest in the sport. And that they've done - the team have cemented themselves as social media favourites, bringing joy, personality and light to every match and Instagram post.

The perception of rugby has been altered for good and come on leaps and bounds since England first won the World Cup in 1994. It's heartwarming to see - almost as heartwarming as the sea of pink cowgirl hats in the stalls on Saturday.

But there's more to be done. Not all women's rugby teams have the same funding that the England team does, which means you could argue the playing field isn't currently equal. Canada, the team ranked number two in the world, even had to appeal for crowdfunding this year - something you wouldn't even have to consider for a team playing in the men's final. “What we want is for all nations to be professional, for the games to be close, for there to be jeopardy,” shares former England prop Rocky Clarke. “It’s great England smashing everybody, but I want games that people talk about for weeks after.”

The Red Roses are officially having their "Lionesses moment," as they so rightly deserve. But perhaps the question isn't of how we celebrate this momentum right now, but how we keep it going. Of how we maintain viewership figures, interest, and investment.

But for now - let's keep celebrating the change, and supporting women breaking records. As England’s flying winger Abby Dow reiterated after the final: “This is women’s rugby and it's here to stay.”

This Girl Can's latest campaign, We Like The Way You Move, launches today.

The first TV ad from the organisation in five years, it celebrates real women who choose to move on their own terms - from a 60-year-old walking footballer to a headscarf-wearing mum of three.

While the ad itself is many things - inspiring, uplifting, motivating, and ground-breaking - data from the National Lottery-funded initiative isn't so positive. Their statistics shine a light on the reality of finding time to move as a woman in the UK, not to mention the many barriers to entry that continue to hold us back.

Statistics show that only 40% of people pictured in online sport and activity images are women. That's under half. And, out of the more than 8,500 women shown, only 57 were Black and 64 South Asian, while disabled, older and pregnant women were almost entirely absent.

Speaking exclusively to MC UK, Viveen Taylor, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Sport England, paints a fuller picture. "Our new AI-powered study shows that women are being erased from the picture of sport and physical activity - and it sends a powerful message."

"If you never see women like you represented in physical activity spaces, it’s harder to believe you belong there. And when women feel excluded – because of race, culture, disability, pregnancy, age, motherhood or financial barriers – they’re less likely to move at all. That means too many women are missing out on the physical, mental and social benefits of being active and health inequalities across the country deepen."

You know how the age-old saying goes - if you can't see it, you can't be it, and representation is pivotal to encourage all women to reap the many benefits exercise can bring.

Other data shared exclusively with MC UK also reveals that the lack of representation is having a worrying impact, with only 14% of the women surveyed spending at least the recommended amount of 150 minutes per week on getting active weekly.

Women’s wellbeing continues to be underfunded, unsupported, and underchampioned, furthering the inequality health gap in the UK.

That's where the This Girl Can campaign comes in - "to change the picture, to show that every woman belongs in movement, and to celebrate the women finding ways to move that work for them – no matter what that looks like," Taylor goes on.

While normalising imperfection, celebrating women's bodies, and the number of women embracing daily movement has no doubt improved since 2015 when This Girl Can first launched - "ten years ago, the conversation around women and sport was almost entirely about aesthetics and having a certain body type" - representation and visibility of underrepresented groups is still critically low. "Until every woman can see herself reflected – and feel she belongs – we haven’t finished the job," Taylor goes on.

Wondering why this all matters? Simply, because having the time to exercise, eat well, and sleep for the NHS-advised eight hours a night is pivotal for our general wellbeing. All have been scientifically proven to boost the quality of life, but also help us to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Below, we share two inspiring stories from the campaign in the hope it'll inspire you to move at home. Ami lived with an autoimmune condition for her entire life, meaning that she was largely bed-bound, while Jemma struggled with the weight of caring responsibilities, leaving little room for herself. Both found their way back through movement – from gentle steps to aqua aerobics – discovering that activity can be a form of healing rather than a test of fitness.

As This Girl Can's latest advertisement launches - we chat to two everyday women who found their zest for life again through movement

Ami

"I suffer daily with my autoimmune disease, but exercise has been a vital part of my health journey. Along with the right medication and a positive mindset, it helped me get out of my wheelchair and regain my independence."

"At my lowest point, I was really underweight with no muscle. I started by simply lifting myself out of my wheelchair and walking to the fireplace at home. Step by step, I began to rebuild my strength, muscle, and confidence."

"Now, I make movement part of my everyday life. I go to the gym for Pilates, yoga, or weight training, and I walk around six to seven miles a day – sometimes with my dog, sometimes on my own."

"Physically, exercise has helped me go from wheelchair-bound and bed-bound to active, strong and physically capable. However, I do still struggle with flare-ups - as I write this, I have been unable to go to the gym for two weeks as my feet are arthritic and inflamed. My flare-ups are a barrier to me being consistent with exercise, but I appreciate what exercise does for me, so I always make sure I get back to it, even if it feels hard at first."

"I have had over 30 surgeries and have metal and wires in my back. Exercise is so important to me - to keep me active, keep my muscles strong, and also keep me mentally stable. After spending twelve years in a wheelchair, I'm so eager to be outdoors whenever I can. I love walking, being in nature, and climbing mountains."

"I used to feel so intimidated by sport and never enjoyed it as a child - I just assumed I wasn’t the sporty type. It was only once I started walking, then hiking, and my eyes opened to the outdoors, that I discovered there's a sport for everyone."

"For anyone looking to get into movement but feeling intimidated, my advice is to start small. Go for a walk around the block, dance along to a YouTube tutorial, and open your mind up to trying new activities. Just start moving - even if you think they’re not your thing, you might be surprised."

Jemma

"I wasn't looking after my health, and during my pregnancy with my son, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. After giving birth, I found keeping up with him exhausting - that's when I knew I had to do something."

"I was inspired to start moving to make sure that I can be there for my son and daughter – not just as a mother, but to set an example to them. I knew I couldn't just tell them about being fit and healthy when I myself wasn't. I felt like the best way for them to learn was to lead by example."

"Representation of women that look like me didn’t exist – not just in terms of skin colour, but also hair type. I wanted my mum and my daughter to be able to see people who looked like us getting active."

"That said, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with exercise. Some days I push myself to go, and other days the thought of all the prep, especially around my hair, makes me want to skip it. I have ADHD and an autistic son, so finding the time and energy has been a real challenge. But once I get past those blocks and actually get in the pool, I love it."

"Once I’m moving, I feel like I can conquer the world. Exercise helps me manage my health now and gives me energy for my family and my day-to-day life."

"For those who feel like sport isn't for them, my advice is to find something you love that's completely for you. It doesn't have to be sport-related. Whether that’s dancing at home, swimming or a childhood activity you used to love doing, find a club or somewhere that does this. It could also just be taking a stroll through your local park or a walk to your local shop."

"Societally, we seem to feel that if you're not going to the gym or taking part in some form of sporting activity, then you're not keeping fit. But this isn't true. If you love doing housework, like deep cleaning, then you’re keeping fit by doing this. Do something that is unapologetically you and block out what society dictates."

What needs to change in order for more women to feel encouraged into sport in the UK?

It's a good question. While Taylor reflects that progress has undoubtedly been made in the ten years the charity has been running, there is still more work to do.

"From offering women-only sessions to staff who understand cultural needs to creating more low-impact classes to supporting with childcare on site, we’d like to see real changes made on the ground so that women have genuine choice in how they get moving. Movement should feel like a safe, joyful and inclusive space, not another arena where women feel judged or excluded," she shares.

If you still feel intimidated by sport or like workout classes or movement aren't for you, Taylor has some advice for you. "Put yourself front and centre of what you need, and start where you are," she advises. " Just ten minutes of walking, stretching in your living room, dancing in your kitchen – it all counts."

"You don’t need fancy kit or a fitness goal to begin," she goes on. "And remember, activity doesn’t belong to a particular body type, age or culture - it belongs to you, in whatever form works for your life."

Bottom line? Movement is powerful, but it should never feel like another pressure. "This campaign is about rewriting the narrative so that all women, from all walks of life can find ways of moving that bring them joy, healing and connection."

Finally, women's health issues are becoming more visible. We're seeing dialogue opening up around topics from PMDD to endometriosis, all-important research funding being granted, vital studies being progressed, and answers finally being reached.

That said, there's still a long way to go - which is why it's been so encouraging seeing world-famous celebrities with global reach open up about their own personal female health struggles in the past few years. Because while it shouldn't be the case, it's always more impactful when celebrities speak out about their experiences.

Take tennis royalty Venus Williams, as an example, who recently opened up about her struggles with uterine fibroids in our fifth Marie Claire UK Women in Sport issue. Not only did she detail the debilitating pain they caused her for decades before her eventual diagnosis in 2016, but the heavy menstrual bleeding and severe discomfort she dealt with while making history on the tennis court.

Quite how she did it defies belief - but sadly, she's far from alone. English singer and songwriter FKA Twigs and Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o have also spoken out about their struggles, with Nyong'o revealing on Instagram that she had 30 fibroids removed in 2014 - the same year she won the gong for 12 Years A Slave.

And it's not just celebrities, either. Research (such as this study, published in the journal BioMed Central) shows that between 70 and 80% of women will develop uterine fibroids by the age of 50, with cases rising. Yet relatively little is known about the causes and symptoms of these benign growths, and we'd bet a few of you had never even heard of the common female health condition before today.

Below, we've spoken to top experts to debunk exactly what uterine fibroids are, how they occur, what the most obvious symptoms are, plus what to do if you reckon you may be struggling yourself. Whatever you take from this article, do know this - you're not alone, and you will get the help you need.

For more on the female health conditions we should all know more about, don't miss our expert-led guides to the symptoms of PCOS, symptoms of endometriosis, and symptoms of PMS, here, not to mention the perimenopause and early menopause symptoms, here.

As Venus Williams. FKA Twigs and Lupita Nyongo reveal their uterine fibroids diagnoses, experts explain the symptoms

What are uterine fibroids?

Given that they're so common, it's surprising that so few of us know what uterine fibroids actually are; so, let's put that right. Also known as leiomyomas or myomas, fibroids are growths of varying sizes found on the uterus.

"Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas, are non-cancerous growths that develop in or on the uterus (womb)," shares Dr Sophie Strong, lead consultant gynaecologist from The Pelvic Pain Clinic at The Whiteley Clinic. "These clusters of muscle and tissue can vary in size from a few millimetres to very large masses that can significantly change the shape of the uterus. While they’re incredibly common, affecting up to eight in ten females by the age of menopause, many people are unaware that they have them or have even heard of them."

Although little is known about why fibroids develop, we do know that our risk increases as we head towards menopause, with black women disproportionately affected, too.

"Fibroids are very common, particularly in women of reproductive age, and often develop during the years leading up to the menopause," says Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQ Doctor. "Some women may have only one fibroid, while others may develop multiple growths. Depending on their size and location, whether within the uterine wall, on its outer surface, or projecting into the cavity, fibroids can present differently, and symptoms may vary."

What causes uterine fibroids?

While the specific causes of uterine fibroids aren't fully known or understood, there are some risk factors to be aware of.

"The exact cause of uterine fibroids is not fully understood, but their growth appears to be linked to the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone," shares Dr Wylie. "Fibroids tend to grow during the reproductive years when hormone levels are at their highest and often shrink after the menopause when hormone levels decline."

As touched on above, race and ethnicity play a part, with women of Black, African or Caribbean descent being at greater risk of developing the growths.

"Genetic factors also play a role, as fibroids can run in families," continues Dr Wylie. "Additionally, certain lifestyle and health factors, such as obesity, early onset of menstruation, and being of Black African or Caribbean descent, are associated with a higher risk of developing fibroids."

All this being said, much more research is needed into uterine fibroid risk factors.

What are the symptoms of uterine fibroids?

Interestingly, experts believe that the occurrence of fibroids may be even higher than reported, since they don't always cause any symptoms. However, those women who do experience the condition report a range of symptoms, from mild to debilitating. Let's take a look in more detail.

1. Heavy periods

By far the most common symptom of uterine fibroids is heavy periods, and by this we don't mean a few days of uncomfortable blood loss - we're talking changing pads every half an hour, frequent flooding and being unable to leave the house.

"A common symptom of fibroids is abnormal uterine bleeding," says Miss Mez Aref-Adib, consultant gynaecologist at London Gynaecology. "While symptoms depend on the location and size of the fibroids, most often submucous ones in the inner layer of the womb can cause bleeding problems such as heavy periods or bleeding in between periods. Sometimes the bleeding is associated with heavy clots and spasmodic pain, and can lead to iron deficiency and anaemia."

2. Severe cramps

Alongside heavy bleeding, you're likely also to experience severe cramping and pain. While some discomfort (an understatement if ever we heard one) is common during menstruation, fibroids can cause pain outside of your bleed, too.

"Fibroids can cause a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the pelvic area," explains Miss Aref-Adib. "Large fibroids can cause mass and pressure effects, and if they become larger, they can sometimes outgrow their own blood supply and can undergo what's known as central degeneration. In this case, they become extremely painful and can cause swelling.

"Additionally, depending on the position of the fibroid, they may also cause dyspareunia (pain during sex)."

3. Constipation and urinary issues

At this point, this is reading like a list of menstrual symptoms, but bear with us - there's a lot of overlap.

"Fibroids can press on the surrounding organs such as the bladder and bowel, leading to both urinary frequency and constipation," notes Miss Aref-Adib. "Occasionally, pressure on the bladder neck can lead to urinary retention, where women are unable to empty their bladders. Large fibroids can cause pressure on pelvic blood vessels, which can lead to swelling of legs, deep vein thrombosis and back pressure on the kidneys, too."

4. Fertility issues

It's important to note here that most uterine fibroids won't cause fertility issues, so if you've been diagnosed with them, try not to spiral.

"Symptoms often depend on the size, location, and number of fibroids," advises Eve Lepage, fertility nurse and reproductive health specialist at Clue. "For example, the fibroids that grow in the wall of the uterus (intramural fibroids) are more likely to cause infertility than those that grow outside of the uterus (subserosal fibroids)."

Dr Strong agrees, telling MC UK: "Some people experience fertility issues, particularly if the shape of the cavity of the womb, where a pregnancy would grow, is affected, but symptoms can vary widely from person to person. If you suffer from heavy periods which affect the quality of your life, constant pelvic pressure, frequent urination or difficulties in trying to conceive, it is important that you see your GP to discuss whether you could have fibroids."

Can uterine fibroids be treated?

There is some good news here. If fibroids are not causing unwanted symptoms, treatment usually isn’t necessary, but depending on the size, symptoms, and location, there are several treatment options available.

1. Hormonal treatment options

"Medical treatment options depend greatly on what symptoms you have," advises Lepage. "For example, paracetamol and ibuprofen are often used to manage pain. If you suffer from heavy bleeding, your doctor may prescribe you medication that helps reduce or stop the bleeding. These include:

• Oral contraception: the combined hormonal birth control pill
• Oral progestogen: a synthetic progesterone that helps reduce heavy periods
• Tranexamic acid: a medication that helps your blood clot, which reduces the amount of bleeding
• Hormonal intrauterine device (IUD): a small T- shaped device placed at the top of your cervix.

2. Non-surgical procedures

"When fibroids are still causing unwanted symptoms and medication has not helped, removing or destroying them through non-surgical and surgical routes may be an option," says Lepage.

These include:

• Uterine artery embolisation: a procedure where the blood vessels that supply blood flow to the fibroid are blocked.
• Endometrial ablation: a minor procedure that removes the lining of the womb to remove small fibroids, which can help with heavy bleeding.
• MRI-guided ablation: an MRI scan that uses laser or ultrasound energy to destroy the fibroid.
• Ultrasound-guided ablation: a newer technique that uses a sonogram and heat to destroy the fibroid.

3. Surgery

Surgery will usually be a last resort if other treatment options haven't been successful. Surgical procedure options include:

• Myomectomy: a surgery that removes certain types of fibroids from the uterus.
• Hysteroscopic resection of fibroids: a surgery that uses a small camera and instrument to remove the fibroid.
• Hysterectomy: a surgery that removes the uterus (only after other options have been unsuccessful).

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It’s already shaping up to be a truly sensational summer of sport. From the history-making Lionesses’ Euros win, to Rugby powerhouse and global icon Ilona Maher smashing previous women's rugby match attendance records out of the park, there's one thing powering it all. And it's the fans.

From the highest-attended Women’s Euros ever in Switzerland to football shirts taking over TikTok feeds, female fans are showing up louder, bolder, and more joyfully than ever before. They’re booking holidays around fixtures, styling their merch for everyday wear, and building communities that feel inclusive, supportive, and fun.

New data from Visa reveals a 27% increase in international spending during the opening week of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025, with boosts in travel, entertainment, and retail across host cities. But beyond the numbers is something harder to quantify: a cultural shift. Female fans aren’t just cheering from the sidelines; they’re reshaping the experience of sport altogether.

That impact isn’t always met without resistance. Despite historic wins, players like Jess Carter continue to face racial abuse, and some men continue to have an issue with the Lionesses' achievements. But time and time again, one thing shows up stronger: the fans.

And it’s not just football. From the surge in women’s rugby audiences post-Ilona Maher effect to the rise of the Formula 1 fangirl, female fandom is having a moment, and we’re so here for it. But nowhere is the change more powerful - or more visible - than in football.

Inside the new culture of women’s football fans

This summer’s record-breaking Women’s Euros wasn’t just a win for the Lionesses - it was a win for the fans who’ve turned up in force to support them. From packed-out stadiums in Switzerland to football shirts styled with belly chains on TikTok, the rise of the female football fan is no longer a niche; it’s a movement.

And it’s not exactly new. Women have always shown up for the game. “We’ve always paved our own way,” says Lauren Bryant, social producer at This Fan Girl. “We’re more open, more creative. We express our fandom through art, fashion, music, beauty, and it’s these cultural crossovers that provide entry points for new, emerging fans who might have never considered football a space for them.”

From fan art to watch party supper clubs, the culture of football fandom is shifting. “Looking out into a sea of fans at a women’s game is recognisably different,” Bryant continues. “There’s no longer this uniformed, pack mentality: it’s all about individualism, and shaping for yourself what it means to show up and support.”

That kind of support has taken fans far, literally. Morganna Komolafe, a Wales supporter from She's a Baller, travelled to Switzerland for England vs Wales. “As soon as Wales qualified, I knew I had to go,” she says. “Without the Euros, I doubt I’d have set foot in Switzerland anytime soon... but we made a whole trip out of it. The match was just the pinnacle.”

Back home, pubs and watch parties have seen record turnouts too. “We hosted events all over the UK,” says Amy Clement, co-founder of Her Game Too. “And it was incredible to see people, especially women, coming together to cheer on their teams in spaces that felt genuinely welcoming.”

For many fans, this new energy has come with an emotional impact. “I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up when I saw a little girl in a pink tutu wearing a Russo shirt,” Amy adds. “You just wouldn’t see that at a men’s match. That moment stayed with me.”

It’s this mix of joy, community and creativity that’s come to define the new wave of women’s football fandom - and it’s only just getting started.

The Power of Showing Up

This year, for women’s sport fans, showing up means more than just buying a ticket. They’re planning trips around matches, snapping up merch, and flooding stadiums, pubs, and social feeds with love for their teams, with some fans reshaping entire plans to show up and support them.

New Visa data reveals that during just the first week of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025, international spending in Switzerland jumped by 27% compared to the year before. Cities like Zurich and Basel saw double-digit increases in tourist arrivals, with spikes in spending on restaurants, retail and entertainment. Women’s football isn’t just a passion; it’s becoming an economic force. And fans are the ones powering it.

That ripple effect isn’t just being felt abroad. Back in the UK, fans are dressing to show their support. According to eBay, searches for players like Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp and Lucy Bronze all saw major spikes in July. And following the Lionesses’ Euros victory, interest soared even further - with searches for “Lionesses” jumping by 1250% in the days after the final, and “England football shirt” becoming the most searched phrase in eBay’s collectibles category on the day they won the title. Whether it’s Euros pride, backing iconic players, or just joining the movement, the action isn’t just happening on the pitch - it’s in our group chats, on our feeds, and in our wardrobes.

“I had to get the Lionesses shirt as a reminder of such a fantastic tournament,” says Caz May, CEO of Her Game Too. “I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next opportunity to watch them.”

Caz was among the thousands of fans who made the trip to Switzerland. “The atmosphere was fantastic. Fan zones, marching bands, fan walks and a packed-out stadium,” she says. “In the pubs back home, especially for the final, the energy was just as electric. Every single table was booked, and when Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty, people were up singing Sweet Caroline. It was a stark reminder of how far women’s football has come.”

Former Lioness and commentator Kaz Carney agrees: “It’s not just on the pitch where we’re seeing a remarkable turnout. The energy fans are bringing to every match has been unbelievable. This tournament is raising the bar like never before. It’s also having an impact beyond football, with data from Visa showing that more fans are travelling and spending in support of their team, compared to previous tournaments, which is proof that the popularity of the women’s game continues to grow with incredible nail-biting games like last night’s fuelling fans’ participation and passion.”

It’s that mix of celebration, commitment and community that’s fuelling a new era of sport - one led from the stands.

The Community Fans Built

For many women, getting into football hasn’t just been about loving the game; it’s been about finding their people. “I’ve connected with so many other female football fans, particularly through the Her Game Too network,” says Caz May. “It’s great to share the love with others and celebrate together, whether it’s online or in real life. It was also great to meet so many people out in Switzerland, who all share the same passion for the women’s game.”

That sense of belonging is at the heart of what makes this fandom feel different. Amy Clement, also from Her Game Too, adds: “It's a huge part of my life. A lot of my girlfriends aren't actually very into sport, so when I was approached about the idea behind 'Her Game Too', I jumped at the opportunity. We have created a huge community of female football fans who connect daily on WhatsApp and social media, but also meet up at games and get together for events. It feels so good to be a part of something so special.”

For Lauren Bryant, of This Fan Girl, building that community has always been the mission. “We’re not just trying to build a community for them. We want to build it with them. Co-creating a space that’s by us, for us, and led by the voices and ideas of women who actually shape the culture.”

From tattoo booths to tooth gems, supper clubs to starter sessions for first-time players, those spaces are about joy, expression and connection. “We know that these experiences, whether IRL or URL, are more than just vibey moments or viral posts. They’re entry points and places where fans (old and new) find their people.”

That kind of community doesn’t just feel good, it has the power to reshape what sport fandom looks like. “Football shirts are being reworked, upcycled, accessorised with badges and belly chains, and even replaced by football-inspired lifestyle pieces,” Bryant says. “There’s no longer this uniformed, pack mentality: it’s all about individualism, and shaping for yourself what it means to show up and support as a fan.”

And while the energy and connections are fun, it has a real impact on young girls too. “Girls will always want to play if they can see it,” Amy says. “The more girls that play at grassroots level will open up the talent pool for academies and pathways to the professional game… But investment into facilities, coaching, even football boots and kit will all support the growth of the game.”

Mya, a coach at Arsenal in the Community, agrees. “There are so many amazing role models in women’s football, it’s a beautiful part of the game,” she says. “I had female coaches and players to look up to when I was growing up. Now, I get to be that for the young women I coach. That visibility matters.”

So, next time you worry you may not fit in or be welcome at a women's football event, remember: the female fandom is strong and ready to welcome you.

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Wherever Venus Williams goes, several accolades follow. From turning professional at the ripe age of 14, to winning five Wimbledon singles titles, recently becoming the second oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level, and lest we forget, earning degrees in fashion, business, and design—throughout her career, the powerhouse continues to redefine what it means to be a female athlete.

For this year's Women In Sport issue, Marie Claire UK welcomed Williams to front its cover. Photographing her in familiar Wimbledon grounds, the athlete, author, and entrepreneur spoke to Afua Hirsch about her advocacy efforts, journey with being diagnosed with uterine fibroids, her wellbeing book, Strive, and her foray into fashion.

Indeed, over the past couple of weeks, Williams admitted to keeping up with both Men's Fashion Week and Wimbledon simultaneously. "Design and wellness – this is kind of where I belong,” she tells Hirsch. "I love fashion, I really do. Watching Pharrell [Williams’ designs for Louis Vuitton]. It’s fun, it’s fascinating, it’s inspiring. I love it.”

On the cover, Williams' ever-evolving love for fashion is evident. She's showcasing some of next season's most covetable pieces, with pieces from Lacoste, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, and Thom Browne and fine jewellery and watches from Vanguart and Bulgari, selected by stylist Anna Hughes-Chamberlain.

Below, you'll find a carefully curated edit of William's cover-ready pieces and similar styles, perfect for those looking to recreate her looks or gather inspiration for the upcoming autumn/winter season.

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The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off tonight, and Red Roses centre Tatyana Heard is raring to go.

One of England’s most recognised and celebrated female rugby players, Heard was born in Pisa before spending her early years in the USA. She relocated to North Yorkshire with her family when she was five years old and, not long after, she discovered rugby. She’d long loved watching her brother play, but sparked her own personal passion for the sport when asked to compete in a tag tournament at school.

Known for her athleticism, strength, and calm professionalism, she’s had an impressive career, with three Premiership Women’s Rugby titles in a row with her team, Gloucester-Hartpury, under her belt. That said, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. Dropped from the England Women’s team in 2018 after enduring three different ACL injuries before the age of 24, she ended up working in Asda to make ends meet.

Still, she soldiered on, focusing on her rehab, training, and mental endurance, with one clear goal: to play rugby fall-time and get the call-up for her national squad once more.

Being a woman in sport, to the athlete, still remains nuanced. Statistically, female athletes are funded less and given less airtime than their male counterparts. There aren’t as many professional opportunities, and wages remain significantly lower. That said, the dial is slowly moving to even the playing field and make sporting opportunities equal for all.

Below, Heard shares a little more of her story, aka her life in sport and what it means to be a woman in sport in 2025. Keep scrolling to read what inspired her to pursue rugby full-time, how she uses fashion for self-expression, and her hopes for the upcoming World Cup, to boot.

You're one of England's most recognised and celebrated female rugby players. What does it mean to you to be a woman in sport?

Being a woman in sport brings so much confidence that you don't necessarily have growing up. That's what rugby’s brought me - it allowed me to be myself, be individual, and be independent. There are so many different characters in women's rugby and in women's sports, and it’s really empowering to be able to be a part of that.

Did you love rugby from a young age? Or was there one light bulb moment where you were like, I could actually make a career out of this?

I had one light-bulb moment when I was 17. I had just got into the England Under-20s team, and I realised that maybe I could be good at the sport. Up until that point, I’d always worked hard, but I mainly did it because I enjoyed it so much.

My first cap in 2018 was a whirlwind, but again, it was another moment that made me feel I could pursue rugby professionally and full-time. It wasn't until 2019 that they introduced permanent full-time contracts, and that was the moment that I thought, I really want this and really want it to be my life.

Impostor syndrome is quite a big thing for a lot of athletes, especially female athletes. Have you ever felt it in your career, and how have you overcome it?

Opportunities came thick and fast at the beginning of my career. I was a consistent starting player in the England squad. But fast forward four years, and I'd had to work so hard to get back into the squad following some pretty serious injuries.

Any imposter syndrome I might have felt went away because I knew how much work I’d had to put in to get back to that point. I did deserve it. I’d visualise the moment that I’d put on that England shirt again and based my decisions on getting back there, even when it felt far away.

Having to work so hard to get there meant the mindset shift came naturally.

You had a real run of issues with your ACL. How did you cope with potentially career-ending injuries, and did you ever think during that process that you might not be able to do what you loved for a living again?

I ruptured my ACL when I was seventeen, had it reconstructed and always had a little bit of difficulty with it. It’d taken around eighteen months to bounce back from that, but then my knee kept locking. They told me it was a meniscus injury, but during the scan, they actually discovered that I didn’t have any ACL left, which meant I had to have a second reconstruction.

The most difficult thing for me was accepting that sometimes, you do just have a bad run of things.

Obviously, the injuries were really tough, but I learned so much in that process. I wouldn't be half as resilient as I am now if I hadn't had so many injuries.

Statistically, female athletes are funded less, supported less, and given less airtime than their male counterparts. How has this affected your career, and what other adversities have you faced?

Women’s rugby is still very new to professionalism, whereas in the men's game, you get an academy contract when you're eighteen or nineteen and become a full-time professional player. Men have the support from a young age - it’s a big factor.

During COVID, I didn't have a full-time contract. I was working as a coach as a means of doing my rehab and getting my body back to full strength post-injury, but when no rugby was allowed to happen, I couldn’t coach anymore.

I ended up working in Asda to pay the bills. It was undoubtedly the biggest moment of adversity for me in a professional sense, but I had to make sure I was earning enough money to live.

What's one moment that stands out to you as a real highlight, and what did you learn from it?

My biggest career highlight was seeing 58,000 fans at Twickenham for the first time, when we played against France in the final of the Six Nations. I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, all these people are here for us.”

What did it feel like winning three Premiership women's rugby titles in a row with your team?

It's crazy, really. No one's ever done that in the women's Premiership, so three in a row really is an incredible achievement.

This year was a bit of a whirlwind because they compressed the season to end before the Six Nations for the first time, so it all happened very quickly. Each win was special in its own way, and I appreciate them all for each individual moment.

Viewing and attendance numbers for women’s sport are up across the board. How do we maintain this interest and continue to grow it for generations to come?

The most important thing is to show people that you have a personality. You see it with Ilona Maher - so many people have jumped on the bandwagon and started watching Sevens purely because she was posting on TikTok a lot throughout the Olympics.

Social media isn't everything, but it is big in allowing people to see who you really are. I think the most important thing is that we do show our personalities because that's what makes people want to buy in and want to invest and just follow your journey.

Do you ever feel like people put you in a box as a female athlete?

Definitely. Women should feel empowered, and I think that when you're in a space like beauty and fashion, you often do, yet in sport, on the pitch, everyone's in the same kit.

Being able to be individual is really important - it's very easy to put people into a box and say, for example, that female rugby players might be masculine. We need to be allowed to show off who we are - that’s what will continue to change how people see women's rugby. We can be fashionable, feminine and multi-faceted.

Do you think your childhood and being part of a big family shaped your determination and strong will today?

Definitely. My Mum always told me I'm really stubborn, but you kind of have to be as the youngest! Being part of a big family has definitely shaped me, and my brother actually inspired me to start playing rugby to begin with. It led me in the right direction, without doubt.

Tell me a little bit about your style and how you use it for self-expression.

I don't really wear makeup on a game day, but a big one for me is my hair. I put a lot of effort into my hair the day before the match, and also put a lot of thought into what outfits I wear around camp. I love Aligne clothes, and like being able to express myself with my clothes.

Many beauty brands have sponsored or collaborated with major women's sports teams in the past few years. What does your day-to-day beauty regimen look like?

I’m a fan of CeraVe skincare products, Merit makeup up and love Beauty Pie. Clinique products are great, too - they sponsored the PWR (Premiership Women’s Rugby).

My favourite products at the moment are the L'Oreal Lumi Glow, the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter glow booster, and the Rare Beauty blush. For lips, I’m loving the Raye lip liner and Fenty gloss.

Tell us a little bit about your life outside of the pitch. What are your main hobbies, and how do you love spending your time?

I've got into crochet quite recently - I like to make things that are useful, and it allows me to express my interest in fashion. I’ve started to make clothes, scrunchies and so on - I even made a whole outfit for when I went on holiday. I like reading to switch off, too. I’m currently reading The Salt Path and loving it.

How do you feel you and the team are inspiring the next generation of players? The women's game has evolved massively in the last few years alone, and you've changed the face of the sport.

There are so many young fans coming to our games now, and seeing both young girls and women starting to play rugby and pick up a ball when you wouldn't expect them to is really cool.

It's really exciting. I hope we can continue to showcase what we do and inspire even more people.

What are your ambitions for the World Cup, and do you think England has a good chance of winning?

When it comes to the World Cup, everyone's got a chance. No matter what the rankings are, everybody shows up for that tournament, so you've got to take every day as it comes.

That said, we definitely want to go and win it. As with every tournament, we have full intentions of lifting the trophy, and that’s what we'll go for.

So, you’re on the hunt for new sports gear. A tennis racket, a set of dumbbells—or perhaps even a surfboard. Summer is, after all, the perfect time to get a little outside and get moving. But before stepping foot into your nearest sportswear store, you might want to check in with your favourite fashion house instead.

Luxury labels have well and truly sprinted, skipped—and yes, surfed—into the sports equipment game. And no, I'm not just talking about logo-stamped sports bras or a pair of monogrammed yoga leggings. I'm talking about fully-fledged surfboards from Fendi, leather-wrapped weights by Celine, and an entire Louis Vuitton golf collection. Welcome to the era of cardio couture.

This trend has been gaining momentum for a while. “Fashion brands truly understand the power and value of sports, especially luxury brands,” says Daniel-Yaw Miller, sports and fashion journalist and writer of the SportsVerse newsletter. From Lorenzo Musetti's woven leather jacket at Wimbledon to Lewis Hamilton's recent capsule collection for Dior, sport has been tapping into a far more specific sector than the catch-all "luxury lover."

In an increasingly crowded market, targeting niche groups such as golf fans, tennis obsessives, and padel enthusiasts allows brands to cut through the noise. And interest is hardly slowing down. According to PureGym’s UK Fitness Report, two million more people started exercising in 2024 than the year prior, and one in four have upped their spending on health-related purchases.

“All of our favourite brands have really met our generation where we're at, living in our wellness era,” says Lauren Kelly, personal shopper at Threads. “They are recognising that high fashion customers want to curate every aspect of their lives, which absolutely includes fitness—whether it's a Pilates class or personal training session.” Where interest grows, brands inevitably follow.

Still, as Miller points out, these aren’t items meant to rival pro-grade gear. “I don't think anyone would be taken seriously pulling up to a tennis match with a Prada tennis racket, for example,” he laughs. These pieces, he explains, are rarely about mass sales. In fact, some aren’t even available to buy. “They’re very useful marketing items which can signal how a brand is thinking about its relation and proximity to the world of sport,” he adds.

One standout example? “The Celine Pilates collection caught everyone's attention this year when it dropped. Our DMs exploded with requests for the mat, which is now super tricky to locate—it was an instant sell-out!” says Kelly. Now, her clients are crossing their fingers for similar releases from The Row or Khaite. Because, as she puts it, “people love incorporating pieces from their favourite fashion designers throughout their spaces, whether that be the gym, the living room or even the kitchen. Your home is an extension of your style, after all”.

And right now, there’s no shortage of covetable kit. Prada ping-pong paddles, Pucci padel balls, and a Fendi skateboard are all currently up for grabs. There’s even a Gucci racket created in collaboration with Head—the trusted brand of Wimbledon pros—hinting that maybe we’re edging into a more practical luxury fashion sports era altogether. After all, fashion trends are never simply limited to accessories only.

If the Spring/Summer 2025 catwalks are anything to go by, athleisure wear is well and truly in. With design houses like Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, and Labrum among the many brands that have incorporated sportswear into their collections.

Not quite got enough saved to invest in a designer padel racket? Collaborations between sportswear brands and household highstreet brands have been making a resurgence, too, offering a high-street alternative to the luxe, higher price point kit. Taking adidas, as an example - while historically they've collaborated with the likes of Gucci and Balenciaga, more recently, they've released a sports-inspired collection with ASOS, staging a runway show in central London.

Similarly, Swiss brand ON is taking cues from fashion houses and enlisting celebrities beyond the sports industry to serve as global brand ambassadors. Collaborating with Zendaya and FKA Twigs while working on their luxury partnership with Loewe worked to position the brand on the quarterly Lyst Index report for the first time due to a 50% increase in searches for the brand during Q1 of 2025.

All of this to say - athleisurewear is here to stay, and luxury and high-street brands alike want in. One Global Athleisure Report from Allied Market Research found that the athleisurewear sector is expected to reach $257.1 billion by 2026, up from $155.2 billion in 2018, and growing at a staggering 42% over the past seven years.

So, whether you're looking for a practical yet functional sports accessory or simply on the lookout for versatile, fashion-forward kit, rest assured that sports and fashion will continue to deliver as the unlikely duo that continually proves that teamwork indeed makes the dream work.

Shop luxury fashion sports gear

As a lifetime F1 fan girl, it truly feels like the last twelve months have been transformative for motorsport. You probably won't need me to tell you that for over seven decades, there's been an obvious lack of gender equality in Formula One. Yes, there were women lining the pit lanes, eagerly watching engineers in the garages, or celebrities sipping champagne on a yacht around the iconic Monaco circuit. But it felt there was a real emptiness, almost as if women were intended to be there as some sort of "decoration". Seeing a female in a race team? Almost unheard of. As for driving a car? Well, if I were to tell you more women have orbited the earth in a spaceship than have officially driven in a Formula 1 cockpit, you probably wouldn’t believe me - yet sadly it’s the truth.

Fast forward to 2025, and we've entered a new era of Formula 1, where women are finally getting the opportunities they deserve. When you switch on coverage of a race, you get to see the work of Laura Mueller, who this year became the first female Race Engineer in Formula 1 history, working with Esteban Ocon at Haas.

Or presenters like the hugely talented former driver Naomi Schiff, giving her perspective on a qualifying session. In fact, as of December 2024, the FIA, which is the governing body of F1, has seen a sharp increase in female employees, with women making up 32% of its workforce, and nearly half of them in senior positions. Of course, I'd like this number to be higher, but every day we are taking tiny steps towards complete equality in the sport.

Meet the fangirls shaping Formula 1

There's no denying that the popularity of motorsport has exploded across social media, with more than 40 million interactions over a Grand Prix weekend.

Personally, I believe Box to Box Films, Netflix and Drive to Survive are partly to thank - they produced the wildly popular fly-on-the-wall documentary about the inner workings of the teams. And by having this kind of accessibility, we now have a new generation of girls and women recapping races on TikTok or dressing up in outfits inspired by team colours.

And with forty per cent of fans now identifying as an F1 fan girl, teams and brands are striving to be representative of this.

Breaking new boundaries

Back in February, Aston Martin Aramco joined forces with beauty giant ELEMIS as the luxury car brand's first official skincare partner. The two British companies had the same belief of wanting to "disrupt the space" in Formula One.

At the helm of this partnership is brand ambassador Jessica Hawkins. If you don't know Hawkins' name, get to know it. She's a badass - not only a highly-skilled racing driver competing in a number of different motorsport series, but a stunt driver, too. Need more convincing? She was the one behind the wheel of the Land Rover that ascended down an Icelandic glacier in the James Bond film, No Time To Die.

"I'm so proud to work with a group who care so passionately about empowering communities – both within the world of beauty, and now within the world of motorsport," she shares exclusively with MC UK. "It seemed like a natural evolution in our partnership as a team."

Hawkins understands why breaking down barriers in motorsport is so important. Last year, ahead of International Women's Day, she became the first female to drive a modern F1 car in Saudi Arabia - a country that didn't even allow women to get behind the steering wheel until 2018.

"It was one of the highlights of my career," she smiles. "I spoke to a fan at the side of the circuit and she begged me to come back again, because they'd never seen a female on the track before. It was extremely emotional. I just remember crying."

World firsts

ELEMIS aren't the only beauty brand to enter the motorsport space. Last year, Charlotte Tilbury teamed up with the F1 Academy in a monumental partnership. For background, the F1 Academy was set up in 2022 as a women-only championship, helping to develop young drivers and get them to high levels of competition.

In 2023, Susie Wolff was appointed managing director. She's a female powerhouse with extensive experience both on and off track - someone who's kicked down doors in a male-dominated industry, and the first woman in over 22 years to take part in a race weekend (driving in a practice session at the 2014 British Grand Prix).

Sure, an all-woman series isn’t a new concept. It was tried before in the form of the W Series, which sadly came to an abrupt end after dealing with financial issues due to a lack of sponsorship—something the F1 Academy has clearly not had a problem with. When I initially saw this partnership, I remember imagining a new audience of make-up enthusiasts falling in love with motorsport. It marks two companies, both run by women, who prioritise female confidence, encouraging women to dare to dream, and pushing to make the impossible possible—like, dare I say it, giving women the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car.

“I faced so much scepticism when starting the F1 Academy, especially from male colleagues,” Wolff previously told me when I sat down to discuss the situation with her. “Even my husband [Toto Wolff, Team Principal of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team] said to me, ‘You’re never going to get signatures from the teams in F1 to agree to this. But after three months and countless all-nighters, we achieved it.'”

Because of Wolff and her team’s dedication, all ten Formula 1 teams, such as Ferrari and Red Bull, have supported a driver in the championship for the past two seasons—something that was never done before. It was British driver Abbi Pulling who became champion in 2024 and went on to secure a fully-funded seat in GB3 with Rodin Motorsport for 2025, with the races from across the season broadcast in over 160 territories, reaching a global audience.

Changing the sport as we know it

The success has been so monumental, other brands have wanted to show their support and help drive a change. Back in June, haircare powerhouse Wella Professional joined forces with the series as an official partner in a multi-year deal, with Joanne Ciconte behind the steering wheel of their MP car. Marlene Lotter, the Global Brand Senior Vice President at Wella Company, said it's part of their commitment to empower hair professionals and beauty lovers around the world to express their best selves.

"We are driven by our mission to enable limitless transformations and encourage self-expression. We share the spirit of empowerment with F1 Academy and look forward to partnering to unlock the potential in their rising talent, on and off the track," she shares.

To me, this inclusion of make-up and fashion brands into F1 is exciting, diverse, and adds a new type of luxury to the track—something we, as female fans, can immerse ourselves in.

"The purpose of the F1 academy was to do something ground-breaking and make an impactful change in the perceptions of women in motorsport”, says Wolff. “We wanted to bring in a new audience than those previously involved, and that’s why it's a 100% match."

This, I think, proves a defiant response to some of the criticism that’s been given by doubters online about similar partnerships. In previous years, there was backlash after Women’s Super League team Arsenal announced a deal with make-up brand Il Makiage, some people not understanding the need to have stereotypically "girly" brands within sport. But why not?

England Lioness Ella Toone once told me she hated not being able to wear her false eyelashes on the pitch, sharing that they made her feel more confident and wearing them never stopped her from scoring goals for her country. In fact, she's contributed two goals across this summer's Euros, helping England to secure their title as European Champions for the second consecutive tournament.

Why is there a narrative that to be professional in an office, you have to wear a certain amount of make-up, yet to be a sports star or fan, you can’t wear any at all? Why can’t women enjoy taking part in sports while also loving make-up? I’m no expert in psychology, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to suggest that if you feel good about yourself, you’re going to perform better on pitch, on track or even in the office.

To this day, thanks have to be given to the pioneers who helped make this happen. Women like Monisha Kaltenborn, who became the first woman to ever take charge of an F1 team in 2010, and Claire Williams, who stepped in for her father, Frank, at Williams Racing in 2013. Seeing these incredible women forge a path for themselves helped reignite my passion for the sport and led me down the (albeit long and winding) path to becoming a Formula 1 correspondent and sports broadcaster, with a specialism in women’s sport.

So what's the measure of success? Is it seeing more partnerships that are representative of the female audience? Is female viewership going up?

“The barriers to entry for women in motorsport have been significant. Issues such as limited opportunities for young female drivers to progress through the ranks, lack of representation at higher levels of competition and ingrained stereotypes about gender roles in racing have all contributed to the absence of women in the sport,” reveals Charlotte Tilbury.

But with times changing and positive steps in the right direction, I hold out hope. Interestingly, 80% of F1 fans believe a woman will be racing in F1 within the next ten years, and so for now, we can continue to dream.

I can count on one hand the number of sports groups I’ve taken part in in my lifetime. Most of them were part of our mandatory school P.E lessons, and you can bet that I tried all the usual tricks to get out of them.

For years, I’ve avoided group physical activities, especially the kind that involved coordination, competitiveness, and any kind of balls. It just wasn’t for me - I felt out of place and unwelcome.

Tennis, in particular, always daunted me. The sport has a reputation as a white, middle-class sport, with posh clubhouses, eye-wateringly expensive memberships and an unspoken rule that you ought to have started playing at the age of four. As someone who definitely did not have a coach pre-primary, the image deterred me from considering tennis as an option.

But last year, my cousin spontaneously signed us up for a game of tennis. I was so nervous that I doubted if I’d even make it to the court. My mind was racing - there would be other, more adept players there, and I’d have to coordinate my swings enough to actually hit the ball.

But I’d made a deal: I’d give it one try. If I hated it, I could leave.

Much to my amazement, as a woman who never felt sport was for them, I fell in love with the game, the glory of a win, and the sense of community at my local tennis club, too.

That initial match was over a year ago - today, tennis has become a part of who I am. If I’m not playing tennis, I'm watching tennis, speaking about tennis, or deep in a rabbit hole of backhand drill videos. My brain is constantly thinking of serves, contact points, rallying, and of course, tennis outfits (for my fellow modest dressers, my favourites are the lululemon Groove Nulul flares, adidas x sporty & rich polo t-shirt, and the Antler tennis cover). I’d fallen deep for a sport I didn’t think was for someone like me, a Black woman.

I’m not the only one who’s jumped on the trend. Call it the Emma Raducanu effect, but everyone seems to be playing tennis right now, with the courts at my local club undoubtedly busier. Since Radacau’s epic 2021 US Open win, tennis has seen a huge resurgence, especially among women. Case in point: according to the Lawn Tennis Association, 5.6 million adults in the UK played tennis in 2023, with 42% of those being women - the highest ever percentage of female players recorded in a year.

My social feeds are filled with clips and photos from tennis sessions in the sun, and tenniscore, sporty prep style has dominated in the last year. “We’ve seen a noticeable shift as tennis is becoming more popular and accessible, especially among younger people from diverse backgrounds,” shares Sofia Kurtsenovskaia, founder of Solene Tennis Retreat. “It’s no longer limited to a specific demographic. There’s a growing sense of curiosity and openness.”

Still, while Emma Raducanu may have sparked interest, what’s sustaining it is something else entirely. Community and accessibility are driving this change, according to the experts I spoke to, and with a clear shift towards inclusion seen across the UK. Social tennis clubs are leading the charge, Rushan Tonge-Bobia, co-founder of She Can Serve, tells me. Alongside Angela Zamara and Memuna Koroma, they’ve created a safe, welcoming space for women to play tennis.

“We’ve seen a real change,” she shares. “It’s not just people who’ve played before - women of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are trying tennis for the first time. They want something fun, supportive, and meaningful. More Black and Brown women are turning up and feeling seen.”

Rushan Tonge-Bobia goes on to stress that community is everything with encouraging women to try - and stick at - sport. “We’re not here to build the next Wimbledon champion,” she shares. “We’re here to build confidence, connection and joy. For a lot of women, sport has always felt unwelcoming. A strong sense of community, where you’re celebrated just for showing up, changes that.”

And I’ve seen as much myself. My local club includes everyone from 17-year-old students to 60-year-old women who don’t speak English but never miss a session. We swap snacks, stretch together, and cheer each other on like we’re playing the most important set of our lives. There is music, laughter and friendship forming over dodgy serves and glorious rallies. Tennis, more specifically the club, is a tool for connecting us all. Turns out, group exercises aren’t so bad.

I know I’m not the only one whose life has been changed thanks to the community I’ve found in sport. A friend at my club told me she never thought she could belong at a tennis club - until now. Sebastian Zepeda, co-founder of Bisque Tennis Club, has noticed the same patterns. “More people are seeking face-to-face connection,” he says. “We’ve seen a rise in individuals coming on their own, embracing a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset. And it’s not just lifelong players anymore, either - we’re seeing total beginners, often later in life, and from all walks of life.”

Zepeda believes that real change means going beyond simply opening the gates. “You have to dismantle the culture,” he reflects. “We need diverse coaching teams, flexible pricing, better outreach, and to get rid of the invisible rules about how you’re ‘supposed’ to behave or dress.” Not just that, but he encourages those in positions of power to “lead with joy, curiosity and connection. “That means fun sessions, relaxed formats, and trainers who are big on empathy, not ego,” he continues. “No drills designed to intimidate. No dress codes. Just space to move and feel good in your body, however you show up.”

Needless to say, it’s working. “We’ve had women who were terrified of stepping onto court become regulars who now play four times a week,” he smiles. “Not because they’re winning matches, but because they’ve made friends, laughed, and felt safe in a space that didn’t demand they prove anything.”

Still, the barriers are very much real, as Tonge-Bobia lays out: “Cost, location, not owning a racket, and not knowing the rules - not to mention worrying you’ll stand out or won’t be good enough - are all barriers to entry. For women of colour, it’s also about navigating predominantly white spaces. That adds a whole layer of emotional weight. We don’t ignore those barriers—we name them, and soften them.”

So, has the Emma Raducanu effect had a lasting impact? “Yes—and no,” says Zepeda. “Raducanu inspired a lot of people, especially women who saw a version of themselves in her. But one star can’t shift an entire system. Visibility opens the door. It’s grassroots clubs that make sure people feel welcome when they walk through it.”

Tonge-Bobia puts it even more plainly: “Role models matter. But so does access.” Social tennis clubs like She Can Serve and Bisque are changing the landscape - and for the better.

The biggest win for me has been the boost to my confidence. I’m someone who’s never considered herself sporty. Now, not only do I feel sporty for the first time in my life, but I’m actually engaging in movements I enjoy. “Movement is transformative,” says Zepeda. “It reduces anxiety, unlocks joy, and builds self-trust. For women who were taught that sport wasn’t for them, every session is an act of reclamation. Confidence doesn’t come from perfect technique. It comes from feeling strong, supported and seen.”

I never thought I’d be writing a love letter to a sport. But here we are. My tennis club didn’t just teach me how to serve; it taught me that movement could be mine, too. That I can take up space on the court. And that I can get a pretty decent rally going, too.

There’s a tennis revolution happening - and it’s not about rankings or records. It’s about joy. It’s about women turning up, taking up space, and finding community. And that predicted life expectancy gain of 9.7 years? Only a bonus.

Growing up in Nottingham, Amber Keegan was swimming from a young age. She always loved the water - it was her safe space and a place of solitude and calm. Her talent for the sport was clear, too, and she’d competed at the World Junior Championships and placed at the European Junior Championships at the age of just sixteen.

But it wasn’t all gold medals and trophies. For many years, she battled debilitating mental health struggles that threatened to end her career and sabotage her dreams of making the Team GB Olympic squad.

“I started struggling with an eating disorder around 2016,” she shares exclusively with MC UK. “I was eating less and exercising more, trying to control the parts of my brain that were spiralling.”

By her own admission, it was a warped survival mechanism - but she felt there was no escaping the harmful perceptions and stereotypes around sportswomen on TV. “Women were supposed to look petite, not strong, supposed to be slender, not broad-shouldered, and supposed to eat less than our male counterparts, not more. I didn’t realise how much all of these messages were ingrained in me and adversely affecting my health,” she admits.

Only after she’d made a full recovery did she realise how much her mental health had been impacting her performance. “I was tired more, in pain more, less resilient and less able to take feedback,” she reflects.

Keegan went on to swim at two World Championships, win international open water races, and swim the English Channel in 8 hours and 44 minutes - none of which she feels would have been possible without the level of care she was given during her recovery. “I was lucky to have a support team who focused on me as a person and not an athlete - there was no being dropped from my club or anything like that, rather, they focused on me as a person and as a human,” she reflects. “Because of that, it gave me the space and time to make a full recovery.”

Nine years on, her life looks a little different. Driven by her own experiences and a desire to reshape the conversation around mental health for female athletes, she launched Athlete Interactions, a charity aimed at ensuring her peers never feel as alone as she once did. Since 2021, the non-profit has fostered a safe, open community where girls and women can share their experiences and access the support needed, being awarded a P&G Athletes for Good grant in 2024.

Wondering why organisations like Athlete Interactions are needed? Sadly, there’s a wealth of research that indicates that female athletes experience higher rates of mental health challenges than their male counterparts. Studies published in Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil., SportsAid, and others highlight an insider secret within the sporting world - that female athletes suffer with mental health issues more than men, experiencing higher rates of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and body image issues.

Women are 30% more likely to be subjected to online abuse than their male counterparts, and 39% say body image is one of the main causes of their anxiety, compared to just 12% of sportsmen.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, sports inequities, violence, abuse, family planning challenges and hormonal fluctuations all play a part, too, with female athletes also reporting feeling an immense amount of pressure to succeed, alongside higher rates of scrutiny from coaches, peers, and the public.

A large challenge which female athletes have to navigate is childbirth, including the difficulty of returning to sport post-childbirth and the loss of identity that can sometimes follow.

Below, we chat to three female athletes about their own mental health journeys, plus a top expert in her field about what more needs to be done to give women the support they deserve. TLDR: If women were better supported, could they perform at a higher standard? And further, could it finally level the playing field?

Laviai Nielsen, Team GB Olympic Bronze medal 400m sprinter and former MC UK cover star

“I’ve been a professional athlete for over a decade now, and I’ve definitely seen a real shift in how female athletes are perceived. Coming off the back of Paris 2024, where we had more women representing Team GB than men, it feels like we’re finally being recognised for our strength, resilience, and presence, not just in competition, but in conversation.”

“It felt as though people were interested in sportswomen’s stories and journeys, and I felt so proud to be a part of this era. In saying that, as far as we’ve come, I do also feel like there’s a long way to go. Women in sport are still significantly underpaid compared to men. A 2023 report from Forbes revealed that only two women are ranked in the top 50 highest-paid athletes globally. We’re still fighting for visibility, equal opportunities, and financial equity, and while progress is happening, I think we’re still at the beginning of this journey.”

“We always say that the highs in sport are so high, they’re almost euphoric. They make all the hard training and tough days worth it. But at the same time, the lows are incredibly low. When you decide to become a sportsperson, you pour everything into this life; your time, your energy, your identity. So when things don’t go to plan, or you fall short of a goal, it can rock you to your core.”

“You begin to question everything, including your identity and what brings you happiness. Add to that the pressures of being a woman in sport - whether it’s conversations around family planning, dealing with health issues, hormonal fluctuations, or body image scrutiny - they can all lead to poor mental health.”

“After major events like the Olympics, I’ve seen so many athletes, myself included, question their identity, their motivation, and even their future. Without strong support systems in place, that post-Olympic crash can spiral. And the tough truth is that mental health and performance are intertwined. If you're not okay mentally, your physical performance suffers, which only fuels those negative thoughts. It can end up being a dangerous cycle that needs breaking before it breaks us.”

“I’ve experienced trolling or negativity on my social posts, especially around major competitions. Recently, someone commented that I was “too nice” and that I “brought unnecessary attention to myself” for congratulating a teammate who wasn’t even in my event. It’s this weird narrative where women in sport are either “too nice to be competitive” or “too competitive to be likeable.” Meanwhile, male sportsmanship is celebrated. Women online are often pitted against each other, subtly or explicitly. There’s an unspoken pressure to show up as feminine, pretty and unthreatening, while also being elite competitors. It’s a narrow, exhausting space to inhabit. A 2022 study by Women in Sport found that one in three female athletes had experienced abuse or trolling online, much of it rooted in gender bias. I love to show up online, but there’s definitely a big part of myself I hold back for fear of how I’ll be received.”

“I’m incredibly fortunate - in my sport, mental health is treated as a core part of performance. Sports psychology isn’t an afterthought; it’s embedded into how we train, how we prepare, and how we show up on race day. Psychologists are regularly available at camps and competitions, and we’re actively encouraged to work with them. One phrase that’s always stuck with me is: “human first, athlete second.” And that’s something we truly live by. If I’ve had a poor race or a tough session, I’m not immediately picked apart as an athlete; rather, I’m checked in on as a person. That emotional grounding makes all the difference. I think it’s really healthy to learn how to separate your self-worth from your performance. Sport is what we do, not who we are. And the better we are at recognising that, the longer and stronger we’ll last in this game.”

Emma Pooley, Team GB Olympic silver medal cyclist and author of Oat to Joy

“When I was racing as a professional cyclist, I found the widespread obsession with weight very difficult. It's pervasive in the sport, at amateur and elite levels, where there was a lot of pressure to be skinny from team directors, selectors, and coaches. It was basically an accepted truth that skinnier is faster, and while weight is an important factor in performance, it's not as simple as "less weight is always better". Especially for sustainable health and performance.”

“It affected me to the extent that I developed an eating disorder, bulimia, and became generally very restrictive around my diet. It was a difficult time, trying to follow the "norm" while knowing deep down that it was harmful. In the end, what helped me was my love of food - I realised that the healthy, real food I ate - not sports products and refined junk - the faster I could ride. I also realised that the joyless attitude to diet in cycling is deeply unhealthy, and that the more I enjoyed my food, the happier and faster I was.”

“No support was given to me at the time. I was praised for losing weight, but if my performance suffered, usually due to under-fuelling or anxiety around performance, there was only criticism. I was never skinny enough that anyone realised I had a problem - I kept the secret well. But I think it's deeply hypocritical to encourage athletes to behave unhealthily, and not support them when they struggle due to that.”

“Personally, it’s too late to undo some of the long-term damage my body suffered from REDS (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), but there have been huge improvements in cycling. Most teams now have a better understanding of sports nutrition, women's health, and the warning signs of REDS. I know a lot of coaches and team directors are far better educated and more compassionate than some of the characters from when I was racing. But I do still worry about the smaller teams - it's still the case that many cyclists have to try to perform in a very unhealthy environment.”

“As a whole, cycling sets a bad example to viewers and fans, because a lot of elite riders are so thin. That's why so many leisure cyclists are also obsessed with losing weight - and as a goal, that's misleading, as well as sad. The best thing about cycling is taking joy in being active.”

Amber Keegan, Team GB Olympic swimmer and founder of Athlete Interactions

“It’s hard - and busy - being an athlete and a person. Trying to train and manage your personal relationships, often at the same time as being a student or employee, is a lot.”

“Women’s sports are typically less well funded, which means women often work more jobs around a full-time training schedule and have less rest and recovery time, negatively impacting mental health. We’re also often in male-dominated environments, whether that’s training groups, coaching and support staff, which can often mean our specific needs aren’t understood.”

“While the gender pay gap is luckily small in my sport, there are other stressors that women have to face which men don’t. From childhood, expectations are placed on women’s bodies in a way that they aren’t for men. And as you progress to the elite level, women often suffer more abuse than men for just doing their jobs and performing to their best, which takes a mental health toll, too.”

“That said, the dial is definitely changing. Role models like Simone Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin have gained respect for being open and honest about their mental health. While they are widely celebrated for that, I don’t think they would have been five to ten years ago, which marks a clear positive change.”

“But more still needs to be done. Most clubs can’t offer the same level of support to individuals. Grassroots sport often struggles for funding. For those organisations that do have the funds to offer mental health support, athletes are (often rightly) concerned about the impact of what they say, whether it will impact team or funding decisions, and whether their honesty will have career ramifications.”

“We know that the sooner you get help, the faster a full recovery is possible. It’s more economically beneficial to get people the support they need. Sadly, the system is so backlogged that ASAP can look like months to years. This is a real issue, and one that’s relevant to all people.”

What needs to change to ensure female athletes get the support they need?

It’s a good question, and one that the expert I spoke to had a pretty resounding answer to.

Sarah Bellew is the Head of Communications at the Women In Sport charity, the longest-standing charity in its field with a proud history of securing change for women and girls. In her opinion, raising awareness of the issue is a good start. “Many high-profile sportswomen have spoken out about the immense pressure they face to perform in front of an often-critical crowd,” she shares. “Former Lioness goalkeeper and MC UK cover star Mary Earps has become an outspoken advocate for mental health, speaking candidly about how her struggles almost led her to quit her dream.”

While conversations are taking place and we’ve seen sports, like football, cricket, and gymnastics review their player conditions, coaching practices and wider culture to ensure the mental and physical health of women and girls is protected, there’s still so much more to do. “Statistics show that one in three female athletes feel they don’t get enough coaching support compared to men, and three in four say they’ve experienced sexism in their sport,” she continues. “The dial is shifting, but until women and girls are seen as equal to men and boys in society, they will not be seen as equal in sport, and the barriers stacked against them will continue to weigh them down.”

She’s all for pioneering innovations, such as using AI to monitor and block harmful social media comments. “World Athletics, which found female athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics were being targeted with sexual and sexist abuse, is now offering year-round protection to 25 athletes who have been identified as highly-targeted individuals,” Bellew shares.

That said, she reflects that while this may prevent some comments from getting through, it doesn’t go far enough in creating repercussions for the users who are actively promoting sexism. “Social media giants must work harder to block these accounts and prove that misogyny, or any other form of abuse, will not be tolerated – in sport, or anywhere,” she shares.

While social media firms must be held to account, it’s also worth thinking about how we tackle the root causes of these issues. At Women in Sport, they’re calling on the Government to introduce a standalone legislation that criminalises misogyny as, astoundingly, it’s not currently recognised as a hate crime.

Bellew’s final thoughts? “Female athletes at the top of their sport have had to develop exceptional resilience, achieving greatness despite coming up against the glass ceiling again and again. But can you imagine what they might be able to achieve if they didn’t have to worry about being criticised for the way they look, the way they play and for simply existing in a space that wasn’t made for them?,” she asks. Until sport understands the lived realities of women, not just physically but socially and psychologically, we will keep losing talent, joy and brilliance from sport, she concludes.

The Lionesses made history last night, winning their second Euros final and becoming the first ever England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil.

The magnitude of this achievement can't be ignored. The win was unprecedented, nail-bitingly tense, and almost completely unbelievable, given that they lost their first match of the tournament to France 2-1.

But the heart, spirit and soul of the team shone through over the tournament, teaching the nation the undeniable power of grit, determination, and resilience, and above all else, the importance of never, ever giving up.

Alongside Alessia Russo's equalising 57th-minute goal, Hannah Hampton's game-saving goalkeeping and penalty saves, and Chloe Kelly's hop, jump, and smash-it-in-the-back-of-the-net winning penalty, the entire squad rallied to make history.

The stats highlight what an impact the team are having, too, with the match last night drawing in a peak live audience of 16.2 million people and becoming the most watched television moment of 2025.

Yet while the current team seems unstoppable under the leadership of captain Sarina Wiegman, who's won the last three Euros finals (two for England and one for the Netherlands), the reaction to the win hasn't been all positive.

The Lionesses achieved the unimaginable - but as ever with women's sport, there's hatred among the euphoria

Scrolling my Instagram feed this morning, I'm inundated with posts celebrating our victory. Fans heap praise on Lucy Bronze for her grit (she announced in a post-match interview last night that she'd played with a fractured tibia for much of the tournament), Chloe Kelly for her seemingly unflappable poise, and Michelle Agyemang for the undeniable speed and skill that won her Young Player of the Tournament at just 19 years old.

But sadly - and what feels like as ever with women's sport - there's hatred among the euphoria.

One particular vitriolic message was aired on LBC Radio. In a now-viral clip, a caller named Graham calls in to question why women's football is being "rammed down our throats," while presenter Henry Riley appears visibly shocked.

"I can't watch women's football," Graham states. "Blokes who are football-minded are sick and tired of having women's football thrown down our throats."

"When you turn on the telly, there are always women. It's totally different to men's football - a decent Sunday men's football team would beat the women's football team," he continues.

He rounds off his argument by going on to criticise female commentators, too, sharing that he "can't listen to [their] voice[s]" and that "they shouldn't be in the men's game - end of."

He also claimed that if women's football had its own channel, "no one [would] watch it."

"They shouldn't be in the men's game - end of."

Sadly, a quick Google led to the discovery of similar comments on forums including Mumsnet, with one anonymous user posting: "Women's football....leading headline BBC news....why? Cos very few people actually care. Let's be honest. The BBC feels the need to have this as a major headline for woke reasons. The reality is few people give a sh*t....".

Instagram users were quick to share their disagreement with Graham's disparaging comments, with many pointing out that his claims are factually incorrect and one poignantly sharing: "You, my friend, have an issue with women … not women’s football."

So let's look at the facts.

He claims no one would watch women's football, yet 16.2 million tuned in to watch the Lionesses last night, smashing previous viewership records.

He claims that women's football is rammed down our throats, yet figures prove that male footballers dominate media coverage, receiving more airtime and article mentions than their female counterparts. One study by the University of Cambridge found that men are referenced almost three times more often than women in sports-related content, with another report by the Equal Media and Culture Centre revealing that men's football receives 28 times more coverage than women's football.

And he claims that a decent Sunday men's football team would beat the women's football team. Chloe Kelly's winning penalty against Spain was clocked at 110km/h - faster than the most powerful shot in the men's Premier League last season by Alexander Isak. Need I add that the women's team has won two consecutive Euros finals when the men's team never has?

Opinions rooted in misogyny and malice need to be challenged

While everyone is entitled to an opinion, belittling and factually incorrect claims like Graham's are damaging. I'm reluctant to give him any airtime, but opinions rooted in misogyny and malice need to be challenged. It begs the question: how much success does the women's team need to see to be accepted or, god forbid, celebrated? Or is it their unprecedented success and ability to achieve what the men's team has never that's driving the root cause of the hatred?

The England men's team haven't won a tournament since 1966. And yet the women's team have made it to the final of their last three major tournaments, winning two. They're reshaping the game as we know it, encouraging young girls all around the world to embrace movement and follow their dreams, and sparking joy, camaraderie, and motivation.

Opinions like Graham's and people's insistence on sharing such negativity and hatred online not only divide people but also discourage young girls from embracing sport. One poll from Kick It Out found 52% of people feel online sexism is putting girls off from engaging with football.

Trolling and online hatred sadly seem to be part and parcel of being a professional female athlete in 2025 - but it shouldn't be.

If you don't like watching, turn it off.

If you feel the need to post negatively, think about the impact of your actions.

And if you think that the men's team are "better", do your research.

The Lionesses have achieved the unimaginable. Let's give them the good grace of treating them like the heroes they are.

If you're still catching your breath after this week's nail-biting semi-final between England and Italy at the Women's Euro Cup, you're not alone. However, we're pleased to confirm that the Lionesses have officially qualified for the final, and it's time to think about our match-day look.

Fortunately, the runways have caught up, and fashion's love affair with sports has never been stronger. From luxury gym equipment to Adidas shorts gaining major points on the street style front, it's safe to say that finding ways to style a football top has never been easier.

Indeed, the Spring/Summer 2025 catwalks saw brands like Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, and Lacoste tapping into athleisure wear as the epitome of chic. Styling pastel windbreakers, rugby tops, and pencil skirts with leg warmers. While in Copenhagen, Scandi brand Baum und Pferdgarten drew inspiration from the 'beautiful game' and seamlessly paired a two-tone football top with a lace maxi skirt and trainers.

Since last summer, the style set has also been incorporating the jersey into their warm-weather wardrobes. Partly because of its breezy fabric and sweat-wicking technology, but mostly because of how versatile they are to style, especially when contrasted with something more tailored or embellished.

Dress them up with a midi skirt and sleek heels or channel the 'blokecore' aesthetic by opting for your favourite denim and a cap for a chic yet comfortable look. Still need some convincing? Below, find the five looks that persuaded me (a very athleisure-averse fashion writer) to take my favourite football top from the sidelines into street style territory.

Football tops quick links

• Nike England WEC 2025 Home Shirt Women's, £85 | JD Sports
• England Lionesses Nike Goalkeeper Stadium Shirt 2025, £84.99 | England Store
• adidas Originals Loose linear tee in night indigo, £38 | ASOS

5 Ways to Style Football Tops:

Bloomer shorts and Mary Jane shoes

This Hailey Bieber Coachella look is the ultimate styling formula that seamlessly blends the romantic feel of bloomer shorts with the sporty elements of a football top, creating a timeless look that will see you through plenty of Euro Cup, World Cup, and Champions League finals.

Midi denim skirt and kitten heels

For those seeking a more refined yet playful approach, choose a midi denim skirt with embellishments and match it with your favourite kitten heels or summer sandals. Chic.

Denim shorts and ballet flats

If bloomer shorts aren't specifically for you, stick to the classics and reach for your favourite denim shorts. Whether these are cut-off mini shorts or jorts, this look offers comfort and style, especially if you incorporate different colourways in your accessories.

Adidas shorts and sneakers

Go full sports mode by pairing Adidas shorts with a football top for a cool-girl approach. Simply add a cap and ballet sneakers.

Maxi skirt and Western boots

Can't let go of festival season's Western aesthetic? Me neither, which is why this maxi skirt and cowboy boot look is a great way to incorporate those festival season basics into the rest of your summer activities.

On Sunday, Lionesses defender Jess Carter posted a statement announcing she was stepping back from social media, citing an increase in racial abuse directed at her since the beginning of the UEFA Women's Euros this year.

“From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think that it’s okay to target someone’s appearance or race,” Carter wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram and X social media profiles.

Shortly after the pro footballer released her statement, the FA announced that there would be a police investigation, indicating the seriousness of the threats received by the player.

While it's incredibly disheartening to see this scale of abuse - especially given England’s success in making it to the semi-finals - the attacking of Black and Brown athletes is an unfortunately familiar pattern that we're seeing time and time again.

Women's football is often painted as non-toxic - but is it?

It'd be easy to focus on the irreputable misogyny female footballers face, but disingenuous to pretend that the women’s game does not have a racial problem. Women’s football is often painted as the non-toxic, positive alternative to the men’s game - it's framed as both family-friendly and inclusive.

Only last week, Sky News ran an article praising the "tribalism without toxicity" of female football fans. And while this may be true in many cases, there are also countless cases of Black and Brown players and fans experiencing racism.

While growth of the women's game has been widely praised as long overdue, as the sport has grown, so have the eyes on female footballers - and not all of them are looking on with kindness and excitement.

As the sport has grown, so have the eyes on female footballers - and not all of them are looking on with kindness and excitement

Black women are often the target of such hatred, and it feels as if the hatred is growing with each major women’s tournament. Pro footballers Jess Carter, Lauren James, Bunny Shaw, Daniela Caracas, and Taylor Hinds have all been vocal about the abuse they receive - abuse and harassment directed at them at games and online simply for doing their job.

Being in the public eye as a woman of colour is hard enough. But it seems that being a woman of colour who plays for a national team means that all of the team's mistakes are taken out on you. You are held responsible, and you are the one at fault.

Case in point: Kick it Out, an organisation founded in 1997 that works to challenge discrimination and encourage inclusive practices, saw the highest number of reports of racism to an anti-discrimination and inclusion charity in a single season from 2023 to 2024 (1332 in total). Their most recent study found that player-specific abuse had soared by 43 per cent year on year (up from 277 to 395), with reports sitting at over double the amount they received during the 2021/22 season.

Sadly, this is all clearly impacting the number of young girls taking up the sport, too. Research in May by Women in Sport found that 48% of Black girls fall out of love with sport in their teens because of issues such as racism, misogyny and inflexible sporting structures.

Statements of solidarity without meaningful guardrails and a lack of consequence for trolls means the problem will only persist

The lack of diversity in women’s football teams has been a hot topic in recent years, with the England Women’s squad criticised for not having enough Black or Brown players. However, we shouldn't even be beginning to discuss increasing diversity if the players currently employed by the club aren't properly protected from both racial and misogynistic abuse.

Statements of solidarity without meaningful guardrails and a lack of consequence for trolls means that the problem will only persist. And meaningless gestures - like taking the knee or posting black squares on social media - may demonstrate solidarity, but clearly haven't worked. More needs to be done.

As a Black queer woman, I love watching women's football and the community you feel around women's sports. But I always worry for women of colour representing England on the national stage, as in my gut, I know it's only a matter of time until they'll be subject to racism.

I don't know what it'll take for women's football to address the ongoing issues. But Anita Assante, a former football player and now coach to England’s Under-23 squad, posted a statement on social media which summed up my feelings well. "I always get asked how we can solve racism, but as Black and Brown people, we don’t have access to the lever of power. We therefore don’t have the ability to dismantle the structures that uphold racism."

"Racism existed before social media, and it will exist afterwards," she shared. "Until action is taken seriously, it’s left to players and people in football to protect themselves.”

Her thoughts are echoed by many. An intersectional approach to increasing diversity means recognising that merely having more women in a place doesn't mean equality has truly been reached - and the whiteness of many queer spaces and women’s football spheres means that the experiences of Black and Brown women are often overlooked and ignored.

The euphoria that football is supposed to spark in fans - Black, Brown and White - is ruined if you're spending your game day worrying about the players or your own safety. Football is meant to be inclusive. It's meant to unite people. And it's meant to bring joy.

Which young black girl would like to represent her country on the world stage when the price of playing is receiving abuse with no sanction or consequences?

Change must begin now, while the country and the world watch.

The wait is finally over, with the UEFA 2025 Women's Euros off to a flying start. As you read this, sixteen teams are going head to head in the group stages in Switzerland with the hopes of taking home the cup.

Managed by Sarina Wiegman CBE, the England Women's team has had something of a shake-up since they last played in a major tournament, with shock retirements from former Vice Captain Mary Earps and attacking midfielder Fran Kirby, as well as a withdrawal from selection from former Captain Millie Bright.

That said, the squad of 23 has some seasoned players alongside newer talent.

Speaking to Sky News, Wiegman said: "This group is a very well-balanced mix of players with multiple tournaments on their CVs and also those that will make their tournament debuts. I am excited to see what we are capable of this summer."

"At the same time, I do feel for those who have just missed out. I can only name 23, but there are more players who have been so important to us on our journey to Switzerland. We would not be here without them."

Keen to learn more about this year's team and which Lionesses to watch out for on the pitch? Keep scrolling, as we've shared the squad that started for their match against France below. And bookmark your calendars for 8 pm this evening, for their next match.

Meet the Lionesses, aka the England Women's Football team playing at this year's UEFA 2025 Women's Euros

Goalkeepers:

1. Hannah Hampton

Bib number: 1.

Age: 24 years old.

About: One of the goalkeepers who was selected for the 2022 Euros squad, Hannah plays for Chelsea and has replaced Mary Earps in goal for England this tournament. Born in Birmingham, she's played for Stoke City, Birmingham City, and Aston Villa.

Defenders:

2. Lucy Bronze

Bib number: 2.

Age: 33 years old.

About: Even if you're not a football fan, you'll likely know who Lucy Bronze is. Born in Northumberland, she's played for a whole handful of clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City, and Lyon, and is easily one of the most celebrated and household names of the current Lionesses line-up.

She's represented her home country for a mind-boggling total of 133 games and was a pivotal part of England's 2022 Euros win, scoring an all-important goal against Sweden in the semi-final.

3. Alex Greenwood

Bib number: 5.

Age: 31 years old.

About: Greenwood has come a long way since 2015, when she made history as the youngest member of England's squad at the World Cup. She hit 100 caps for England at their first game of the Euros 2025 tournament against France last week and was a crucial part of England's Euros 2022 win. She's played for Everton, Manchester United, and Lyon in the past, and is currently the captain of Manchester City, where she's often praised for her composed leadership, equanimity on the ball, and versatility.

Jess Carter

Bib number: 16.

Age: 27 years old.

About: Carter was another of the Lionesses team who won the Euros back in 2022, and was on the starting line-up for five of England's six 2023 World Cup matches, too. A reliable and trustworthy defender, she's played for Birmingham City, Chelsea and Gotham FC, where she's won domestic titles including the Women's Super League, FA Cups and League Cups.

Leah Williamson

Bib number: 6.

Age: 28 years old.

About: Leah Williamson is something of a legend in the women's football sphere - and for good reason. She's an enormously skilled player and was awarded an OBE in 2022 as a result. The Lionesses' team captain, she's spent the majority of her career at Arsenal, winning the Women's Super League and UEFA Women's Champions League with the club.

Midfielders:

Keira Walsh

Bib number: 4.

Age: 28 years old.

About: Walsh represented her country from the age of 12, setting records in 2018 as the youngest ever England Women's Captain at the age of just 21. She's played for Manchester City, Barcelona and Chelsea, winning multiple awards - including the FA Cup three times and the Continental League Cup an impressive four times - in the process. A skilled and seasoned player, she's won multiple awards personally, too, including player of the match in the Euro 2022 final and FIFA FIFPRO's Women's World 11 for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024.

Georgia Stanway

Bib number: 8.

Age: 26 years old.

About: You'll likely remember Stanway from that Euro 2022 quarter-final goal, where she scored against Spain to help the Lionesses reach the final. A versatile footballer who has played for Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, she's known for playing in both midfielder and forward positions. Another fun - and unexpected - fact about Stanway? She's a tattoo artist in her spare time, too, and is even thought to have given some of her teammates tattoos.

Attackers:

Beth Mead

Bib number: 9.

Age: 30 years old.

About: Mead truly comes into her own upfront, and was the first women's footballer ever to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year back in 2022. That same year, she won the Golden Boot - one of the highest footballing accolades and the award given to the leading goal scorer in a football competition or season - and Player of the Tournament during the Euros. Need more convincing? Mead scored 77 goals in 78 games for Sunderland when she played for them, since moving to Arsenal and setting a whole host of club records.

Lauren James

Bib number: 7.

Age: 23 years old.

About: Born in Lambeth, Lauren was first called up for the England squad in 2020. She's played for Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, and she ended her first season in 2018 as Manchester United's top scorer. Another fun fact for you? Lauren's older brother Reece plays regularly fo the England men's squad. A talented family.

Lauren Hemp

Bib number: 11.

Age: 24 years old.

About: A winger and striker, Hemp has an impressive career history despite only being 24. Starting her career at Bristol City and moving on to Manchester City, she made her debut for England in 2019. She won the England Young Player of the Year award in 2017 and helped the Lionesses to win the Arnold Clark Cup in 2022, which led to her being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for her services to association football.

Alessia Russo:

Bib number: 23.

Age: 26 years old.

About: Another Arsenal player, Russo has previously played for Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United and made her England debut in 2020. Known for her unexpected and impressive goals during the Euros 2022 competition - the most standout being her iconic back-heel finish - Russo is a skilled forward and striker. She was awarded Goal of the Tournament and the Bronze Boot as a result.

Shop our favourite World Cup kit now:

Today, Triple Olympic and World Champion Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman in the history of the world to break the four-minute mile.

In a widely marketed event sponsored by sportswear industry leader Nike, Kipyegon will attempt a time that has long been considered humanly impossible for women. Similar to Roger Bannister’s history-making sub-four-minute mile achievement back in 1954, she dreams of proving that, as Nike puts, “everything is possible” and further, to “set the stage for future generations to dream big.”

Taking place today at the Stade Charléty in Paris - a location specifically chosen for optimal performance - whether Kipyegon achieves the feat or not, she hopes to break boundaries, push the limits of human capacity, and inspire others. “I’m a three-time Olympic champion. I’ve achieved World Championship titles. I thought, What else? Why not dream outside the box?” she shared in press release. ”I told myself, ‘If you believe in yourself, and your team believes in you, you can do it.’”

Faith Kipyegon is attempting to break the four-minute-mile today - a world-first for women. So, will she do it?

If any woman can do it, Kipyegon likely can. She’s the athlete who’s come closest to the benchmark and has a wealth of world records under her belt, holding unbeaten personal bests over the mile and 1,500-metre distances. And thanks to Nike’s backing, she’s been supported throughout her training journey and on the day itself, with a top team of experts working to optimise not only her training, nutrition, recovery and mental resilience, but also the conditions on the course itself on the day.

So, question: is it an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime world record attempt, encouraging women to push boundaries and achieve the impossible? Or is it really too little, too late, a show of support for female athletes?

For context, Eliud Kipchoge made history and broke the world record for the fastest marathon ever back in 2019, breaking the sub-2-hour marathon for the first time in a similarly Nike-backed event. And while it’s undoubtedly hugely inspiring to see a similar scale world-record attempt for a female athlete being sponsored, it is worth noting that this comes six whole years after they launched a similar (albeit different distance) attempt with a male athlete.

It’s a nuanced topic and one that’s divided the opinions of the experts I spoke to. Historically, female athletes are sponsored less, given less airtime and studied less. There’s a huge gender and sporting research gap, with one 2024 study finding that nearly one in five studies in sport psychology included exclusively male participants, compared to just 7% with females. It’s a tale as old as time, with a further landmark 2021 analysis of six journals in sports medicine and science noticing a similar pattern - 31% of studies observed only male athletes, while just 6% focused exclusively on females. Interestingly, they also observed “more frequent direction to, and labelling of, female as compared to male-only samples,” implying male gender as the norm.

Anthony Fletcher, an exercise physiologist, biomechanics coach and co-founder of OneTrack, a community for people who run, points out that there are likely a range of variables which mean the female attempt hasn’t happened until now. “There’s a huge gap in sports science research. Two main hurdles to overcome? Women are more expensive, plus take more time to study, in comparison to males. While this is slowly changing with innovations in hormone testing and technological trackers, it’s still a challenge.”

“We also have to consider that between Kipchoge’s Breaking 2 attempt and now, there were three years of the global pandemic, which caused a lot of uncertainty,” he goes on. “There’s definitely a positive spin, though - it rebukes the narrative that women have been told forever that they aren’t strong enough, not capable, can’t, or shouldn’t. This is a public demonstration of try, should, maybe, can, and an argument can be made for better late than never.”

Championing real women and inspiring real change

Sabrina Pace-Humpreys, a running coach and ultra runner, feels that women in sport are often the second thought. “Do I want to see a woman such as Kipyegon attempting a challenge such as this? Yes. But do I genuinely believe that it will change the view of the sporting world when it comes to investment in women’s sports science? No. And therein lies the issue,” she reflects.

She herself worked in the brand space before pursuing her career as a run coach and endurance runner and believes that it may be a tokenistic move from the brand. “This feels like a ‘must do’ campaign rather than a ‘want to do’ - we did it for Eliud [Kipchoge], therefore we’ve got to do it for a woman.”

Pace-Humpreys would like to see real women championed, supported, and encouraged to move their bodies in a way that boosts both physical and mental wellbeing - but isn’t sure if out-of-reach athletes like Kipyegon are really inspiring day-to-day women, who are busy juggling childcare, work, and social commitments. “I like seeing women pushing boundaries and showing what can be possible with hard work and determination,” she explains. “But I also believe that many sports brands get their marketing wrong because, no matter how hard I try, I will never be a Faith. I want to see normal women or amateur athletes who are juggling a million things to break their own barriers. Kipyegon is an elite athlete who has the support and is given the means. But I’m personally more inspired by Sally - the woman down the road who juggles kids, career and an annoying partner - and still gets out to train come rain or shine. I want to see her.”

Laura Naylor, a runner and co-founder of One Track, agrees - although she does add that more views and interest in female achievements like these ultimately means more sponsorship money and, in turn, greater investment in female anatomy-specific research. But she, similarly to Pace-Humpreys, questions how this attempt is relevant for women at home, and especially those who aren’t interested in running. “It’s hard for the majority of women of a certain age to find time to prioritise exercise. Sometimes getting through the day is a win. So how can these women relate to such an attempt, unless it becomes not just an issue of sport, but of equality?,” she asks. “Where is the rallying cry to garner support from all women and our allies? This is history being made, whether the record gets broken or not. But how can we dream big when we have no support?”

Naylor goes on: “I keep coming back to Nike’s statement of ‘setting the stage for future generations to dream big’ and feel it's missing the mark. I asked my closest friends – women in their late thirties who have children and care about their health and fitness – whether they’d heard about the attempt, and the answer was no. Now they know, did they care? Also no.”

She questions whether it really inspires women to embrace exercise or dream big, and shares that when she posed the question to their OneTrack group chat, most hadn’t heard about the attempt. That said, they all unanimously agreed that it was something to care about and be inspired by once they had heard about it. “The difference in response may come down to the runners being able to relate to the distance; they can compare the speed to their own efforts, and they have an interest in the sport.” But for those on the periphery of running – strong women who care deeply about female empowerment – it seems they don’t relate or understand the significance.

Pushing the boundaries of human potential and proving that anything is possible

That said, for every expert I spoke to who had reservations about the attempt, there were just as many who staunchly believe this is a pivotal and history-making moment for women worldwide. Run coach and founder of all-female running collective Train Passa, Lillie Bleasdale, sees the attempt as overwhelmingly positive, calling it a “benchmark moment.” “It's undoubtedly a step in the right direction,” she shares with MC UK. “It's hugely inspiring, motivating and exciting to be pushing the boundaries of human potential and proving that anything is possible.”

And even if Kipyegon doesn’t hit her target? Well, to Bleasdale, it’s still a moment that will go down in history and inspire women for generations to come. “Since the Paris Olympics - which was the first Olympic Games ever to achieve gender parity - we've seen incredible athletes in track, field and road, with Femke Bol and Keely Hodgkinson pushing the boundaries further than ever before. Even if Kipyegon doesn't do it, the attempt encourages people at home to train hard and follow their dreams in the pursuit of something bigger.”

Lily Canter, author of Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport, agrees with Bleasdale, seeing the move as a welcome focus on female athletes. “I believe passionately that women in sport have been ignored, held back, and discriminated against for far too long. We welcome this focus on pushing female athletes beyond the impossible, which shouldn’t just exist in the realm of men.”

She echoes Naylor’s views - that history-making events like these are essential in reaching gender parity and, further, for showing future generations what can be achieved. “It’s only through these types of high-profile events that we’ll be able to break barriers in women’s sport. Yes, sports generally need to be more accessible and inclusive, and it’s never just about speed and records, but we should be setting aspirations for women that are just as high as aspirations for men,” she reflects.

Underfunding holding female athletes back

And she’s not wrong there. While it may have taken Nike six years to run an event for a female athlete that’s comparable to Kipchoge’s 2019 sub-2 record, they’re still the only brand, to my knowledge, pouring marketing budget into history-making events like these. They’re setting the standard, rewriting history, and changing the face of sport as we know it, a fact that’s vital to acknowledge as part of the wider debate.

It’s also worth considering that it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation with regard to underfunding holding women back. Yes, female athletes should have been supported earlier - but sadly, society, scientists and sponsors haven't done that, and so there will be an unavoidable lag as interest, research, and ability progress.

As Bleasdale highlights, male athletes have historically been funded more, televised more, and generally backed more, iso it’s undeniably taken some time for the playing field to level out - hence the six years between the Nike record-breaking attempts. “There’s a larger springboard for women's sport now than there was back then,” she shares. “This is the first time where we've seen a female athlete of this calibre, with the ability to break such a barrier in the sport - which is partially going to be down to historical underfunding of women's sport and lack of research available to push female athlete's training and fuel their results. That said, we’re now seeing the results of higher investment, more research, and increased respect from higher exposure of female athletes in the media - which is only a good thing.”

Supporting women venturing into the unknown

Whatever the outcome today, Kipyegon’s bravery, spirit, determination and resilience - whether a brand play or not - will have an impact for years to come. That might be inspiring runners today, or encouraging researchers to delve deeper into the science of the female anatomy in future. Whatever the case, both seem overwhelmingly positive to me.

Canter’s bottom line is a wise one. At the end of the day, it’s only ever going to be a good thing to profile such an incredible female athlete and support her in venturing into the unknown. “We just need to be aware of the intention behind the record-breaking attempt - which, ultimately, I believe is about boosting a brand’s credibility and selling products. Let’s celebrate women - without buying into mass consumerism.”

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains themes of abuse and physical assault

A man has been jailed for 19 years for murdering his partner after a football match. The victim, Amanda McAlear, was killed at her home on 7 May 2022 by her partner of four years, John Higgins. She was found the following day by her son when he visited her home.

The full details remain unknown, but Higgins admitted to repeatedly punching Amanda McAlear before strangling her and then leaving her unresponsive in her own home, where she should have been safe. Though football-related violence is shockingly common—domestic abuse cases go up 38% when the England men’s team loses at a major tournament—arrest rates rarely correlate with incidents.

Nicola Miller, Chief Executive of The Dash Charity, says domestic abuse is a “unique trend in men’s football.” She explains that the spike in domestic abuse incidents is specifically linked to men’s football. “We don’t see the same pattern during the Six Nations Rugby or the Women’s Football World Cup - this suggests a unique cultural issue related to men’s football,” says Miller.

“I always dreaded the football season,” remembers Emma, a domestic abuse survivor. She says it was another excuse for her ex to get off his face - something he told her that lads “just do”. “For him, it was fun; for me it was fear,” she says; “fear of what mood he would be in when he came home, walking on eggshells, not knowing what abuse was coming next.” Emma isn’t alone, studies show that football is a risk factor for domestic violence. Research by Lancaster University revealed domestic abuse increased by 38% when England lost a match and 26% when they won or drew. Domestic abuse cases continued to rise in the 24 hours after a game regardless of the outcome.

It correlates with call records shared with us by The Dash Charity. In 2021, when England was playing in the Euros, the domestic abuse support service saw a staggering 79% increase in calls and referrals compared to the previous year.

“I realised last week how calm and free I feel with a football tournament starting and no risk of heightened issues at home,” reports *Anna. She fled an abusive relationship by using one of the UK’s Safe Spaces, a scheme she fears not enough women know about.

6,000 safe spaces across the UK can be found in high street banks and pharmacies, including Nationwide, HSBC UK, TSB, NatWest Group, Metro Bank, Superdrug, and Boots. Domestic abuse charity Hestia is urging victims to make use of these spaces. “For the majority of people, football tournaments will bring fun and enjoyment. But for others, it can be a terrifying time, with statistics shining a light on the darker side of football,” explains Sue Harper, Deputy Director for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Prevention at Hestia.

“In my experience, a tournament can be a licence for a man to drink,” says *Anna. She remembers feeling a knot in her stomach when her husband drank. “I was very anxious about shielding the children from him and things he would say and do.” *Anna knows how quickly domestic abuse can escalate, something she says comes as a shock to women.

Despite high-profile campaigns, many people hold onto old myths about domestic abuse, such as ‘she must have deserved it’, explains Charlotte Woodward, a training manager at the National Centre for Domestic Violence. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Statistically, someone within your close circle will have—and may still be—experiencing domestic abuse. The belief that ‘it could never happen to me’ is what keeps us shielded from the terrible reality that women worldwide are at risk.

Chloe Laws, a journalist and ambassador for Solace’s #NoMoreInjuryTime campaign, which aims to “Blow the whistle on domestic abuse”, says, “Domestic abuse and violence against women is systemic, and often we talk about it in very abstract terms and act as if it happens without people knowing.” She hopes that the campaign will make people feel less alone and make perpetrators think twice about their actions and identify it as abuse.

“I never would have imagined I would have needed it,” says *Anna. Despite living with an abusive partner, she didn’t think she’d ever find herself sitting in a cold cafe, ill and alone and desperately looking for a Safe Space. “It was one of the worst days of my life, but ultimately, one of the best, too, because the children and I have so much freedom and happiness now.”

Now she is free; she says she can see clearly how harmful her husband was and how heightened the experience was during football season. “We just couldn’t relax in our own home during these football tournaments, and I would be relieved when it was all over. I actually used to hope England would get knocked out fast.”

Nicola Miller, Chief Executive of The Dash Charity, says domestic abuse is a “unique trend in men’s football.” She explains that the spike in domestic abuse incidents is specifically linked to men’s football. “We don’t see the same pattern during the Six Nations Rugby or the Women’s Football World Cup - this suggests a unique cultural issue related to men’s football.”

“We know football itself isn’t the problem, but it has been associated with a culture where sexist comments are easily passed off as ‘banter’”, explains Rosie Okumbe, Solace’s campaign lead. The charity has partnered with the National Centre for Domestic Violence to release an ‘alternative England shirt’ emblazoned with the number 38, which represents the 38% increase in reports of domestic abuse when England loses. Okumbe hopes to address domestic abuse at the root. “Words matter, and an environment where it’s commonplace that women are the butt of a joke or reduced to an object can lead to increasingly concerning behaviour.”

Football has long been embroiled in sexism and misogyny. A BBC investigation found that seven out of 20 Premier League clubs have had players or bosses investigated by the police for sexual offences since 2020. Solace is reaching out to the football community and hopes they will want to be part of the solution. “We need everyone to get involved in the conversation,” explains Okumbe.

Football is trying to clean up its reputation. Women’s Aid has worked with footballing organisations, including the PFA, Premier League, PFA and FA, to help raise awareness of abuse. Many of the campaigns being launched aim to highlight the signs of abuse and encourage fans to call it out when they see it.

“There are still far too many people across the country who regard domestic abuse as a private matter. All too often, victims are disbelieved or let down by our law enforcement and court systems,” says Hestia’s Sue Harper. She argues that we need a genuine political commitment as well as a society-level response to tackle this problem, “or victims will continue to lose their lives.”

The responsibility to call out abuse does not sit solely with women. Men also need to come forward and call out abuse when they see it. It’s why campaigns like Solace’s are so powerful - by putting the statistics on football shirts, it minimises the opportunity for people to feign ignorance. For decades, domestic abuse has been shrouded in secrecy and shame.

We can’t hide from the reality that 1 in 3 women worldwide will, at some point in their lives, experience intimate partner violence. As Parker says, we must come together and call out sexist and misogynist behaviours and attitudes when we see them. The shame doesn’t lie with the women and children being affected; it sits with the perpetrators and those who refuse to call out abuse at every level.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering domestic abuse, you can contact the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit Women’s Aid or Refuge.

Anyone in immediate danger should always call 999.

Anyone looking for a space in a domestic abuse refuge can contact the Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Are you on the hunt for 10km training tips that'll help you chip down your time? It's one of the most popular race distances right now, but pacing yourself to beat a previous best isn't necessarily about banking more runs each week.

While there are plenty of guides out there detailing how to run faster and how to run for longer, we recently spoke to record-breaking Team GB athlete and 10km runner Eilish McColgan to get her top tips - and it's fair to say she knows a thing or two about pacing yourself to a personal best. She really knows her stuff when it comes to training your body to improve over the 10km distance - so much so, that she holds the record for the fastest ever 10km run at a Commonwealth Games by a female.

While it's certainly manageable for most people to train for and run 10 kilometres (or 6.2 miles), improving your time over said distance can be tricky. It's not quite short enough to go full pelt, you see, but also not as long as, say, a half marathon, where you can maintain a steadier pace over the distance and still finish with an impressively speedy time.

Interval training is one of the key factors she mentions below, and something that I've sworn by over the last four years or so to chip my running times down. But there are several other tips and tricks below which will come in handy if you are looking to improve your time.

Of course, running is about far more than the pace or distance - countless studies document the benefits of running, from improved cardio fitness, to boosted mental health and more. If you'd prefer to just log the mileage without the pressure of how fast or far you're going, you do you.

Keen to read more? Keep scrolling. And if you're at the start of your running journey, our guides to the best running tips for beginners, how to improve running stamina, and how to start running will come in handy, as well as this fool-proof guide to how to run a mile without stopping.

Keen to get faster? 10km training tips, from a top athlete

How long does it take to train for a 10km?

According to McColgan, if you're a total beginner, you'll want to aim for around an eight to ten week training period. There are plenty of great training programmes out there which will help you plan your sessions and give you plenty of guidance on how many runs to do a week, plus which ones to push the pace during.

If you're a more advanced runner, you should be able to improve your 10km time in as little as four weeks.

What is a "good" beginner 10km time?

While it's all too easy to get caught up comparing yourself to other people's times on Strava, it's really key to remember that every individual is different, and so will have wildly different running paces - all of which are good in their own right.

Look at it this way: you're your only competition, and all you need to focus on is improving how long it takes you to run the distance.

The athlete agrees: "Any time is a "good" time - the beauty of running is that it doesn't matter what your times are" she explains. "Everyone has their own personal best. Just remember how long it last took you to run 10km and go from there."

What's the best way to train for a 10km if you're keen to improve your time?

The athlete's number one top tip for improving your time? Interval sessions.

"Try to fit in one interval session and one long run per week," she advises. Why? Well, because when combined, they improve not only your speed but also your ability to run for longer. "The interval session works on speed and the long run works on endurance," she shares.

A bit confused by all the running jargon? We've got a handy guide to interval sessions, here. What a "long run" looks like will vary from person to person, fitness level to fitness level, but McClogan shares that you'll likely want to be able to comfortably run around 16 kilometres (or 10 miles) before racing a 10km distance.

5 top tips for training for a 10km, as a beginner

1. Invest in a fitness tracker

While you might not own a fitness tracker at current, it's a really handy way to get a handle on your current running paces and also personal bests. Your watch will show you, for example, your current average running speed and also at what points in your run you were running fastest.

McClogan advises buying a GPS watch - these are the most accurate as they have in-built trackers to accurately track distance, pace, mileage, heart rate variables and more. "I use the Coros Pace 3 - it's a great bit of kit to not only help you gauge pace but also track the training you're doing."

Not sure where to start? Read our guide to the best fitness trackers, here, tried and tested by Team MC UK.

2. Get a good pair of trainers

We're constantly recommending investing in a pair of the best running trainers can make to your training on this team - not only can good cushioning impact your muscle recovery, but improve your running form, protect your joints and reduce your risk of injury, too.

McClogan agrees, adding that one of her top tips for beating your 10km time is investing in a good pair of trainers. "I'd recommend something with good cushioning that's also comfortable. I recommend the ASICS Nimbus." For an extra boost, consider investing in a pair of carbon plate trainers, but do be mindful not to wear them for everyday mileage or you risk injury.

3. Join a local running group

We've long raved about the benefits of community exercise here at MC UK - not only can it help hold you accountable, but it can make working out way more sociable and therefore enjoyable. "It can really help boost motivation when you have other people to meet with, especially on those cold winter days," the athlete shares.

4. Try different types of interval sessions

Ever heard of fartlek training? The athlete explains that it essentially involves ticking off an interval session where you run for a set amount of time and then walk the recovery. If you're a beginner, try this: start at a minute and over the weeks, build up your minutes or mileage.

McClogan points out that it's a great way to tick off both distance and speed without the session feeling too daunting.

5. Be mindful of your pace

Pace is always important, especially when you're trying to beat a personal best. "Lots of people start too fast and find it hard to keep going," shares McClogan. "Pacing things from the start can help you to finish strong."

Try this: My run coach has always recommended aiming for negative splits, aka starting slower and then increasing your speed as you get closer to the finish line. That way, your legs will still feel fresh and you won't burnout before you reach your goal.

6. Build up your distance gradually

Most importantly - and this is a mistake that many new runners make - make sure to build things up slowly to avoid injury. "You should be increasing your mileage by no more than 10% each week," she explains. For example, if you run 24 kilometres (15 miles) in week one, it's important to run no further than 26.5 kilometres (16.5 miles) the week after.

"I always like to run a 5km first," shares the athlete. "I'd recommend doing your local parkrun after a few weeks of training to give you an indication of where your fitness is at." From there, she advises training for another solid month before giving the 10km distance a go.

Ready? Time to run.

Shop MC UK approved running kit now:

If you haven't caught any of the Paralympic coverage on TV yet, you've been missing out. One of the highlights had to be three-time Paralympian long jumper Olivia Breen, who took to the stadium on last week to battle it out for a place on the podium.

Livvy, as she's known, narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, but still achieved an impressive fourth place - a huge achievement, and one that took years of dedicated training and effort.

The athlete, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at age two, has some hearing impairment and learning difficulties but has never let that stop her from chasing her dreams. "My mum always treated me the same as my brothers," she smiles. "I was never treated differently, so I didn't see myself disabled."

Reflecting on a sporty childhood, she remembers the first time her parents realised she had potential as a professional athlete. "I was always a sporty child - I've loved it my whole life," she explains. "While I had a bit of a slow start, when I was five years old, I did my first sprint at sports day. My parents were like, "Wow, she's a really fast runner!"".

And the rest is history, really. Below, she chats to Marie Claire UK about what keeps her pushing forward, her hopes, dreams, and her race day comping mechanisms, plus the five life lessons she wishes she'd known sooner. While you're here, don't miss our dedicated Women in Sport coverage, including our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 16 fun facts about the athletes. We've also got longer form articles on how Paris marked the first ever gender equal Olympics, plus an investigation into why mothers are underestimated in sport and a round up of most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.

Olivia Breen: "There's always more to be done"

1. Trying lots of sports is a surefire way to figure out what works for you

Talking about her childhood and her love of movement, Breen reflects on trying lots of different sports to figure out which she enjoyed and which, well, weren't for her.

"I did loads of other sports," she explains. "I just wanted to try them out, as I always thought that it can really benefit us to give lots of different sports a go."

Bottom line: trying lots of new sports or workouts can be one of the simplest ways to nail down what you enjoy and what isn't for you. For Breen, it's always been running. For many others, they may find more joy in cycling, strength training, dancing, or HIIT classes.

2. Pursuing your passions in life is key

For Breen, she's known from a young age that sport was her passion and this was the path that she'd follow. And she encourages others to do the same, stressing how enjoyable every day is knowing she's doing something that she's passionate about.

"My life's always been sport," she reflects. "I love it and it's my dream job. I feel so lucky to be able to pursue a career that I'm so passionate about."

3. Reminding yourself how capable you are is key

And this applies to all areas of your life. Reflecting on how nervous she can get pre-race, Breen shares that she still very much feels the butterflies - that said, she uses breathwork training, visualisation and trust in her training to keep her calm.

"I think I get more nervous now because I've sacrificed so much," she reflects. "I'm very disciplined. My job means so much to me."

So, how does she keep on top of pre-race nerves and quell any start-line anxiety? "I try and control my nerves by staying quiet and keeping myself to myself," she shares. "My coach and I will meet, and we'll talk through the race plan. He always reminds me that I've done all the hard work at that point, so I've just got to trust myself."

4. It's important to learn from mistakes

Breen competes regularly on the world stage and has had her fair share of heartbreaks, including narrowly missing out on bronze at the Paris 2024 Games.

So, how does she handle the setbacks and stop them from knocking her backwards? "I'm always like, okay, I make a mistake," she explains. "Now, I need to learn from it for next time. That's my way of coping with it."

"There's always more to be done. I always ask, how can I make myself better? For me, it's normally eating well, sleeping well, and prioritising recovery. All of the little things add up."

5. Always follow your dreams

Finally, Breen is hugely passionate about encouraging

"Find what you're good at and don't ever give up because you never know."

When I meet athlete Lauren Steadman in Paris for the official Team GB kit reveal, she's humble, down to earth, and candid about her journey so far - despite being a three-time Paralympic champion, the proud owner of an MBE for her services to triathlon, and appearing on both Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, where she reached the final.

At just 31 years old, she's had a pretty impressive career, also managing to squeeze in a psychology degree and business and management master's. And she's not stopping there, admitting exclusively during our interview that she plans to try and qualify for the Winter Games after her stint in Paris. "I'm looking to see if I can qualify for my first Winter Games - that's the next plan," she smiles.

But for now, it's all eyes on Paris. With just days to go until she attempts to defend her title, we've asked her to share her top life lessons and career highlights. Keen to read more from our Women in Sport special? Read our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen here, or if you're short on time, scroll 16 fun facts about the athletes. Supporting the cover interviews, read our deep dives into Paris being the first ever gender equal Olympics, plus an investigation into why mothers are underestimated in sport and a round up of most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.

Lauren Steadman: "I might have an arm missing, but I'm just as strong as you are"

1. Don't put yourself in one box

Steadman is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, but her many talents have taught her never to put yourself in one box and always to grab opportunity by the horns. "I started as a swimmer and competed as a swimmer at the Beijing and London Olympic Games. I was very good and always gave 110% in training, but just felt I couldn't quite transfer into my race." (She says this despite ranking fifth in the world in the London 2012 Paralympics over the 400-metre distance).

That's when she made the decision to transition to triathlon, a move which would ultimately make her a Paralympic champion. "My uncle had completed an IronMan race and suggested giving triathlon a go. He said, "You've always cross-trained, you love running and you can ride a bike. Why don't you try triathlon?"."

"So I did - and I absolutely loved it. British Triathlon swooped in and said they'd love me to get on board and while it was scary because I'd done one thing for so many years, now I love that aspect of triathlon. If you don't feel like running one day, you can park it, and the same with swimming and cycling."

2. Know that some dreams come later in life

While you might assume that the athlete always knew she'd be a champion, this isn't quite true. "I started exercising when I was at primary school [but didn't dream of making a career of it until later on]. One time, a teacher asked for somebody to do the local swimming competition and no one put their hand up. I felt sorry for the school teacher, So I was like, Well, I can swim!"

She admits candidly that she didn't even know about the Paralympics at that point. "The movement was so small back then. I remember going to my first disability competition which was really daunting because as I lived in the middle of nowhere, I hadn't really been exposed to disability."

Bottom line: Dreams can come later in life, and you can certainly achieve them. "I didn't have the dream as a young child, but it became one a little bit later on, just as I starting college."

3. Finding community focused sports will keep you motivated

We regularly rave about the importance of finding your fitness community here at MC UK - it makes sport fun, accessible and holds you accountable, too. Steadman maintains that these are all big factors in her love of triathlon. "Triathlon allows you to be with more people, and to be part of three different worlds feels really special."

"Cycling is probably my favourite one because you can ride with anybody of any age and any ability. When it's nice weather in the UK, I love having a mid-ride cake and chatting to people from different walks of life."

4. Support networks are invaluable

Leading on from the last life lesson nicely, Steadman reflects that support networks are absolutely key to growth, both in and out of sport. "My parents brought me and my sister up to never see barriers. There was no prejudice and opportunities were presented to both of us constantly."

"We were told to choose what we wanted to do in life and that we'd always have their support."

5. You can have more than one life highlight

This one's important. "Obviously getting the gold medal was like a lifetime goal, and crossing that line meant literally everything to me, despite accidentally swimming the wrong way - I missed one of the swim buoys and only had a 22-second lead going into the last 800 metres."

"My grandparents had passed on at that point, and they were a big motivator for me. But I could feel my grandmother there in that moment. I remember asking myself, how much do you want it?"

"I found another 20 seconds and I don't know where it came from - it was like a miracle."

"My other highlight was when I became a world champion, purely because my whole family was there. It meant everything and was the pinnacle of my career."

6. Sleep is the by far the best recovery hack

When I ask the Paralympic champion how she recovers from arduous training weeks and seriously intense races, she has three words: "Lots of sleep."

Hear, hear.

The viral Australian breakdancer Raygun (AKA Rachael Gunn) has responded to critics of her Olympics performance.

Raygun went viral after she competed in the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics last Friday, and was awarded zero points by the judges. Her unexpected moves have been meme-ified to no end, and people online have been very, very critical.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference on Saturday, Rachael said: "I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves. What I bring is creativity" (via ESPN).

She continued: "All of my moves are original. Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn't. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about."

Anna Meares, the Chef de Mission for Team Australia, also defended Rachael, and condemned online commenters who have targeted her. "I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing," Anna said.

"Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has."

One X user wrote: "I'd like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think 'huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too'"

Another said: "I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer"

"The fact that RayGun has a Ph.D in breakdancing is its own commentary on academia vs real world expertise," added another. For context, Rachael holds a PhD in Cultural Studies, and her thesis had the title "Deterritorializing gender in Sydney's breakdancing scene: a B-girl's experience of B-boying."

"Faster, higher, stronger." That’s the Latin translation for the official Olympic motto and the ultimate goal as an athlete, right?

Well, wrong - if the current headlines coming from the Paris Olympic Games are anything to go by. You see, while Team GB's female athletes have won a total of 20 medals so far, just a short five behind the men's total, they've still been subject to endless scrutiny, discussion and criticism about their bodies - something that the men haven't.

Despite Paris being one of the most progressive Olympic Games we've ever seen - some serious sustainability steps have been made, with the athletes' beds being made from recyclable cardboard, and athletes with children having a dedicated breastfeeding zone within the village - society still seems to be stuck in the past when it comes to their critique of women's bodies.

So why, we ask, when the focus should be on their athletic prowess and undeniable achievement, are women still belittled and mocked for looking athletic? 

For more of our Women in Sport Olympic coverage, do check out our full cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus our extensive explainers on the lack of research into female athletic performance, why mothers are underestimated in sport, and the most iconic Olympic fashion moments, while you're at it.

Paris has been seriously progressive - so why is our discussion of female athlete's bodies so stuck in the past?

Take the most decorated gymnast in the world, Simone Biles, as an example. She’s experienced a barrage of criticism for her strong physique, despite it enabling her to become one of the greatest athletes in history. And the examples go on and on - Team USA’s Ilona Maher isn’t unfamiliar with trolling either, putting out a statement just last month to her three million followers to remind the Internet that “all athletic body shapes matter”. Plus, China’s 7ft 3in basketball player Zhang Ziyu was mocked on social media all week for her height despite crushing her opponents with her athletic skill.

Tennis legend Serena Williams has also suffered decades of racist and nasty comments on her muscular physique. How could the body that made her the greatest tennis player on earth be the same that people are slating? Team GB sprinter and MC UK cover star Daryll Neita touched on it in her exclusive cover interview, too, sharing candidly: “I get comments all the time. People see my muscles and say, ‘That’s not very feminine’.”

So, why aren’t we celebrating women who are clearly in exceptional shape rather than reducing their abilities and focusing on how their bodies look? “We know that there has been this traditional idea that a female body should be smaller than a man’s body (female aesthetics favours thin shapes) – sadly, this is also a metaphor for the space she should occupy in her body and in society,” says Professor Maria Joao Cunha, a specialist in body image at the University of Lisbon.

Studies have shown that female athletes already experience anxiety at roughly twice the rate of their male peers, with WebMD reporting that almost 80% of elite sportswomen reported feeling conscious of their body image - but Joao Cunha adds that the history of body image in society has always been severed. “The type of female body that's been portrayed in the media prior to the last two decades was an extremely standard body with little deviation from the thinner body types," she explains. "For men, the latitude of acceptance was bigger. There was a wider range of body types portrayed, and therefore better acceptance in society, creating a double standard of strong women vs strong men.”

You see, men’s physiques are rarely questioned or feared when it comes to sports - they're often celebrated and heralded in line with their results. Sadly, despite their own extraordinary athletic efforts, the same praise is not afforded to women.

So, does the fact that these women are achieving peak athletic performance even matter? Sadly, it’s not only female athletes that face such scrutiny. Other celebrities who've reached remarkable heights in their careers but been belittled for their body types include Megan Thee Stallion, who’s been trolled on X for looking “too manly.” Grammy award-winning artist Ciara had to battle through over a decade of mocking about her facial structure. And Lady Gaga and Madonna aren’t off the hook when it comes to the fetishisation that a misogynist society has on de-feminising women who are physically and emotionally powerful, either. Even at the time of her tenure as First Lady, some couldn’t stop themselves from negatively commenting on Michelle Obama’s toned arms.

Speaking to Professor Duarte Araujo at the Faculty of Human Kinetics University of Lisbon, who works with Olympic female athletes, he agrees that there is certainly a disparity in society’s perception of a “female body”. “In the past, stronger women were not seen positively in a society because it was perceived that femininity was lost,” he explains. “However, female athletes are changing the social image of what it is to be a woman as this athletic form and image is not locked in specific qualities but in what they can achieve,” he adds.

Araujo adds. “We have to challenge that muscles are a human condition, not strictly a male condition.” It may be the case that only in recent decades have women been allowed to push their bodies to the maximum to achieve athletic excellence, but as we’re only a couple of generations into discovering the essence of a female athletic body, as a society, it might be time to admit that there's some unlearning to do. 

Araujo also agrees that some of the issues are psychological as opposed to social, as many women themselves have internalised from a young age that developing muscle will strip their femininity away. However, “women can easily be muscular and feminine and achieve their athletic goals," he concludes.

Bottom line: it’s clear that holding women to different standards ruins the integrity of women’s sports, something both athletes and the Olympic organisations have worked hard to achieve. Perhaps instead of spending our time commenting on women’s bodies, we should be celebrating that said bodies are achieving extraordinary things. And next time you think to criticise, remember: they’re the ones achieving the gold medals.

Charley Hull is a sporting pioneer, returning to the Olympic Games this summer to compete for gold. And while it would be a first for Team GB, the 28-year-old is no stranger to making history, breaking records from the start of her career.

Hull was just nine years old when she won an adult golfing event, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the Ladies European Tour at 15 years old. Three years later, she became the youngest player to take part in the Solheim Cup, and just this year, she reached a career-high in the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings.

“Women’s professional golf is progressing,” Hull told Marie Claire UK when we talked to her as part of our Women In Sport special. “Women are getting to play courses, like Muirfield, that we might not have been able to before. More brands are getting into sponsoring women’s golf, and we are also getting bigger galleries which is great, but we need more exposure."

“Women’s sport gets less than 10% of the media coverage that men’s gets,” Hull continued. “Until that improves, we won’t be able to move forward the way we want to.”

Below, Hull talks openly to MC UK, sharing the pressing issues for female athletes, her go-to self care hacks, and the lessons she’s learnt from her professional golf career so far.

Make sure you check out the rest of our Women in Sport special while you're here, including our inspirational cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 14 fun facts about the athletes that you won't know yet. Not to mention, supporting features on the first ever gender equal Olympics, from why mothers are underestimated in sport to the lack of research into female athletic performance, as well as the most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.

1. Winners don’t quit

“I like to work as hard as I can as I like the feeling of accomplishment. I hate being lazy. ‘Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win’ is one of my favourite mottos.”

2. Preparation creates confidence

“If you put the effort in and prepare as well as you can, that should help build your confidence. I think it’s great going into something knowing that you’ve prepared at least as well or maybe even better than anyone else.”

3. Self care is essential

“I’m very into my skincare and love having facials whenever I’m home. As a golfer, we are out in the sun/ wind/ rain for up to 8 hours each day so I do my best to protect it from the elements and keep it hydrated. I also have regular massages to stay relaxed.”

4. Know your value

“The most pressing issue for female athletes today is being taken as seriously as male athletes. We are still just as likely to get comments in the media about what we are wearing over our performance. We put every bit as much effort into our careers as the men do, but we don’t seem to get as much out of it.”

5. Working out is good for the mind

“Working out is really important to me, both physically and mentally. Obviously I need to be strong for golf, but I enjoy the challenge of a good workout and love doing sprints etc. My trainer (@precisiongolfkate) is a top Hyrox athlete so she’s great at challenging me and keeping it fresh. It’s good for my mind and I think the routine that comes with being a professional athlete helps me. I also remind myself how lucky I am to be travelling the world, doing something I love for a job!”

6. Find a beat that works for you

“For a gym workout, I love some old school house music, but some of the songs I listen to before I play golf are: Wicked game by Chris Issac, Ain’t no love in Oklahoma by Luke Combs, Habibti by Ard Adz, and Purple Rain by Prince.”

7. Find role models who inspire you

“I look up to a lot of boxers as I love their strong mentality and their work ethic. Mohammed Ali is the ultimate example of that. In golf, I look up to Tiger Woods and Steve Ballesteros who are both genius.”

8. Embrace who you are

“I think the best piece of advice I’ve got over the years has been to be myself, and not try to be someone I’m not. Also not to be afraid of anything as any small errors you make now are going to be irrelevant in years to come.”

9. Remember what’s really important

“As much as I’ll always remember my tournament wins, the most special moment for me was playing the AIG Women’s open at Walton Heath last summer. Playing in a Major in front of my mum, dad, sisters and nephew Ralph was something I’d always dreamed of.”

10. Train smart and train hard

“My advice to anyone following in my footsteps would be to train smart and train hard. I just want to be the very best that I can be and hopefully that leads to more tournament wins. Winning a Major such as the Amundi Evian Championship would be the ultimate goal.”

If you've been watching the Olympics, you'll have caught Olympic champion Dame Jess Ennis Hill smashing the BBC live coverage. A two-time Olympic medalist specialising in the heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles, she won gold at the London Olympic games in 2012 and has forged a career for herself as a presenter since her athletic retirement in 2016.

Below, she shares her biggest life lessons and career highlights, as well as reflecting on there being more mums on Team GB than ever before and the measures the Olympic Committee has taken to make sure said athletes are supported more than ever before, including dedicated breastfeeding areas. She also discusses her own experience of starting a family mid-career when it wasn't the "done thing" with Health Writer Kimberley Dadds.

While you're here, do check out the rest of our Women in Sport special, where we profile other inspirational athletes at the top of their game. We've got a cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 16 fun facts about the athletes. Elsewhere in the issue, we've got features on this being the first ever gender equal Olympics, why mothers are underestimated in sport, and the lack of research into female athletic performance, not to mention a rundown of the most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.

Jess Ennis Hill chats motherhood, menstrual cycles and investing in workout kit that makes you feel great

1. Supporting athlete mums is essential - and we're moving in the right direction

"Having had my son and then come back into the sport, I know how incredibly hard it is [to have children mid-carer] and the challenges that you face. To see more athletes feeling that they have the option to do that makes me really proud - it's not just you have your career, then you retire, then you start a family." 

"I think there's more awareness about supporting athletes who want to start their families during their career and each sport is slowly adapting. They've even got a breastfeeding facility within the Paris Games."

"Before I thought about having a family, it didn't seem like an option for me. It was the worst thing that could happen to have a baby during your career – everyone always did it afterwards. But we've seen it in a range of sports now – tennis, track and field, and other sports - where women have started their family and come back to winning and [being] at the top of their sport. That's hugely inspiring for other young girls coming into sport."

2. And women are getting the recognition they deserve in sport, too

"The last couple of years, particularly with the success of the Lionesses team, we've seen a real change in the way we consume women's sport, the way it's marketed and how much attention it gets. Young girls are seeing more female athletes represented, and for them to feel that there's an opportunity – and not just an opportunity – but also a career and a life within sport, which perhaps hasn't been that way in previous years - is fantastic."

"Athletes getting the support from governing bodies, sponsors and brands is really important, though. When you're an athlete, you're heavily reliant on your income through your sponsors and federation there's no grey area."

"Athletes need clearer guidance on what they're entitled to, how they're going to be supported, and essentials like maternity packages, though - you get these in other companies outside of sports. That way, as a woman, you feel that you're supported."

3. Working out around your menstrual cycle can be incredibly empowering

"I started my app, Jennis, as I wanted to start [the conversation around training and your cycle] and keep it going. Things have changed since I was competing, but having my son during my career opened my eyes to how much you change as a woman through different life phases - not to mention how much isn't understood about female athletes and how their bodies change during the monthly cycle, after having kids and before kids." 

"I think there's just a lack of funding, understanding, education and research done in the area, which is obviously a really key part of all women's lives."

"You can't change when your period’s going to come, but you can have a strategy in place. Maybe you need to hydrate a bit more, or maybe your numbers and training are going to vary a little bit. It just gives that bigger context."

4. She's long been a fan of Keeley Hodgkinson

"For me, [it’s all about] Keely Hodgkinson. I admire the way she's competed over the past few years – still so young, but just so dynamic on the track and very capable. I think she's destined for great things."

5. And she encourage you to invest in some new kit, if you're lacking motivation to get moving

"I think it's so important [to make sure you feel good in what you're wearing to workout in]. You've got to feel like your kit fits you well, it's comfortable, it's supportive where it needs to be, and it gives you a massive amount of confidence. You don't want to be worrying about anything." 

"I think if you feel good in your kit, then you’re going to perform well."

The Olympics have been incredibly eventful so far, but one story we particularly love? The unexpected obsession with some special chocolate muffins found in the Olympic Village.

The muffins in question became a star of the 2024 Paris Olympics when Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen began posting about his undying love for the treats on his TikTok account starting on 25 July.

His videos became increasingly more hilarious, and he soon found a dedicated fanbase online who were obsessed with both Henrik's undying love for chocolatey baked goods, and his pitch perfect sense of humour.

But while Henrik's videos make these muffins seem like the most delectable dessert around, his fellow Olympic athletes don't sound quite as impressed as all that.

People took one for the team (all of us) and asked some US athletes about their thoughts on the viral muffins.

"I know Henrik has blown them out of proportion," said American swimmer Ryan Held. "Like, astronomical popularity."

Team USA fencer Jackie Dubrovich was equally indifferent, telling People, "I think it's a good muffin. I'm not like mind blown like...it's fine."

Meanwhile, American rower Liam Corrigan pointed out that the muffins are maybe not the most healthful choice for an Olympic athlete's breakfast.

"So my experience the first day was I saw the muffins. It was breakfast, I was like, 'Oh, a muffin. It's not the healthiest but it's not so bad,'" Liam explained. "And then I opened it up and it's more of a molten lava cake-slash-muffin. And at that point I felt a little bad, like, 'I probably shouldn't be eating this before the race.' So stayed off the muffins."

Frankly, all this muffin hate has likely come as good news for Henrik, who was able to enjoy a near-endless supply while he stayed in Paris. But he's not the only one who actually did love the cakes, with Team USA swimmer Erin Gemmell telling People: "I had one. It was pretty good, I will say. So whatever they have in the middle could, like, change lives."

FYI, the muffins are "filled and topped with dark chocolate and feature chunks of dark chocolate and milk chocolate," People reports. Wow.

Emma Raducanu is a trailblazing athlete - with only three years of touring on the professional circuit under her belt, she's already made a lasting impact on the world of sport.

The British tennis pro famously won the US Open in 2021, becoming a Grand Slam champion at just 18 years old. The historic win saw Raducanu become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade in 1977, propelling her to super-stardom.

“Winning the US Open was my career highlight,” Raducanu told Marie Claire UK when we spoke to her as part of our Women in Sport Special. “It came with a lot of challenges but I think that what it gave me outweighs everything else.”

Now 21, and off the back of a painful 2023 lost to injury, Raducanu is back and stronger than ever. While she didn't scoop the crown at Wimbledon this year, she's adamant that winning one day is her greatest ambition.

“Long term, I want to win Wimbledon. That’s my number one goal,” she told us. “But in the short term, I just want to keep staying healthy and improving my skills. Working on the actual development of them rather than any immediate results - that’s my priority right now.”

Below, Raducanu chats candidly to MC UK, sharing her top wellness tips, her go-to self care hacks, and the lessons she’s learnt from her already groundbreaking tennis career.

Make sure you check out the rest of our Women in Sport special while you're here, including our inspirational cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 14 fun facts about the athletes that you won't know yet. Not to mention, supporting features on the first ever gender equal Olympics, from why mothers are underestimated in sport to the lack of research into female athletic performance, as well as the most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.

1. Tough times are inevitable

“Self belief is important for getting through the tough times, because they are inevitable. You’re going to face setbacks and injuries, and fears are going to set in, but I think to really achieve great things, you need to pair that with self belief. One quote that has really resonated with me over the years is that you get through 100% of the days that you think you can’t. I have for sure felt tough times - when I was 18, before the US Open, in the pandemic like everyone I’m sure, but we all got through it. And we look back and that moment in time isn’t as significant as it once was. So I think having perspective is huge, and getting into a helicopter, zooming out and just looking at this moment in the timeline of your life, really helps put things in perspective. It helps to keep me on the right track.”

2. Take time to recover properly

“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt in terms of injury recovery is not to rush back. My impatience is probably one of my biggest downfalls because I basically rushed the process of my recovery, and set myself back many months. Instead of taking me four months to return to play, it took me eight, and it took me seven months without hitting balls, when I should have been hitting balls after a month and a half. So I think having people who are really strict with you in coming back from injury is important. People who are literally counting every shot that you hit, and making it really scientific not just on feeling, because sometimes your mind overtakes your body, and by pushing more you’re actually setting yourself back.”

3. Laughter is a healthy habit

“I have found a lot of healthy habits to be essential - hydration is key and sleeping is a major component (I really try and prioritise my sleep over training and competition weeks). But I also think that just having a youthful mindset is really important. Living with an element of ‘carelessness’ in a way is quite refreshing. It’s important not to take everything too seriously - to be able to laugh and joke about things that might be very difficult, and spin them into a funny or happy thing.”

4. Find a beat that works for you

“I don’t actually have a playlist because my attention span is so short that I change my favourite genre, song and artist literally every four days. It all depends on how I’m going at that moment in time. Usually it’s something energetic with a beat, but sometimes it’s fast-paced classical piano - it all depends on how I’m feeling. Recently, I’ve been listening a lot to ‘Am I Dreaming’ by Roisee, Metro Boomin and A$AP Rocky. It’s a combination of classical music at the start and then it goes into a beat, so it’s got the best of both worlds.”

5. Allow yourself to take in the moment

“I take my headphones off right before I walk into the court so I can soak it all in. I really want to take in the crowd, the environment and the support. I was very excited to compete again in Wimbledon this year - I had to miss the tournament in 2023 and I think I actually forgot that the support from the home crowd was so great - I loved it. When we start the match, we don’t really look up or around - we’re very focused on our game, so I give myself that moment before to really take it all in. To look up and enjoy the moment, then once we do the coin toss, it’s ‘go time’.”

6. Comfort foods can be good for the soul

“Comfort foods aren’t really part of my healthy lifestyle, but I guess they are healthy for the soul and the mind. I love my mum’s homemade spring rolls. And when I won the US Open, we didn’t go to a fancy restaurant or anything afterwards. Instead, I went home and my mum made dumplings and spring rolls. That for me is the most rewarding of moments, and where I truly feel the happiest.”

7. Prioritising alone time is my self care

“I’m a very independent person and I like spending a lot of time by myself. There’s so much stimulation in my daily life and there’s a lot of people around me, so I really like having those hours to myself before bedtime, even if it’s not doing anything productive. Sometimes I’ll read, and sometimes I’ll just scroll aimlessly or online window shop - I’ll just put things in my cart and then close the tab. But just having that time to unwind and destress is really important for me, and I won’t be able to sleep without it.”

8. Reading is the perfect form of escapism

“Reading is an escape for me. I just read Creativity, Inc. by the founders of Pixar which was really good and I could apply a lot of lessons to my own life. I don’t read fiction because I have this thing in my head where I need to be productive all the time. And if I feel like I’m doing something where I’m not learning, I will feel guilty. But reading removes me from my daily life - you get so absorbed in a book that you don’t really have any brain power to think of anything else. It’s an escape but you’re also learning something, so for me that’s two birds with one stone.”

9. There’s more to life than tennis

“I think it’s very easy in tennis to panic, and I’m guilty of it. You feel like you only have 10 years of your career ahead of you, and that it’s going to be over before you know it. Sometimes 21 feels so old, and then I remember that in the timeline of my career I still have 10 years of slams ahead of me - even 15 if I really want. And while it goes by very quickly, I’ve only had three years on tour so far, so there’s a lot more learning and developing to do. There’s also a big chunk of life that happens after tennis. We think when we hit 35, our life is over, but there is so much still to come - many people are just starting their life at that point. So, of course I want to make the most out of the years that I have on tour, but I also need to keep in perspective that there are other things in life than just tennis.”

10. Just keep swimming

“One piece of advice that has stuck with me literally since I was a child came from watching Finding Nemo with my mum. The fish would say, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming”, and my mum has repeated that to me ever since. Even now, it’s like no matter what happens, you just have to keep swimming - you have to keep going and forget about it. You honestly have to have short term memory loss in tennis because you will lose every single week and you have to have the resilience to keep going. And day by day, you’ll somehow reach your goals without even knowing how or why it happened, but it’s because you accumulated all those days of purposeful work.”

Emma Raducanu is an evian Global Brand Ambassador, championing healthy hydration all year round on and off the court. Discover more about the importance of healthy habits and living young at Evian.com

Simone Biles is undoubtedly the woman of the moment, with the 27-year-old gymnast dominating the 2024 Olympics this summer, winning her sixth Olympic gold medal this week.

Biles, known as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), is famed for her record-breaking gymnastic displays, drawing in A-list audiences, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Serena Williams spotted cheering her on from the sidelines.

Another firm supporter and regular attendee is of course Simone Biles' husband, NFL star Jonathan Owens, who posted a sweet tribute to his wife this week, accompanied by a photograph of him wearing her gold medal.

"Witnessing history every time you step on the mat," Owens captioned the snap. "Congrats baby on becoming the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history!!! Just wow!!!! 8 of them!!!! So thankful I was there to see it."

However, the tribute was met by a wave of online criticism, with Biles' fans condemning Owens for wearing his wife's medal, and accusing him of making the moment about himself.

"Give the medal back bby that's not yours", read one comment, while another stated: "That's Simone's gold medal you're holding, not yours my guy."

"There's something very unsettling about you wearing her medal. Seems off. Give it back to her immediately," read another. "Don't steal her thunder. She EARNED that medal HERSELF."

TikTok's Kiera Breaugh even released a viral video on the subject, with her post telling Owens to "take her medal off" raking in over 2.1 million views.

This is when Biles herself entered the narrative, shutting down the criticism of her husband in the comment section of Breaugh's viral video.

“Crazy thing is, I put my medal on every single one of my family members and took pictures," read Biles' comment. "So don’t ever make assumptions. Like y’all are so fucking miserable. Leave us alone.”

Kiera Breaugh has since responded, telling viewers: "She put the medal on him. I can't really be mad if she told him to," and adding that she was "honoured to be told to fuck off by such a talented woman."

We will continue to update this story.

Until the 11th August, I have only one personality trait: Olympics. Between now and then, you’ll find me nowhere besides my sofa, disputing scores awarded to athletes competing in sports I’ve never tried nor fully understand, while snacking on M&S’s Thai chilli rice crackers. I will wake up thinking about archery and the obscure names given to BMX tricks, and will also, at least once a day, have the deluded thought that, with a little training, perhaps I too could be an Olympian. 

Fortunately for supporters, I won’t be representing Team GB anytime soon. This I can say with certainty because, besides the fact I’ve never in my life been particularly athletically gifted, just this week I completed an Olympian’s actual training session. In my local Virgin Active. And it turns out I could not, in fact, hack it as an athlete.

The Olympian in question is none other than Desirèe Henry, 100m and 200m sprinter, two-time European champion and Olympic bronze medallist. This summer, she’s competing in the 4 x 100m relay at the Paris Games and has been going hard on the prep in training. To get an idea of what training is really like when you’re an Olympian, I asked her strength and conditioning coach, Jermaine Olasan, to share one of her gym workouts with me. 

While you're here, don't miss our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 14 fun facts about the athletes to scroll ahead of their finals this coming week. We've got long reads on the lack of research into female athletic performance and why mothers are underestimated in sport, too.

I trained like an Olympian - and, wow

The workout I tried to train like an Olympian

Henry’s training schedule is divided into different phases, depending on the time of year and the competition she’s working towards. Right now, she’s at the Olympics holding camp preparing to compete for Team GB, so her strength training is reduced. When she’s not racing, she’s on the track and in the gym four times a week. It’s a heavy workload, and the thought of it makes me want to nap. Another reason I’d never qualify.

Olasan suggests trialling one of Henry’s strength sessions from October last year. “At this point, the focus is on keeping her ability to produce force as high as possible,” he explains. “Sprinting is essentially about how much force you can produce, and doing so quickly. In order to produce force, you need to be strong.”

The warmup

Typically, Olasan explains, Henry arrives at strength training already warm from a session on the track. If, for some reason, she’s not, her warmup looks like:

• Knees-to-chest rolls x 10
• Bird-dogs x 10
• Lying down knee press x 5-10 seconds each side
• Bodyweight squats x 10
• Bodyweight squats with heels raised x 10
• Supine side to side leg swings x 10
• Scorpion stretch x 10

The workout

Now, to the actual workout itself. And it's, as to be expected, extensive. 

• A1: Heel floating mid box step up – three sets of 6 reps on each side
• A2: Z press – three sets of 8 reps
• A3: Standing banded/cable hip flexor – three sets of 15 reps on each side
• B1: Arabesque – three sets of 8 reps on each side
• B2: Standing bench hip lock – three sets of 15 reps on each side
• B3: Copenhagen plank – 20-30 seconds on each side
• C1: Wall sit with heels raised – three sets of 30 seconds
• C2: Walking lateral flexion – three sets of 10 metres
• D1: Single leg hamstring bridge – two sets of 20 seconds
• D2: Prone single leg hamstring curl – two sets of six reps on each side
• D3: Good morning thoracic rotations – two sets eight reps on each side

What happened when I tried training like an Olympian

I’ve been strength training for nine years and a qualified (although not practising) personal trainer for six years, and yet, I’m befuddled by elements of Henry’s workout. I haven’t come across some of the exercises before – it’s immediately clear that this is a very specialised and sport-specific session, as you’d probably expect.

If you follow Henry on Instagram you’ll know from the training clips she shares that she lifts heavy – I’m talking colossal 110-odd kg cleans – but this particular session doesn’t pack in a lot of load. Instead, there’s a heavy emphasis on rehab and mobility exercises, with particular attention paid to the hips and thoracic spine – both key for sprinting success. That said, it’s by no means an easy workout. 

My training sessions are typically pretty simplistic, usually just involving a barbell, dumbbells and a bench – this one requires more kit, although nothing you can’t access in a standard gym – and takes me a while to set up. But even though I’m no sprinter it’s right up my street. 

I wrote recently about my current favourite exercise, step-downs, and so exercise number one – heel floating step-ups – feels like a good progression for me. I’m pretty comfortable on my toes as I’ve danced my whole life, but this movement takes some settling into. I’m wobbly at first and have to really work hard not to rely on momentum throughout the exercise. It’s not a beginner-friendly exercise – it requires strength, balance and reasonable ankle mobility. Moving onto the Z press and the standing banded hip flexor, I’m surprised at how challenging my body finds this circuit. Some seemingly simple changes to exercises I often do, such as sitting with my soles planted in front of me, instead of standing, to perform overhead presses (Z press), ramp up the difficulty and I’m soon sweating.

The second circuit is my favourite. The arabesques, which involve standing on one leg and hinging at the hips, feel challenging but I’m motivated by my desire to nail a new skill. They test my coordination (and also my ability to concentrate – turns out I’m very easily distracted), and I make a mental note to programme them into my workouts in the future – if not for the functional benefits then simply because I find them quite fun.

I’m on the second set of standing bench hip locks when it hits me how much single-leg work is in this session. It makes sense – it’s crucial for stability and strength, two things a sprinter needs in spades, but it’s no wonder my lower body is already starting to burn. This exercise is unlike anything I’ve done before, and it feels frankly awkward. With one foot on a step, knee bent, and the opposite arm in the air while holding a light weight, I need to lift my foot off the step and simultaneously push up with my raised arm. I’m unsure if I’m doing it right, as it feels a bit odd, but muscles are firing so, I think, it’s got to be doing something.

More weird still, is how the walking lateral flexion feels (and probably looks on me) in the next round of exercises. I’m taking a slow walk in a quiet pocket of my gym holding a plate above my head, leaning from side to side with every step. Olasan tells me that this type of exercise is really important for sprinters. “There's a misconception that in order to run really well, you need to be really stiff,” he says. This movement helps to improve lumbo-pelvic stability, which is unsurprisingly key for runners. My core kicks in almost immediately, and by the time I complete my sets my whole upper body is engaged and achy, despite the light, 5kg weight.

I finish up with some hamstring work, which Olasan makes clear isn’t just for performance but also for injury-proofing, and good morning thoracic rotations against a wall. “Because of the way that these athletes live and all the sport that they do, their backs can get quite compressed,” he says. Mobilising the thoracic (middle) spine is crucial. This movement – if I’m doing it correctly – feels like a big juicy stretch, as though I’m untangling the knotted laces of my back. I do extra reps because it feels so satisfying, and mentally programme it into every future session. 

My final thoughts on training like an Olympian?

When I check my Whoop stats after the workout, I’m surprised that it resulted in a 13.7 activity strain, which basically means that my heart rate was fairly high throughout, and the session took quite a lot out of me. Considering the low-impact nature and low-load exercises, I had expected it to be much lower-intensity than it actually was. Knowing that this is a workout Henry does after training on the track really drives home the reality of being a pro athlete. How much she – and all Olympians – have to push their bodies to perform when it matters, and the extreme level of commitment it takes to repeat such a heavy training load week in, week out, for years on end. 

Henry’s training programme is a real lesson in perseverance and proves what I always preach: that consistency is key to reaching any desired end goal. There are phases throughout the year during which she’s actively gaining strength, lifting heavy loads and applying progressive overload by gradually increasing the weight of her big lifts, and there are times when the load is scaled back, and rehab takes priority. 

As someone who started their strength training journey during a time when the more-is-more ideology was extremely dominant, I find it so comforting and reassuring to see for myself that the best in the world aren’t maxing out every time they move their bodies – it would be physically impossible to achieve anything, you’d be so exhausted. There’s a time and a place to push your body to its limit, and it’s not 100% of the time. This, I think, is my biggest takeaway from training like an Olympian. That and, of course, how mind-boggling hard it is – physically and mentally – to make it as a pro athlete. If I found it impressive before, I’m blown away now. 

I wrap up my session aware of muscles I didn’t previously know existed, and head home to get some steps in for the day before plonking myself back down on the sofa to snack on a Solero white watching the gymnastics, with even more awe than before.

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The Princess of Wales returned to public duty this summer, making her first public appearances since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The 42-year-old mother of three has been absent from public life in 2024, taking a break from her royal role after her diagnosis to focus on her recovery.

And while the Princess of Wales is expected to continue "living under the radar" while she completes her treatment, she is said to be making “good progress”, attending both the Trooping the Colour parade in June, and the Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles Final in July.

Now, according to commentators, Princess Kate may even be considering her next public appearance, with reports that she is hoping to attend the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The reports by The Express have not been confirmed by the palace, but given the Princess of Wales' keen interest in sport, a potential appearance wouldn't be out of character.

"Now more than ever, sports provide a much-needed distraction from the pressures of royal life - and from the harsh reality of the health challenges being faced by Kate and King Charles," explained Royal expert Christopher Andersen in a recent interview with OK!. "To say sports plays a huge part in the lives of the royals is a massive understatement. It's in their blood.

"Kate may be the sportiest royal of all," Andersen later continued. "In high school, she was a star player in hockey and tennis. She's also an accomplished skier, runner and sailor - Kate has always seemed game for anything. What sets her apart from the rest of the royal pack is that she always does it with a smile."

It is not known when the Princess of Wales will return to royal duties permanently, but it is thought that it might be as late as 2025.

"I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months," Princess Kate announced in a public statement on her health. "It really has made the world of difference to William and me, and has helped us both through some of the harder times.

"Thank you so much for your continued understanding," she later added. "And to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me."

We will continue to update this story.

This summer is officially the summer of women in sport. It marks the first ever gender-equal Olympics, with athletes Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen on track to make team GB history. And yet mothers in sport are still being underestimated, and no one knows this better than decorated American athlete Allyson Felix.

She has won 11 Olympic titles, yet in 2018, when she gave birth to her daughter, her sponsor, Nike, decided to cut her salary by 70%, assuming that she would be less competitive and successful in the year following childbirth.

Allyson has been vocal about double standards in the industry, and has created her own fitness brand, Saysh, specifically by women, for women, to meet women's everyday comfort needs.

She has since successfully campaigned for athlete mums to be able to bring their children to the Olympics so they can still bond while they compete, and has also launched the first ever nursery in the Olympic village in Paris, in collaboration with Pampers.

So if anyone knows how to make mums feel and look powerful, it's Allyson Felix. Whish is why it made total sense when she collaborated with Parisian label ba&sh on a capsule edit of trainers and accessories, which is chic, but doesn't compromise on performance.

Here, she tells me about the inspiration behind it and how motherhood has changed her style, and what she thinks of people who thinks athletes can't be stylish...

Can you tell us more about the collection?

The journey of Barbara and Sharon deeply resonated with me for their commitment to empowerment, innovation and inclusivity — values that are firmly rooted in my ethos. Their advocacy for women empowerment, their innovative approach as an entrepreneurs with the creation of ba&sh, and their role as a mothers and leaders perfectly align with my mission of supporting women in all aspects of their lives. It's a partnership that celebrates the strength, resilience, and beauty of women everywhere, encouraging them to move forward, both literally and metaphorically, with confidence and joy, and to embrace all facets of their lives—whether as mothers, daughters, friends, or lovers.

We came together to create a limited-edition SABA sneaker a unique fusion of sustainable innovation and chic design that epitomizes the modern running lifestyle. Our wish was to offer a lifestyle runner that would capture the essence of the 90s – Saysh's team had a strong desire for this type of proportions in the sneakers, and from ba&sh’s side to infuse a 70s style into the materials, colors, and textures.

Has motherhood changed the way you dress?

In some ways motherhood has changed the way that I’ve dressed, I find myself wanting to be comfortable and chic at the same time. In the past I was able to be comfortable or chic, but now it’s important to me to be both.

What are your go-to everyday pieces?

I absolutely adore wearing comfortable garments that allow me to move freely. There's something truly liberating about clothing that not only embraces my body but also empowers my every step. To complete my look, I always reach for my trusty pair of SAYSH sneakers. These sneakers not only add a touch of effortless style but also serve as a reminder of my own strength and individuality. With each stride I take, I feel a sense of empowerment and freedom that is truly unparalleled. In my world, comfort meets confidence, and style intertwines with strength—all while being grounded in the realities of everyday life. This is the essence of my personal style, and I'm proud to live it boldly, uniquely, and authentically.

Do you have any favourites in the collection?

I adore my Saba sneakers from the collaboration with ba&sh! The struggle is real—I can't seem to choose between the hue and the warm terracotta shade. Each color tells a different story, evoking a unique energy and vibe. What captivates me most is the intricate attention to detail in every stitch and line, a true manifestation of our brands' shared DNA: the SAYSH logo intertwined with the iconic ba&sh monogram, and the symbolic infinity sign discreetly nestled beneath the sole. This collaborative masterpiece is a harmonious fusion of fashion and athleticism, a true celebration of the modern woman's multifaceted nature. This collaboration fills me with a sense of pride.

What do you say to people who think women in sport can't be feminine/dress well?

A very simple… you’re wrong and you should give it a try.

Since everything that has happened with Nike, do you approach business deals/your career differently?

Yes, I do. I felt taken for granted during that part of my career. Not that I was treated unfairly, but I didn’t feel valued. Now I go into partnerships doing my best to find partners that I’m aligned with and who really have a shared mission.

What's next for you?

I’m building my company and working hard to create a better world for women

Shop Saysh x ba&sh

There's drama in Team USA gymnastics world — here's everything you need to know.

So, on Tuesday 30 July, the USA won gold in the artistic gymnastics women's team final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, beating Italy (silver) and Brazil (bronze).

After their big win, three-time Olympian Simone Biles posted a photo of herself on Instagram with teammates Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey, and Sunisa "Suni" Lee, with the caption: "Lack of talent, lazy, olympic champions."

This was seemingly a pointed response aimed at former teammate MyKayla Skinner, who received widespread criticism online when in June, she said in a YouTube video (via Us Weekly): "Besides Simone [Biles], I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t what it used to be. I mean, obviously, a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic."

The reference wasn't lost on Team USA fans, including former Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney, who commented on Simone's post: "It doesn’t get more iconic than this.. She f’d around n found out fr. Feels like I need to apologize just to redeem my first name"

Another fan said: "THIS CAPTION WINS A GOLD MEDAL"

And Simone's husband Jonathan Owens wrote: "F AROUND AND FIND OUT"

If you're wondering why that expression keeps coming up, it's because Simone just revealed what she and her teammates call themselves, and it's — you guessed it — "F*** around and find out."

Simone and MyKayla have previously competed in two Olympics together, Rio in 2016, and Tokyo in 2021. After MyKayla's comments caused controversy online, she issued an apology on Instagram on 6 July, writing: "I want to formally apologize to Team USA and to our gymnastic community for my comments ... It was not my intention to offend or disrespect any of the athletes or to take away from their hard work."

And on Tuesday, MyKayla reshared a photo of the current Team USA on her Instagram Stories, along with three heart emojis to show the athletes support. After all, the Olympics should be all about focusing on the amazing athletic talents on display.

Male athletes convicted of crimes against women and girls are still allowed a place on the podium - it’s time we demanded better role models.

Steven Van de Velde, a Dutch volleyball player, arrived in Paris ahead of the Olympic Opening Ceremony safely ensconced by security personnel. The cause for his extra protection? A conviction for raping a 12-year-old British schoolgirl. Despite his crime, Van de Velde has been allowed to compete in this year’s Games and will receive special dispensations—such as avoiding any media duties—because of it.

It seems clear to me—and the crowd that booed him as he made his Olympic debut yesterday—that he should not be there.

The Paris Olympics are being hailed as the “Gender Equal Olympics” due to the 50/50 participation rate between men and women. It’s a tagline that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and French Sports Ministry have happily bandied around. The fact that they have a known convicted child sex offender competing sullies any notions of gender equality.

Van de Velde’s victim was just 12 when she was raped by the then 19-year-old ten years ago when he travelled to the UK from Amsterdam with the explicit purpose of assaulting her - and with full knowledge of her age. He pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and was sentenced to four years in prison. After serving one year in Britain, he was transferred to a Dutch prison where he was released a month later.

Van de Velde’s place at the Olympics shows that even when a rapist gets convicted (a statistic abnormality), justice can still be denied. When Van de Velde was sentenced in 2016, the judge told him, “You were training as a potential Olympian. Your hopes of representing your country now lie as a shattered dream.” Less than a decade later, here he is, competing on behalf of his country at the world’s most prestigious sporting event.

He’s hardly the first athlete to enjoy such privileges. Van de Velde stands in a long line of male athletes who have been accused, and in his case, even prosecuted, for violent crimes against women. In the UK, where violence against women and girls has just been declared a national emergency, seven out of 20 Premier League clubs have had players or bosses investigated by the police for sexual offences since 2020. Alexander Zverev, who is competing in tennis at the Olympics, continued playing across the world while awaiting trial for domestic abuse allegations. Allowing Van de Velde and other known offenders to compete at the highest echelons of sport normalises sexist violence.

The IOC’s spokesman Mark Adams’ bewildering comment that the rape took place ten years ago also sends a worrying message that there should be a time limit on how long convicted offenders should be held accountable for their actions. What next? Will we start telling victims and survivors to simply move on after what we deem to be a sufficient amount of grieving time?

Flippant attitudes towards gender-based violence have far-reaching ramifications. In the last ten years, rape offences have increased dramatically from 16,038 reported offences in England and Wales in 2012/13 to almost 68,000 in 2023/24. Yet despite an almost sixfold increase, prosecution rates remain shamefully low. In her last report as Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird stated, “The distressing truth is that if you are raped in Britain today, your chances of seeing justice are slim”. What does it say to victims when, even after an abuser has been convicted, they are still given a literal pedestal?

Olympians are not just elite athletes; they are role models, and whether or not the Dutch delegation feels the same way, a convicted sex offender should not be held up as a role model. Allowing a child rapist a shot at one of the world’s highest accolades sets a damaging precedent and a dangerous message during a time when misogyny is on the rise in young men and boys and violence against women and girls has reached epidemic levels.

Extreme measures are being taken to shield Van de Velde, who isn’t staying at the Olympic Village (his own suggestion) and won’t be interviewed or face any media at all. Who are we protecting? The message being beamed across the world is that Van de Velde is worthy of special privileges. If only we treated victims and survivors the same way.

In news from Paris this week, Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard has been asked to step down from his Olympic duties following a controversial comment he made about swimmers in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team.

Top-of-the-game swimmers and athletes Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris all competed on Saturday in the 4x100m freestyle event, winning gold and making history with their fourth consecutive gold.

While commentating on their victory, Ballard said: “Well, the women are just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.”

His fellow host,  Lizzie Simmonds quickly responded to her co-host, branding his comment as "outrageous." And swiftly after, Eurosport, Ballard's employer, announced their decision to ask him to step back from Olympic commentary for the foreseeable. 

In a statement, they shared: “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”

The clip has quickly gained traction on social media and the comment has fiercely divided opinion. Many branded Ballard's comments as sexist and derogatory, saying his comments were "setting women's sports back" and  "a solid example of casual sexism." One X user, Emily Benammar, wrote: "Bob Ballard, hang your head in shame. Get off the broadcast and back to the 1930s... He’s used a sexist slur as the Aussie women RIGHTLY celebrated together," while another X user shared: "You are a public commentator on the world stage, not down the pub having a pint with your mates. The belittling comment came so easily and thoughtlessly out of your mouth it would seem being an "advocate" for women's sport has its limits."

But others were quick to leap to his defence, with Matthew Camenzuli sharing: "Hey Eurosport, men and women are different. If it was a woman making a joke about how men don't clean up after themselves, which they don't, she would still have a job. Reinstate Bob Ballard. If we can't joke, life is very boring."

When I myself took to X to ask experts for their take on the controversy, I received a few - frankly shocking - replies that, as a Health Editor with extensive experience in sports reporting and commentary, really sum up the issue perfectly. 

The first reply was simply a link to a GoFundMe page with the title, "Give Bob Ballard His Job Back!". 

The second, an anonymous user going by the name of Doctor P, who shared: "Sexist joke?  Oh - you mean all jokes about women are sexist - in the same way that all men are rapists? Where's the bloke love? The one we talk to about serious matters... Get us a cup of tea - two sugars. "

But the worst came from an anonymous user, who replied: "The joke is actually female sports… it's like a B league for regular mens."

And herein lies the problem. The comment he made - whether derogatory or not - seems to have opened the floodgates for undoubtedly sexist comments to inundate the Internet.

Despite this year being the first-ever gender-equal Olympics, there have historically been multiple examples of women being treated as "lesser" athletes or having to abide by rules that men don't. AS an example, women were first allowed to compete in the marathon distance in 1984, just 40 years ago.

This year, women have been banned from wearing hijabs to compete in. And last Olympic games, the Norweigan women's beach handball team were fined £1,300 for competing in shorts rather than bikini bottoms while the men quite happily competed in shorts. The European Handball Federation called the women's shorts "improper" at the time.

That same year, two-time Paralympic world champ Olivia Breen was told her shorts were "too revealing" and swimmer Alice Dearing was criticised for her swimming cap, one designed to fit her afro hair, as swimmers "don't require caps of such size."

Speaking to sports sociologist Bethan Taylor-Swaine, she shares: "Despite claims of equality and growing respect for women's sport, sport remains a sphere that's heavily influenced by sexism and discrimination. Competitive sport itself is predicated on differences and the performance of the body. Couple that with a history that prioritised displays of masculinity as the primary purpose of sport and the systematic exclusion of women (especially in sports where they proved successful, I'm thinking specifically of football here), and it's unsurprising that despite all the progress, we've made blatant sexism rears its head time and again. "

"Ballard's comments are inexcusable and expose the continued culture of sexism in sport. Women in sport are constantly expected to confirm their femininity in a bid to offset the idea that sport is a masculinising pursuit. They are frequently asked about their personal lives before their sporting achievements, which may be overlooked in favour of men's, often inferior, accomplishments."

"It also reflects the sexism women face in wider society. Misogyny and violence against women are significant issues and we see time and again sexist and regressive stereotypes employed to undermine women. With this in mind, it's not a shock a sports commentator felt it was ok to say something sexist for the world to hear."

The bottom line is this: any distraction from the undeniable talent of these athletes does them a disservice. We should be focusing on their record-breaking achievement, not their gender. All athletes need to be shown respect and fair treatment after four gruelling years of work to get their chance to perform on the world stage. Stereotypes only set us back, and in 2024, we should be doing better.

Yusra Mardini is an inspiration. At only 17 years old, she fled her war-torn home country of Syria with her sister, both swimmers training at the highest level. As the small boat she was on with 18 other refugees broke down in the middle of the Mediterranean, her sister and her jumped in the water and pulled the boat to safety. After reaching European shores and finding her final refuge in Germany, she went back to training and ended up participating in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. Her story was even turned into a Netflix movie, The Swimmers and her sister and her were among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. Here, she shares her experience with Marie Claire, in her own words.

What was the final straw that made you decide to flee your country?

To be honest with you, there was not like one specific event. It just wasn’t safe to live in Syria. We lost our home, two years into the war, and started renting apartments, which became very expensive, and we had to move every 3 months. My father left to be a swim coach in Jordan, where the pay would be better. The Olympic pool I was training in was also targeted all the time because it was seen as a military base. One time I had to hide under my desk in the school. It just wasn’t safe. The bombs would fall randomly. Like, you’d be walking and then a bomb would just fall and you would just stand to the side, wait for everything to quiet down, and keep on walking like nothing even happened. It became so normal, which is horrible. One day, my sister and I were just talking in our shared bedroom and we just decided “it’s time to leave”. We found someone our parents could trust, my dad’s cousin, and they let us go.

What is the thing that you remember most from your journey as a refugee?

Probably the fact that we were looked at as criminals. Unfortunately, a lot of people were scared of us, didn’t believe that the money we were holding was real. As if being a refugee that means you have nothing. I was also always scared when we had to put our trust in smugglers, because of all the stories about trafficking. That was terrifying. As was being separated from my sister for part of the journey. As long as I was with her, I felt safe. But in the end, we trusted, and we wanted to help, and it turned out all right. You know, there’s always good and bad in the world, no matter where you are, no matter who you are. I met so many incredible people. For example, Hungary was one of the worst points for us as refugees, but even there some people were trying to help us. When I got to Greece, I remember trying to buy something at a restaurant and they didn’t want to serve us. And there was a young girl who just came and gave me shoes, and gave a little boy a hoodie, and took us to her home to drink water. There’s always good, wherever you go.

And now you’re trying to do good in the world… Tell us about your foundation.

It was launched on 20th of June, last year’s World Refugee Day, and it focuses on helping refugees worldwide through education and sports. Sports and education helped me personally get where I am today, and now I just want to give back. I feel like I have the power to offer the same opportunity to young refugees around the world.I recently I just came back from Kenya, where I saw so many incredible programs that are teaching some refugees in the camp how to become directors and producers and footballersand basketballers. It was just incredible to see that even in these really, really hard circumstances, they still are trying to pursue their dreams through education and sports.So my goal is to give as many refugees around the world the possibility to pursue their dreams. We now have programs in Kenya, France and Greece.

Speaking of sports, tell us about competing in the Olympics with the Refugee team?

The team came together when the International Olympic Committee and the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, came together and decided that there should be a team because there were many athletes reaching out that had no team, professional athletes who, because of war and displacement, didn’t have a passport. I was one of the 10 members of this first team for the Rio Olympics. I was 18 at the time, and I’m still in touch with a lot of the athletes. In the beginning, it was hard for me. I didn’t want to be called a refugee. Of course, I understood that I was one, but I didn’t want to be known worldwide for it. It tookme a while to be okay with that. But in the end, I understood that a lot of people would be looking up to us, a lot refugees would be watching from refugee camps. We realized that our responsibility was way bigger than any of the other athletes. When I entered the stadium for the opening ceremony, I felt: “It’s not just your dream anymore. It’s about changing something. It’s about proving that, yes, you can go through so many difficult things in life, you don’t necessarily get the life you had dreamed of, but you can still do great things”. For Tokyo, I had qualified to be in the Syrian team, but I decided to stay with the refugee team.

And what message do you want to share now?

For young people, I just want them to understand that even if we imagine that our life will go a certain way, it doesn’t always turn out like that. We have to be flexible, and we have to step back, not give up, and try again tomorrow, or try something different. For the rest of the world, never forget the humanity of refugees. And for sports fans, support the refugee team and follow my commentary on Eurosport this summer!

This piece originally appeared on Marie Claire US as part of their Women in Sport special.

The image of Lioness Chloe Kelly celebrating her 2022 Euro-winning goal by zipping around the Wembley turf in her sports bra, propelling her shirt above her head, was an iconic and symbolic turning point in women’s sport. It marks the team’s first major tournament win, yes, and also a shift in the sorts of conversations we’re having surrounding female athletes and the accessibility of physical activity to women. 

The morning after the iconic photo was captured, England players collectively penned a letter to Conservative Party leader candidates at the time, Liz Truss and now PM Rishi Sunak, asking them to ensure that all girls have access to a minimum of two hours of PE per week. Meanwhile, Kelly’s sports bra cele spilt into the conversations of TV hosts and households far beyond the confines of our country, with many praising the powerful message it conveys: sport is ours to play too. 

A thought that sometimes simmers in the back of my mind, however, is the reality that while the sports bra is emblematic of liberation, it’s also often the difference between someone being able to engage in physical activity – and performing to the best of their ability – and it being completely inaccessible to them. 

Research by Women in Sport last year revealed that only 36% of British schoolgirls aged 11 to 18 wear a sports bra during PE at school and, as a result, 69% said they could not jump or run freely, while 72% felt self-conscious about breast movement or bounce during activity. The impact that wearing a supportive sports bra can have on everything from comfort to confidence levels is unsurprisingly huge, with 80% noticing a significant increase in the former, and 45% feeling able to run and jump without anxiety. 

And sports kit concerns aren’t limited to class PE sessions – they remain a very real barrier to entry for even elite female athletes. Post-Euros, we saw the Lionesses switch from white to navy shorts to ensure players feel more comfortable while menstruating. Elsewhere, Nike’s Olympic kit for Team USA this year, which includes a high-cut unitard with a gusset that looks to be a little wider than a credit card and nowhere near as sturdy, caused outrage online with athletes and editors alike (Marie Claire UK’s Ally Head included) expressing shared frustration at the revealing piece of kit. Suitable breast support remains a sticking point for some athletes, too. 

A survey of elite female British athletes, published in Research in Sports Medicine in 2022, revealed that 51% experienced breast pain, with 29% saying it affected their ability to perform at their best. This is an issue Adidas and RHEON LABS® are looking to address with the creation of a new bra intended to "empower women to experience sport without restraint."

And, fun fact - said Techfit Control x RHEON™ sports bra will be a part of the Olympics training kits provided to Team GB, France and Ethiopia athletes for Paris 2024 so, naturally, I had to try it out and report back. If you'd like to scroll our full cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, look no further. We've also got extensive explainers on the lack of research into female athletic performance, why mothers are underestimated in sport, a look back into the road to equality at the Olympic Games, and the most iconic Olympic fashion moments, here.

Meet the sports bra that athletes will be wearing to the Paris Olympics

Your need-to-knows about the Olympics sports bra

It’s a bit more advanced than your run-of-the-mill design, hence its association with the Olympics. The Techfit Control features what’s called the RHEON™ reactive super polymer, which adapts to support the breast during high intensity movements. 

Simply, it’s a medium-support bra that’s suitable for a variety of workouts, but designed specifically with runners and athletics athletes in mind. It’s made from a combination of recycled polyester and elastane, featuring a racer back with a mesh panel, and is available in sizes 32A,B to 48E,G.

What makes the Techfit Control Olympics sports bra unique?

“Sports bras are a foundational piece of kit, but research into the category uncovered a vast dissatisfaction from women who weren’t being properly supported,” says Olga Kravchenko, Head of Design at Rheon Labs. She’s referring to a 2023 study from the University of Memphis which revealed that 72% of women experience breast pain when running. The same research also concluded that a high versus low support sports bra can help to improve running performance markers by 7% – a massive number, when you’re a competitive athlete. 

“The RHEON technology provides women with the support they need when they need it most, whilst also maximising their running performance,” Kravchenko continues. “The strips of highly strain sensitive RHEON polymer are strategically placed across the breast tissue. Like running on wet sand, it only hardens under intense movement, then returns to being soft and pliable.”

RHEON™ technology will be prominent on the athletics sprint suits on the legs, backs and busts of team GB, France and Ethiopia athletes. This sports bra, specifically, will be a part of training kits provided to athletes of all three federations. And it comes pro-athlete approved.

Commenting on the Techfit Control, British double Olympian Liz Yelling said: “When you’re exercising or competing, you do not want to think or worry about anything else. Having comfortable, well-fitting sports clothing is essential to your best performance and it is exciting to see that RHEON LABS® have invested so much into tackling the real problems women face with ill-fitting bras and the barriers to exercise that this creates.” Very promising!

My thoughts on the Olympics sports bra

Days one to three

During a boxing class recently, I had the uncomfortable realisation that my sports bra wasn’t nearly supportive enough for the jabbing and rolling in that session’s agenda. And while I wouldn’t say I necessarily have a huge rack, working out at a high intensity with a subpar sports bra makes me feel slower, more self-conscious, more sluggish. Like my boobs are two socks stuffed with potatoes (the big, baking kind) – ankle seam loosely stitched to my chest. All that to say, I’m pretty excited to give the gals a boost with the bra that’s heading to the Paris Olympics this summer.

The first thing I notice is the slightly raised strips of fabric on the front of the bra which, for a brief moment, I mistake for a subtle play on tiger stripes (animal print at the Olympics? I’ll approve). Next, is that the shoulder straps aren’t adjustable. This immediately makes me question the level of support the Techfit Control can provide, since industry experts I’ve spoken with previously have emphasised the importance of a personalised fit. So, I ask Kravchenko for clarification. 

“For running of all abilities, comfort is key for both performance and confidence. Enhanced comfort is one of our main aims with the Techfit Control sports bra, she says. “Through our research and conversations with testers of the sports bra so far, we have found that pull over bras are the preferred choice for many runners. By removing adjustable add-ons from the bra, we also remove the risk of the metal or plastic add-ons and clasps digging into the skin or clasps unfastening during running.” Since I’m not a competitive athlete, and I’m not big into endurance sports, I haven’t before considered how irritating and distracting it could be to wear a bra with clasps and such for a prolonged period. While I think this ultimately comes down to personal preference and requirements, it does make sense that many would favour a pull-on, non-adjustable bra for this reason.

I initially put the bra to the test with a low-impact weights session at the gym, followed a few days later by a hike in the Irish hills. There’s a meaty label I need – but can’t be bothered – to cut out, but otherwise it feels quite comfortable. I’m impressed by the fact there’s no side-boob spill, nor is my cleavage clamouring to escape over the front seam. This, in part, is due to selecting a decent fit, yes, but it’s also down to a mindful design that prioritises coverage and support. 

I like that the racer back allows me to wear it under various shaped vests (she says, only ever exercising in an oversized tee), and that I don’t feel excessively sweaty when wearing it to train. Plus, the medium support means I experience minimal boob-bounce while hiking, and allows me to enjoy my surroundings a bit more.

Days four to seven

The bra seems to wash well. I ignore advice to remove the bra pads before machine washing (they surely absorb sweat too?) and am impressed to find that they aren’t like the flimsy slices of foam you usually get in a sports bra. While they aren’t breast-boosting, by any means, they’re slightly thicker and more substantial. They feel like they could survive a sloshing around in the machine (though, do so at your own risk).

Next, I wear the bra for three more weightlifting sessions – two of which are much higher in intensity and feature plyometric exercises, such as kettlebell swings, and sets of skipping.

It’s now I notice the bra isn’t quite as supportive as I, personally, would prefer for high-intensity training. I don’t experience any pain or discomfort, per se, but there’s a bit more boob movement than I’d like. The bra doesn’t claim to provide high support, but I nonetheless query its ability to bolster breasts larger and heavier than my D-cups, and Kravchenko confirms that there is a limit. “The bras are designed to be more supportive and more comfortable for everyone,” she says. “That being said, the testing process of the bra was optimised on a 36DD size during running.” With that in mind, I probably wouldn’t recommend for anyone needing or preferring very high support.

My main qualm, I would say, is the shoulder straps, which have two seams and tend to curl up a little on occasion. It’s not so much uncomfortable as it is irritating, finding myself needing to adjust every so often. At £65, it's also pretty expensive and while I think it's important to invest in quality sports bras in particular, this is more than I'd generally be prepared to pay as an everyday gym-goer.

For low-impact weight training on the whole, however, I really rate the Techfit Control. I’m overall satisfied with the ratio of support to comfort, and while the bra isn’t quite so snug I forget I’m even wearing one (the dream, surely), I’m definitely less conscious of breast movement throughout my workouts.

Shop the kit now:

The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to be the first to achieve full gender parity with an equal number of male and female athletes. But, where did the road to Olympic equality begin, and what still needs work?

There’s a game I like to play at low-key social events to get to know people a little better (and invigorate the conversation, if it’s feeling a tad laboured between new acquaintances). There are no real rules, nor is there a winner or a loser. The crux of it is I want to hear your dream festival line-up; five artists, dead or alive, performing at one glorious – possibly chaotic – event. Responses are telling of genre taste, yes, but also of the tender and touching moments people hold dear to them – memories associated with their chosen music. If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to play a similar game with you – but with a twist. I’d like you to list the five Olympians – currently competing, retired or no longer alive – you would love to watch at their peak, all together at a Games. 

My list is easy to compile: Jessica Ennis-Hill, Kelly Holmes, Simone Biles, Laura Kenny, and Usain Bolt. For me – and I’m sure many other millennials, in particular – these athletes represent both colossal talent and warm nostalgia. Each one is associated with micro-milestones in my life – sun-drenched summer mornings tuning into the Games with my dad, and discovering, surprised, I actually do enjoy sport, as I fizz with excitement seeing Kelly zoom past a competitor. Without discrediting or dampening the successes of the Chris Hoys and Max Whitlocks – men I’ve enjoyed watching just as much – it’s the women’s wins and enduring trailblazing that are tattooed in my mind.

I, therefore, welcomed the news that the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to be the first ever gender-equal Games – a long overdue landmark, during which the same number of male and female athletes will be competing (48.7% of athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Games were female, making it the most gender-balanced Olympics until now). And that’s not all – this year’s Olympics will also mark the first time a women’s event (the marathon) concludes the Games, which is traditionally closed by the men’s marathon. 

We’ve seen such monumental progression in women’s sport in recent years (Arsenal Women will play most of their 2024/25 WSL fixtures at Emirates Stadium for the first time, following record-breaking attendances during the 2023/24 season, as one example) and sometimes we need to take stock of how far we’ve come. The blunt reality is, if the rules from early modern Olympic Games applied today, most women would not be able to partake – including the four on my list, and possibly some from yours too. It’s hard to imagine a world in which athletes now symbolic of the Games would not have been allowed to compete – and yet, you may be surprised at how recently some restrictions were lifted. So, keep scrolling for your full run down. Of course, this piece is part of our Women in Sport summer special, so do check out our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, not to mention 14 fun facts about the athletes that'll have you rooting for them come race day. For more long form reads, scroll our deep dives into the lack of research into female athletic performance and why mothers are underestimated in sport.

Olympics equality: a brief history of the Games

The modern Olympics was founded in 1894 (the first Games held in 1896) by French Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed that sport supported educational development and that a revival of the Olympics – involving countries worldwide - could help to promote international peace. He also believed that women had no place competing at the Games.

Of course, at the time, women had very few rights, and their primary purpose was to raise children and perform wifely duties. Competing at the Olympics, it was thought, would risk their ability to fulfil that purpose. “Coubertin was from a very conservative, aristocratic family,” explains Jörg Krieger, Associate Professor at Aarhus University researching women at the Olympic Games, and co-author of Women in the Olympics. “There's definitely a class issue that is important here. Additionally, there were medical concerns that there would be health risks to females participating in elite sport.” It was feared that women would suffer reproductive issues were they to exceed their "natural limitations" during physical activity, and that engaging in sport would result in increased masculinity. Whatever that means.

Discussing the possibility of women competing in a letter from 1912, Coubertin wrote that it would be "impractical, uninteresting, ungainly and […] improper". Sadly, it was an opinion shared by many, and consequently, it would take a century from the time he penned those words for all sports to be accessible to female athletes at the Olympics.

The 1900 Games was not organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – an organisation formed by Coubertin to support and monitor the organisation of the games, of which every member was male at the time – and Coubertin, therefore, didn’t have much influence. As a result, 22 female athletes participated in croquet, equestrian dressage, golf, sailing, and tennis at the Paris Olympics. Women made up 2.2% of all competitors. “These sports were considered to be appropriate for female athletes as they could wear long clothes, and their bodies wouldn't be on display as much,” says Krieger. They were thought to be less physically demanding activities, allowing women to remain "graceful" and "feminine" while competing.

So, what happened between then and now? Keep reading for 14 of the major milestones.

The road to Olympics equality – 14 surprising milestones highlighting how far the Games have come 

1. 1921: The first ‘Women’s Games’ takes place

In 1921, after the IOC refused to allow female athletes to compete in track and field, the Women’s Olympiad took place in Monte Carlo.

In 1922, French feminist and rower Alice Milliat organised the first Women’s World Games to ensure female leadership in women’s sports. 75 women from five countries participated, and 20,000 spectators attended. Further Women’s World Games took place in 1926, 1930 and 1934. 

Ther International Women's Sports Federation, which organised the Games, was dissolved following the 1934 competition, as women’s sports were increasingly integrated into the IOC and the International Association of Athletics (IAAF).

2. 1928. Women are allowed to participate in track and field events for the first time

Initially prohibited because it was considered uncouth and unsafe for women to engage in high intensity physical activities, in 1928 five track and field events were added to the programme for the first time: the 100m, the 4 x 100m relay, the high jump, the discus and the 800m. This decision was largely influenced by concern from the IOC over female leadership in women’s sport, and the success of Alice Milliat’s Women’s World Games. Female athletes set world records in all but the 100m at this Games.

3. 1928: Women are prohibited from running distances longer than 200m

Yes, you read that right. The same year that women’s athletics debuted at an Olympics Games, long distance running became prohibited.

It was reported that, after completing the 800m event in the 1928 Games, female athletes appeared totally exhausted. IOC leaders became concerned this indicated over-exertion, and that women’s bodies were too feeble to compete in such events. Women were not allowed to participate in the 800m for 32 years.

4. 1932: An Olympic Village was built for the first time… but women weren’t invited

Instead of being hosted in the first of its kind Olympic Village for the 1932 Los Angeles Games, like the men, female athletes were put up in a local hotel.

5. 1960: The 800m returns!

Following a (let’s be honest: unnecessary) 32-year-long wait, women are finally allowed to compete in the 800m once more at the 1960 Rome Olympics. It remained the longest discipline until 1972, when the 1,500m race was introduced for female athletes.

6. 1968: Anita Neil MBE becomes Team GB’s first Black female Olympian

At the 1968 Games in Mexico, sprinter Anita Neil MBE became Britain’s first Black female Olympian. She participated in the 100m and the 4 x 100m relay. She competed in the same events at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, also.

In an interview featured on the Team GB website, Neil says: “I knew I was the non-white person in the team but I did not think that much more about it.

“I was trying to blend in but to know that I am Britain’s first black female Olympian is fantastic. It is something I am really proud of.” 

7. 1972: Women accounted for only 14.8% of Olympians

52 years ago, only 14.8% of Olympians at the 1972 Munich summer Games were women. In contrast, women constituted 28.9% of Olympians at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

8. 1981: Female members finally join the IOC

For 87 years, the IOC had been entirely made up of men. In 1981, two women – Pirjo Häggman of Finland and Flor Isava Fonseca of Venezuela – joined the committee and assumed roles in Olympic leadership for the first time.

9. 1984: Women are finally permitted to participate in the marathon

It was only 40 years ago that female athletes were allowed to compete in the marathon for the very first time at an Olympics. It was the fastest women’s marathon in history – nine athletes finished in under 2:30. 

Several other events also became available to women at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, including artistic swimming, cycling, rhythmic gymnastics and shooting. The Heptathlon also replaced the pentathlon. 

10. 1991: All new sports must include women’s events

About time. In 1991, the IOC introduced a new rule that requires any sport applying for Olympic involvement to include women’s events.

11. 1996: Women competed in beach volleyball for the first time… but were required to wear bikinis

Beach volleyball became an official sport at the Olympic Games in 1996 and, thanks to the 1991 rule requiring new sports to accommodate female athletes too, women could participate. However, women were prohibited from competing in anything that wasn’t a bikini or swimsuit. This meant that many, such as muslim women, could not partake, and it contributed to the sexualisation of female athletes.

Kit remains a point of contention today. Nike sparked global outrage when it released a sample of its official 2024 Olympic kit for Team USA earlier this year, which featured a racing vest and knee-length cycling shorts for the men, and an extremely high-cut unitard for the women. And yet, kit is a key factor in performance. 

“For anything you do, whether you're on the track running or in an office, you have to feel good within yourself,” says Jeanette Kwakye MBE, former sprinter, Olympian and the broadcaster who will be leading morning BBC coverage at this year’s Games. The most important thing, she says, is that athletes have a choice, and that we don’t ostracise women based on their kit preferences.

12. 1999: Mandatory sex testing is abolished

Sex testing began in the 1930s and 1940s when the IAAF, which oversaw track and field, would randomly check the sex of female athletes they considered ‘suspicious’ (because of their appearance or athletic ability) via physical exam. In 1968, the IOC introduced mandatory sex testing, which 1972 Olympic pentathlon champion Mary Peters has previously said was “the most crude and degrading experience I have ever known in my life.”

Various methods of sex testing followed, including the Barr body test in 1967, which used chromosomes to determine sex, and hormone testing. Mandatory sex testing was finally abolished for Olympics participants in 1999. However, because international federations are responsible for eligibility rules, many intersex and trans athletes still face many challenges attempting to compete at the Olympics.

13. 2012: Women are allowed to compete in every sport on the Olympic programme

Although only 12 years ago, with the introduction of women’s boxing, the 2012 London Games was the first Olympics where women were granted permission to partake in every sport on the programme. Additionally, 2012 was the first year every participating country had female competitors.

Nicola Adams won gold in the Fly category – a moment many of us will recall – and, along with many other female athletes that year, made history. “It's a game changer, isn't it,” says Kwakye. “Because, all of a sudden, now you can see that there is a pathway. If you want to be a female boxer, you can go and do boxing.”

14. 2024: The IOC introduces an AI system to help protect athletes from online abuse at the Paris Olympics

Ofcom’s 2022 Online Nation report revealed that women are more likely to be negatively affected by online abuse than men. So, while the IOC’s new AI System is for all athletes, it’s a welcome step forward for women at the Games. 

The technology will monitor thousands of social media accounts – across all major platforms – identifying and flagging threats, so that abuse can be dealt with as efficiently as possible. Some social media platforms, however, are notoriously terrible for responding to hate speech and disciplining perpetrating accounts, so it will be interesting to see how the AI system can assist. 

Additionally, there will be a dedicated mental health helpline for all participants in the 2024 Paris Games, and it will remain accessible for four years. 

What needs to happen next for Olympics equality?

While equal representation of men and women at the Games is a welcome step forward for gender parity, there’s still work to be done. 

When I ask Krieger what he thinks of this year’s first ever gender-equal Olympics, he says he considers it a marketing campaign. “Questions about gender equality are being asked everywhere – we discuss them in every forum – so of course the IOC, together with the French organising committee, would try to promote the Olympics in this way.” That said, he also acknowledges that we’ve come very far from that first 1896 games, and that the IOC has played an instrumental role in the progress that has been made. 

“But, for me, the way they are promoting it is too much because there are still issues. It’s like they are saying ‘this is gender equality, and we have finally reached it’. If we look, for example, at coaches, the percentages of female coaches versus male coaches is still significant. Now, we cannot influence this directly, but I think there's still a lot more to be done.” At the 2020 Tokyo Games, only 13% of coaches were women.

Additionally, he feels the IOC could further improve gender equality at the Olympics by supporting more girls at grassroots level and putting more women in leadership roles. “We’ve had 130 years of the IOC, but we have not had a woman as president of the IOC, for example. I'm not saying the next president should be a woman – it should be the best possible person – but I think that they should promote women to become the best person for the position.”

When Kwakye competed at the 2008 Olympics, she said the Games felt like a level playing field to her. However, discrepancies between sponsorships for the men and women presented female athletes with an additional challenge their teammates didn’t necessarily face. “Away from the Olympic Games, the men always got paid more,” she says. “They got bigger sponsorships. It was always the case. Even though I'd achieved a lot more than some of the men in my Great Britain team, I was getting paid significantly less, so that wasn't always fun.”

Kwakye is pleased with the progress we’re making in women’s sport as a whole, but says that in order to reach complete gender parity we need more male allies. “There are a lot of men in powerful places – that’s the backing that is needed,” she says. “We need those fantastic allies to come out and be like, ‘no, that's not acceptable’. They need to feel comfortable to call it out.”

The 2024 Paris Olympics is an important milestone for gender parity at the Games, yes, but it cannot be the final one. 

France has been accused of “racist gender discrimination” by Amnesty International because of its controversial decision to ban athletes from wearing hijabs at the Paris Olympics, which begins on Friday.

From the water quality of the Seine River to calls to disqualify countries, The Paris Olympics, which are due to begin this Friday, have been riddled with controversy. And now the host country has been accused of “racist gender discrimination” over its decision to ban its athletes from wearing the hijab while competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The ban, which prohibits athletes competing for France from wearing any religious coverings, was hinted at in September of last year when France’s sports minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, vowed to uphold the country’s strict secularism policies.

France’s secularist principle—or laïcité—outlaws wearing any symbols or clothing that signify religious affiliation in spaces such as schools, government institutions, and sports events. However, many have argued that the policy seems to specifically target Muslim girls and women, who have been prohibited from wearing headscarves in specific settings for twenty years.

There was hope that athletes would be able to represent their faith and their country when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told Reuters that “There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire.” This holds true—except for athletes competing on behalf of France.

According to the French Sports Ministry, athletes will only be allowed to wear hijabs in the Olympic Village—not while competing. However, as the IOC itself does not ban hijabs, athletes competing for other countries will be allowed to wear hijabs and other religious headwear, provided their home federations permit it.

Human rights organisations have been quick to point out the irony in France banning its athletes from wearing hijabs while hailing the tournament as the “Gender Equal Olympics” on account of its 50/50 participation rate between men and women.

The IOC’s commitment to full gender equality for the Paris Olympic Games is a cause for celebration—as is the tournament itself. The Olympics bring together countries and cultures both in competition and in community. So, for many, France’s refusal to allow religious head coverings is seen as going against what the tournament has come to represent.

Anna Bluś, a spokesperson for Amnesty International, has said that “banning French athletes from competing with sports hijabs at the Olympic and Paralympic Games makes a mockery of claims that Paris 2024 is the first Gender Equal Olympics and lays bare the racist gender discrimination that underpins access to sport in France.” A new report from Amnesty International describes the decision as a “violation” and lambasts the decision as “racist gender discrimination”.

Several French female athletes have voiced their hurt at being unable to even try out for the qualifiers due to the ban. “It’s very frustrating to be excluded from representing my home country, simply because of my religious identity,” said “24-year-old basketball player Diaba Konaté in a press conference earlier this year.

In a 32-page report from Amnesty International, Bluś has detailed the impact France’s ban has had on women and girls, who already face huge hurdles when it comes to pursuing sports. She said: “Discriminatory rules policing what women wear are a violation of Muslim women’s and girls’ human rights and have a devastating impact on their participation in sport, blocking efforts to make sports more inclusive and more accessible.”

According to a recent Women in Sport survey, Girls are three times more likely to drop out of sport than boys. At a time when more efforts are being made to encourage young girls to stay in sport—in the UK, more than half of all secondary schoolgirls (64%) give up sport before they turn 16—this feels like a bitter blow for many, and reminds us that we are still a long way from women having autonomy over their own image.

Chances are, you don't tune into the Olympics to check out what the athletes are wearing. Sure, the lycra and spikes are certainly a look, but the athlete's next-level athletic ability, dedication, drive and human prowess understandably take centre stage each time the games come around. That said, fashion has always been a part of what makes the games so must-watch, and there have been some iconic and unforgettable historic Olympic fashion moments over the years.

From sprinter and world-record holder Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith-Joyner’s infamous outfits both on and off the track to fashion icon Stella McCartney's multiple Team GB kit designs, athletes have long used fashion as a form of art, self-expression and even rebuttal (Flo-Jo, as an example, was often criticised for how her fashion could affect her performance yet still scooped five Olympic medals, still holding the world record for the fastest 100m and 200m ever 36 years later).

And there's a real appetite for it, too. Olympic fashion search is currently at an all-time high, with Google Searches increasing +9,900% over the last couple of days. TikTok is also loving a deep dive into the archive, too, with a total of 13.8k posts under the hashtag, ranging from Olympians unboxing their official kit to avid fans reacting to their favourite Olympics uniforms. From Mongolia to Japan, we are truly seeing some of the most intricate designs to have ever graced Olympic stadiums. Referencing cultural heritage and honouring their national flag’s colourways, this year's kits are intricate, eye-catching, and without doubt some of the most exciting.

Whatever way you look at it, fashion is as much a part of the Olympics as the competition itself, and fashion and sport have a long, intertwined history. Sports have even influenced some famous designs, like Chanel’s classic nautical stripes which were inspired by French sailors, or adidas’ iconic Stan Smith trainers, first worn by IRL tennis players. That's right - some of our wardrobe’s most essential everyday pieces are remarkably linked to the sports world.

Over the years, some seriously major luxury designers have designed some of the most renowned uniforms, too. From Vera Wang's stunning figure skating uniforms to Stella McCartney's unforgettable Team GB designs, household names have long brought a bit of sparkle to team kit. Fashion houses like Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Giorgio Armani all continue to join forces with official teams making sports unequivocally high-fashion and even high street, as these iconic looks start making their way onto the high street with viral trends like tenniscore, balletcore, and most recently, the F1 fangirl aesthetic.

Keen to scroll through some of the most iconic looks? Below, we've rounded up our favourites throughout history. Don't miss our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 14 fun facts about the athletes we bet you didn't know, or supporting features on the lack of research into female athletic performance and why mothers are underestimated in sport, while you're at it.

15 seriously medal-worthy Olympic fashion moments

Simone Biles (2024)

Paris 2024 has been quite the ride for Simone Biles, easily cementing her status as the greatest gymnast of all time. Not only is she the most decorated gymnast in history at the age of just 27, but she's also the oldest female gymnast ever to win all-around Olympic gold.

And she's had some iconic looks to match, including this leotard from her first day of competing (gold medal-worthy on its own, in our humble opinion). Covered in 47,000 Swarovski crystals and designed by GK Elite for Team USA, this look instantly set the scene for what turned out to be a historic Olympic Games for Team USA's female gymnastics team.

Celine Dion (2024)

After a four-year absence from performing due to ongoing health issues, singer and icon Celine Dion took the stage at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Performing on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower whilst wearing a dazzling Christian Dior gown, the iconic singer amassed one billion views worldwide.

Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith-Joyner (1988)

Arguably one of the most famous athletes of all time, Flo-Jo is known for her eye-wateringly fast world records and influential style both on and off the track.

Having always had a keen eye for fashion and styling, Flo-Jo’s masterful eye for a look was always evident. Making her style an accessory to her sportsman brilliance rather than a distraction, as several critics noted, the track and field athlete set records that still stand today and was the first Black woman to win four medals at a single game.

Of course, she achieved all of this while sporting a sleek unitard featuring a single white belt, and six-inch Team USA-inspired nails with two gold nails representing her hopes for gold.

Michelle Kwan (1998)

Merging the athlete’s love of fashion and the designer’s passion for figure skating, Vera Wang and Michelle Kwan’s relationship resulted in some of the most iconic figure skating looks ever seen.

For the 1998 Japanese Olympic Games, Wang designed a sleek periwinkle velvet dress for the athlete. While Kwan received a silver medal, this look is nothing short of gold.

Mongolia Official Uniforms (2024)

The 2024 Olympics in Paris are already generating a massive buzz on social media, with spectators obsessing over official kit reveals.

That said, one country in particular seems to have stolen the show this year, massively upping the fashion antics with its couture uniform.

The country in question? None other than Mongolia, of course, who worked with local design house Michel & Amazonka. The design duo Michel Choigaalaa and Amazonka Choigaalaa have custom-made subtle but stylish uniforms for each athlete, merging traditional folklore with embroidered symbols that pay homage to the country’s culture.

Cathy Freeman (2000)

Cathy Freeman’s race in the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia was culturally significant for a number of reasons.

Firstly, as an Indigenous woman competing in Australia, a country with a tumultuous political history, her win was widely celebrated and made a strong statement in the host country.

Secondly, while competing, the athlete was one of the first to test an aerodynamic suit made by Nike. While controversial at the time, the suit has since become an influential piece in the world of sportswear, inspiring a now widely used astronaut suit.

Serena Williams (2008)

Over the years, Serena Williams has cemented herself as a sports player who also serves some serious looks. Showcasing countless trophy-worthy outfits on and off the court, pinpointing a favourite is no small feat.

That said, one of her favourites during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games gets our vote this time around. Williams showcased a chic and patriotic ensemble, donning a Nike dress with a pleated blue hemline and red-themed accessories.

Misia's dress in the Opening Ceremony (2020)

Come 2021, the Olympic Games were under a lot of pressure thanks to the global pandemic. While the original date of the games was moved due to Tokyo's Covid restrictions, even 2021 held a lot of uncertainty for competitors and spectators worldwide.

That said, from the get-go Japan made their best efforts to make it a memorable event. During the Opening Ceremony, Japanese artist Misia took the stage to sing the Japanese national anthem wearing a gown by local designer Tomo Koizumi. The piece was made from recycled organza and was delicately spray-painted to create its emblematic rainbow pattern.

Four years later, this dress continues to hold huge cultural significance for sports and fashion fans worldwide.

Brazilian Synchronised Swimming Outfits (2012)

Another great fashion moment seen at the 2012 London Olympic Games was the incredibly intricate swimming costumes worn by Brazilian duo Lara Teixeira and Nayara Figueira.

Donned while they competed in the synchronised swimming event, they showed the internal organs of the human body and included a full human ribcage, veins, and a heart. Of course, no human body is complete without a brain and the duo’s hair cap held a detailed brain-inspired print.

Tonya Harding (1994)

One of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding's most iconic performances was in 1994, when she competed in the Norway Winter Olympics, pleading for a re-skate after a broken lace. This famed moment later inspired many popular pop culture moments across film and TV, later leading to a full recreation from actress Margot Robbie in the award-winning film, I Tonya.

Princess Anne participating at the Olympic Games (1976)

For the 1976 Olympics that took place in Canada, Princess Anne made history by becoming the first-ever member of the Royal Family to compete in the Olympics.

Competing in the equestrian event, Princess Anne rode her mother’s horse, Goodwill, although she sadly didn't place on the podium.

Above, you can see her standing among the delegation wearing her official uniform and a carmine-toned blazer with a matching kettle brim hat.

London Olympic Games closing ceremony with the Spice Girls and Supermodels (2012)

In 2012 during London's Olympic Closing Ceremony, several world-renowned artists took to the stage to give the athletes a proper send-off, including the very long-awaited and much-celebrated Spice Girls reunion.

The iconic girl group arrived on top of taxis and paid homage to their emblematic staple looks wearing looks by designers Giles Deacon, Suzanne Neville, and Zuhair Murad. The ceremony also showcased a powerful celebration of British fashion with the support of the British Fashion Council.

British Models like Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Lily Cole and Georgia May Jagger strutted down the Olympic Stadium wearing Alexander McQueen, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Kane, and more.

Stella McCartney's Team GB uniform (2012)

Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Christian Louboutin are among the influential fashion industry designers who've created iconic Olympic uniforms over the years.

That said, one of the most memorable came in 2012 when designer Stella McCartney was tasked with designing Team GB’s kit for the 2012 Olympic Games. This moment was even more unforgettable because that marked the year that the games were held in her hometown, London.

While people often maintain that fashion and sport don't go hand in hand, McCartney’s creations seamlessly merged performance and style. The process, which included 590 designs and took two years to create, ultimately became such an iconic collection that McCartney was asked to return to design Team GB's kit in 2016.

Mexican Olympic guide uniforms (1968)

FYI, iconic Olympic-style moments aren't just about the athlete's kit, but what staff and performers wear, too. One seriously standout moment came in 1968 when, in true 60's fashion, all female guides working in the Mexico Olympic Stadium donned a red and white striped babydoll dress and cape, easily one of the chicest off-the-field looks in Olympic history.

Designed by Irma Dubost and Julie Murdoch, the outfit showcased two out of three of the colours in Mexico’s flag - red and white - and had the official "Mexico '68" logotype.

British Women’s Team (1922)

The 1922 Paris Olympic Games held massive cultural significance as it was the first games to hold a track and field competition for women. As a result, the games saw eighteen world records set by women.

It came to be known colloquially as the "Women’s Olympic Games" as a result, and encouraged more and more female participation in sport (so much so, there are actually more women than men competing for Team GB this year).

In the above image, female athletes ready to represent Team GB stand in front of the train ahead of their departure for Paris, marking an undeniably memorable intersection between elegant travel style and the cultural importance of the moment.

For the first time in Olympic history, at Paris 2024 Team GB has more women athletes than men representing the four countries of the United Kingdom. Indeed, the games will have 155 male athletes and 172 female athletes representing Great Britain – a fact that is all the more fitting, given that it was at the Paris Olympics in 1900 that women were allowed to compete for the first time.

And it’s about time. Women’s sports across the board have come to the forefront in the past few years – who can forget that history-making win at the Women’s Euros – and while this year’s Olympics is undeniably a milestone for women in sport, it has served to highlight the fact that science isn’t keeping up. There’s a huge disparity in research into how female bodies perform best, as it’s estimated that a mere 6% of all research performed on endurance athletes has been done on women.

Why does this matter, you might ask? Well, high-quality and wide-ranging sports science research is crucial to help athletes perform better, for longer, and with fewer injuries, allowing female participation in sport (whether at elite or grassroots level) to thrive.

Here, we take a look at the reasons behind this gender research gap and speak to the people and organisations who are tackling the issue head-on. Keen to scroll through some of the most iconic looks? Below, we've rounded up our favourites throughout history. This feature is part of our Women in Sport summer special, so do be sure to check out our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 14 things you didn't know about the athletes, while you're at it. For more in-depth explainers, read our supporting features on why mothers are underestimated in sport and the most iconic Olympic fashion moments of all time.

Why is there such a lack of research into how female bodies best perform?

There’s no doubt that sport science, exercise and medical research on the female body is lagging behind the work done (and being done) in the male space – that much is clear. But when it comes to the reasons as to why, things are more complex than you might expect.

“There are several reasons why there is such a small body of research into the female body as it relates to sport and exercise, many of which are inextricably linked,” Chief Executive of Women in Sport Stephanie Hilborne OBE tells MC UK. “Sports science is a subset of the inequality in medical research as a whole – less than 2.5% of public funding is directed towards women’s health in the UK.”

1. Historical reasons

“Historically sport emerged as a symbol of masculinity to the exclusion of women,” explains sports sociologist and research consultant Bethan Taylor Swaine. “For the most part, sport was considered unsuitable for women and a threat to our health.”

Indeed, in the late 1800s the myth of the ‘falling uterus’ was perpetuated with people (doctors included) believing that vigourous exercise could cause a woman's womb to 'fall' out, rendering them infertile and therefore defeating their "true" purpose in life.

And let’s not forget that it wasn’t until 1984 that there was a women’s marathon at the Olympics – so to say we’re still playing catch up is an understatement. Although increasingly women are competing at elite level, and there are more female experts in sports science and research, Hilborne reminds us that “there is a substantial backlog in research to make up for.”

2. Deeply embedded sexism

You need only look at the recent coverage of the men’s Euros to see that gender ideology in sport is alive and kicking, with even some media outlets failing to acknowledge that the women’s Lionesses won the Euros only two years ago.

“While there have been improvements and more women are involved in sports in increasingly high-profile ways, gender ideology is deeply baked into our society,” says Taylor Swaine. “Sport is still seen as a space for men and any women in sports are there through exceptionalism and by permission as they've proven themselves to fit in. This has influenced the research agenda, but there is change happening.”

In addition, it’s important to note that the majority of decision makers in sport, according to Hilborne, “have been, and continue to be men. Until there is a 50:50 balance in research decision makers, these imbalances will remain."

3. Research into women’s bodies is more complex

Societal, historical and cultural issues aside, the simple fact is that undertaking scientific research on the female body is more complicated and time-consuming than men’s, as Dr Richard Burden, head of female athlete health and performance at the UK Sports Institute explains.

“From a research perspective in sport and exercise science and medicine, one of the challenges is that a research project involving female participants is more time-consuming and harder to do than if you’re just using men,” he tells MC UK. “Historically, whereas you could complete a male research project in a month, for women it might take two or three months, because of the influence of the menstrual cycle.

“To standardise the research, you’d have to get all the athletes doing the same thing at the same point in their cycle, and because all cycles are different (women aren’t at the same point at the same time) it makes everything take much longer, and becomes more expensive. This isn’t to say it’s not worth doing – it absolutely is – it’s just far more complex.”

Added to this, there are still so many unknowns surrounding how menstruation affects performance, and this can hamper the reliability of data.

“Because historically, science and medicine have shied away from using females as participants, we still don’t actually know that much about how the menstrual cycle influences health and performance,” says Dr Burden, “and because we don’t know much, we don’t have much information to give, and the cycle then repeats itself.”

This is something that Dr Kate Hutchings, clinical lead at the UK Sports Institute’s Female Athlete Health and Performance service, knows all about.

“There are big questions around the menstrual cycle and performance,” she says. “There are a couple of issues - many female athletes take contraception, which interferes with the natural menstrual cycle, and secondly, there are lots of different factors that affect performance. There are studies on strength and endurance fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, but those studies have really only been done on a small group of athletes.

“To be able to draw any kind of scientific conclusion, studies have to be done on a wide range of participants. You just can’t draw conclusive results otherwise – there has to be really robust science around ideas before we can start advising elite athletes to train in certain ways, and we’re just not there yet.”

So, what’s being done about this lack of research? 

All the experts we spoke to agreed that the condition of female-based research has improved in the last five years – but there’s still lots of work to do.

“More women are involved now in sports science and gradually more profile is being given to women’s sport, meaning more questions are being asked,” acknowledges Hilborne. “Society is shifting but it needs to shift faster.”

There are a variety of female health and performance initiatives in sport either in motion or in the pipeline for the future. The University of Portsmouth has a dedicated Research Group in Breast Health, partnering with the British Olympic Association focusing on breast health, biomechanics and sports performance, while cult athleisure-wear brand Lululemon is undertaking its own scientific research programme, the Further Initiative, in partnership with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and Lululemon’s academic research network, in a bid to “better understand human performance by advancing women’s-first research and helping close the sex and gender data gap in sports science.”

Closer to home, the UK Sports Institute is committed to supporting research and innovation for UK female athletes, partnering with Manchester Metropolitan University to form a new Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport, and they have also announced a new partnership with tech firm INTEL to develop female athlete technology.

“The vision for these initiatives is for them to be the go-to place for scientifically rigorous, reliable and precise information that adds value to elite sport,” says Dr Burden. “The hope is that the research undertaken will help us start to understand the impact of female-specific factors in elite sport and performance, which in time will trickle down to grassroots level, too - elite sport can act as a really good incubator for generating knowledge that can then be applied in wider society.”

The times are a-changing; and we’re here for all of it.

The Olympics are in full swing and with it, a roster of world-class sporting events. Luckily, the majority are being live-streamed directly to our televisions, meaning we're getting to enjoy a pretty excellent summer of sport and the chance to watch as the best in the world battle it out for a chance on their respective podiums. 

To celebrate the 29th iteration of the Games, we're delighted to have Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen as our July cover stars. Both sprinters have some seriously impressive accolades to their names and have been training for the last four years - not only for a chance to qualify for their country, but to bag a medal in the next few weeks, all things going to plan. 

Below, we share some fun facts about the athletes that you likely won't know - need-to-knows about their sporting achievements, pre-race rituals, and hopes for this year's games, as well as favourite movies, favourite current fashion trends, and bucket list travel destinations. Keen to read the full cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen? Click here. And don't miss our extensive explainers on the lack of research into female athletic performance, why mothers are underestimated in sport, and the most iconic Olympic fashion moments, while you're at it.

16 fun facts about Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen 

1. Both athletes will be representing Team GB this year

By the time we photographed both athletes for our Women in Sport cover, they knew they'd made Team GB - Neita for the third time, and Nielsen for the first time as an individual (she competed as part of a relay team at the last Tokyo Olympic games). 

"It's absolutely amazing to qualify for Team GB. When you're an athlete, the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of your sport and all you're thinking about is representing your country on the biggest stage possible. To finally qualify is such a proud and immense feeling," Nielsen shares.

While Neita will take part in the 100-metre and 200-metre races, Nielsen will be on the start line for the 400-metre. Both are set to compete as part of relay teams for their respective distances, too. 

2. Neita is the second fastest woman in British history

That's right - the MC UK cover star is the second-fastest female British sprinter of all time behind relay teammate Dina Asher-Smith, a pretty impressive accolade. Her current personal best is 10.90 over the 100-metre distance, which she banked back in 2022 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. She's only 0.7 of a second behind her relay teammate Dina Asher-Smith, who ran a 10.83 100-metre in 2019.

To put this into context for you, only three British women have ever run a sub-11 second 100-metre - Dina, Daryll, and Imani-Lara Lanisquot, who ran a 10.99 in September 2023.

Speaking exclusively to MC UK for her cover interview, she shared: "I've always believed that I'm born to do track and field. I believe that I can be the best. I just believe I can." 

3. Nielsen is also fighting fit and just smashed a new PB

Just last weekend, Nielsen smashed her 400-metre personal best by nearly a whole second - a huge win with just days to go until she'll be competing in Paris.

Candidly sharing a text she'd sent to her coach, Tony Lester, years ago describing how willing she was to work hard to achieve the illusive 49 second 400-metre time, she shared: "We envisioned it and we worked hard for it. Super excited for what's to come." 

4. This year marks the first year Nielsen will be competing solo at an Olympic Games

This year marks Nielsen’s first competing solo - a goal she’s been working towards since a teenager.

That said, she reflects that representing her country as part of the relay team at the games in 2020 was still incredibly special. “That’s the beauty of sprints,” she jests, referring to the fact that often when you don't qualify for the individual races, you can still be called up for the wider team effort.

5. This year marks Neita's third Olympic Games

And that's not all - she currently has two Olympic medals to her name, too. Neita's first games was the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she also competed at Toyko in 2021.

She earned a place on the podium and a bronze medal for her efforts at both games; in 2016, she was part of the women's 100m relay team alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Asha Philip and Desiree Henry. 

In 2021, she returned for the same race with Asher-Smith and Philip, and Imani-Lara Lanisquot joined as their new teammate. They hold the British record for the 100m relay, a seriously impressive time of 41.55.

6. They both have pre-race rituals that they swear by

Ah, the illusive pre-race ritual - something many an athlete swears by for that extra bit of luck pre-race or match. For the UK's fastest woman, Dina Asher-Smith, it's taking her time with her skincare routine and using her favourite cleanser, face masks, and setting spray. Meanwhile, Dame Kelly Holmes has shared previously that she was "very strict" with her pre-race superstition of laying all her kit out - including her shoes, shorts, vest and anything else she might need - the night before a race.

As for our cover stars, Nielsen is a fan of lucky nails and is considering a Union Jack design on one finger this year. Nieta, on the other hand, likes to focus on her make-up and meditation to make sure she's in the right headspace to perform at her best.

7. Their warm ups went viral on Instagram earlier this year

Yep, you read that right - and not for the reason you might think. Both athletes normally kick off their days with an hour warm-up, which shocked Instagram when Nielsen shared it in a video earlier this year.

You can see why a proper warm-up is essential, though, as most days, both athletes bank an interval track session of some form - think short sprints or race replication, alongside strength training, too.

They both prioritise recovery, too, with Nielsen opting for daily magnesium supplements, a non-negotiable eight hours of sleep every night and plenty of nutrient-dense meals (she’s a big fan of home cooking and loves nourishing, colourful, high-protein meals). 

Neita’s loves easing sore muscles with stretching, ice baths, and daily walks with her pet chihuahua, Melon, which she admits “gives her a bit of meditation and head space."

8. Their training varies dramatically from season to season

Wondering what both athletes training has looked like for the Olympics, then? In reality, it’s hard to summarise as it changes so much from season to season. 

“That's what I like about the 400 metres, though,” shares Nielsen. “The process throughout the year is so different. It's a step-by-step process.” At the beginning of the year, her coach will focus her training on finding her fitness, with drills focused on strength and stamina. As she gets closer to race day, she’ll start to focus on using her improved fitness to push the boundaries of her speed. “By the end of the year, it’s a question of - how much faster can I get?”

9. Neita wasn't expecting her first Olympic medal in 2016

"I didn't go there thinking I was going to get a medal, and my life changed,” the athlete admits. Reflecting on how huge bringing an Olympic medal back to Great Britain feels, she says the immense high isn’t without its lows. “I was sick for two weeks - I was just out,” she admits. “The adrenaline was so much that when I got home, I just crashed.”

Interestingly, she's candid about the low she experienced after that first Olympic medal and refreshingly honest about how she's learnt to cope with the heightened emotion. "You do have to pick yourself back up," she shares. "There's always going to be another opportunity, so just keep going and believe in yourself."

10. They both love giving back

Nielsen's passion lies in sharing her training journey on her social media platforms alongisde her sister, Lina, and together have amassed over 500k followers. Neita recently set up the Daryll Neita Athletics Community which hosts sports days and training sessions to inspire the next generation of athletes.

She hosted her first event back in May at Sutcliffe Park in Eltham, London. "It was a really good turnout," she smiles. "It was on ITV news and everything - it was amazing to inspire so many young children."

11. And they both have a background in fashion

While it's immediately evident both athletes have an interest in fashion when I meet them, Neita actually studied fashion at college and shares that she would have pursued a career in the industry had she not had such a natural athletic talent. "I've always been interested in fashion - I'm a creative person," she shares. Amazingly, despite not hearing each other's answers, both of their current favourite fashion trends are a wide-leg baggy trouser.

Both athletes are also signed to Storm Models agency.

12. They both love a romcom

Ever wondered what a world-renowned athlete watches in their downtime?  “I really love a 2000 rom-coms,” Nielsen shares. “10 Things I Hate About You is a classic.”

Meanwhile, Neita's favourites are Mean Girls or The Hannah Montana Movie (so much so, the athlete admits that she wanted to be Hannah Montana when she was younger). Strong picks, if you ask us.

13. There are a few places they've always wanted to go

Travel is a huge part of their work - the last Olympic Games were hosted in Tokyo, Japan, and this year's will be held in Paris, France - but there are still places both athletes have on their bucket list.

"I want to go to Lake Como, and I want to go to Hotel Tremezzo," shares Neita. Nielsen, on the other hand, has always wanted to travel to Australia.

14. And a few songs that always amp them up come race day

Nearly every athlete has a go-to playlist that they use to amp themselves up com race day or during hard training sessions - and our cover stars are no different.

For Nielsen, her current favourite is No Thank You by Little Simz, while Neita loves playing D-Block Europe’s Pink Lemonade on repeat. *Adds to playlist immediately* 

15. They both believe that being strong is beautiful

And we couldn't agree with them more. Chatting candidly during our cover interview, both stars reflected on their own relationships with how they look and feel. 

As she's grown up, Nielsen has learned to love her muscles for the power they give her and the doors they've opened. "It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel. And it’s incredibly liberating to feel strong.”

She continues: "I love the way I look now because of what it’s done for me and my career. And when you gain confidence in your body, I think it can cross over into your everyday life.” 

Neita agrees: “We can’t be on the start line with no muscles; I need them!". 

16. And they're both gunning for a podium place at this year's games

So, how are they both feeling about this year’s games? “I'm at that point where I actually can’t wait,” beams Nielsen. “Up until the Olympic trials, you’re just hoping that you’ll make it, planning and working towards it every day. But when you definitively know, it changes everything.” 

She’d also love to bag her first Olympic medal, which she reckons she could do in the relay. “We came fifth in Tokyo which was quite devastating for us,” she reflects. “So if we came away with a medal this year, that would just be the icing on the cake.”

At the time of updating this piece, Neita had placed first in her initial 100m race with an impressive seasons best of 10.92. When we spoke to her in June, she confirmed she has her eyes on gold. As she said in our cover interview, “The dream is just to be the champ. Why not?” she chuckles. “Dream big, go for gold.”

You'll likely know by now that Team Great Britain had more mothers on the team this year than ever before. A total of nine women, including two-time Olympic rower Helen Glover, Olympic shooter Amber Rutter, and Olympic equestrian Rosalind Canter, all returned to their sports at the highest level.

Amazingly, of those nine mothers who competed for Britain in Paris, an impressive seven returned home with Olympic medals - a near 80% success rate. From shooter Amber Rutter’s impressive silver, which she achieved just three months after giving birth, to rower and flagbearer Helen Glover's silver, the Team GB mums truly dominated this year.

What the medals do an excellent job of proving is that women don't have an expiry date, and having kids certainly doesn't have to put an end to your career, sporting or otherwise.

One thing all of these women have in common, though, alongside their evident talent and athletic prowess, is their dedication to challenging the misconception that women are at their physical peak pre-giving birth.

And as a mother myself who's also found my fitness stride post-giving birth, not pre, I couldn't be happier that misconceptions are shifting.

My love of running has always, ironically, gone hand in hand with being a mum. Although I ran pre-kids, once I had children, pounding the pavements became a sanctuary for me – providing headspace, time alone, a boost for my mental health not to mention a reason to leave the house.

In the early days, it wasn’t easy to manage. I roped in family members to help with childcare, bought high-vis gear so I could go out when my husband got home from work, and never (and I mean never) skipped a session – because who knew when I’d make it out again? I had to take my chances when they came.

Being pregnant wasn’t going to stop me, either. In my third pregnancy, I happily ran until late in my second trimester, when I reluctantly stopped as cramping and ligament stretching got too much to bear. That said, the raised eyebrows in the park as I trotted with my visible bump did bother me.

The default position for exercising in pregnancy is negative. People are quick to offer their opinions – and trust me when I say, none of them were good. Alongside this, you also have to deal with pelvic floor problems, the issue of finding the right sports bra when feeding, and often, the list feels never-ending.

Imagine then, for a moment, just how tough it must be for elite athletes who are mums. The weight of judgement, the fact that so many people view having a baby as a career-ending choice, the pressure to return to training and the juggling of childcare responsibilities with caring for an all-consuming tiny human.

With this in mind, we ask the question: why are we still underestimating mothers in sport? And while you're here, make sure to check out our cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, 14 things you didn't know about the athletes, or our deep dives on the lack of research into female athletic performance and the most iconic Olympic fashion moments.

As Team GB welcomes more mums than ever before, why are we still underestimating mothers in sport?

Historically, there’s no doubt that motherhood and elite sport have been seen as incompatible. While there are examples of mothers through the years who have succeeded in elite sport (Dutch track and field athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen famously won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics as a mum of two, earning her the dubious title of the "Flying Housewife"), it’s only been in the last few years that more women who are mums have been returning to top-level sporting careers post-birth.

For the trailblazers, it hasn't been straightforward. These mums are challenging cultural, societal and traditional stereotypes as well as pushing back on patriarchal notions of both child-rearing and physical capabilities in one fell swoop.

But, with the lead in Female Athlete Health and Performance at the UK Sports Institute, Dr Richard Burden, telling MC UK that "biologically, there's no reason that women can’t come back and perform at the same level post-partum," why do we still struggle with the notion of mums as athletes?

Gender ideology plays a large part

Let’s not forget that it wasn’t until 1900 that women were "allowed" to compete in the Olympics at all because of the assumption that vigorous activity was unfeminine and could impact fertility. Bearing in mind that the first official Olympics were held in 77BC, that’s a very long time.

Even once the "falling uterus" myth was dispelled and women started (albeit rarely) competing, having a baby was seen as a career-ending event, something that signalled a woman's retirement from sport. Culturally, it’s still expected that women will undertake the lion’s share of childcare responsibilities, and traditionally there was the assumption that the physiological pressures of childbirth and motherhood would prohibit a return to elite-level sport. These factors combined made it difficult for mothers to resume a successful career.

But in the last decade, we’re seeing those assumptions being not only challenged but downright smashed left, right and centre. The list of mothers who are not only returning to elite sport but winning medals and smashing PBs is ever-growing: Jasmin Paris, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Dame Sarah Storey, Serena Williams, Helen Glover, Paula Radcliffe and Charlotte Dujardin, to name but a few.

So why are things changing now?

Things are changing, and that’s undoubtedly a good thing. But why now? We spoke to the experts leading the change alongside the athletes to find out more.

“There are a number of reasons we are seeing record numbers of mums on Team GB this year,” the chief executive of Women in Sport, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, tells MC UK. “There are also more women competing overall, with Paris 2024 being the first Games with the same number of female and male athletes.”

“It's far more socially acceptable to go back to elite sport after having a baby today,” agrees Hilborne. “We're also seeing high profile women being celebrated as mothers and athletes, and who return to sport, showing us what is possible and demonstrating that just by becoming a mother, our desire to be competitive and win in sport doesn’t just cease to exist.”

And the ramifications of this extend far beyond elite sport, with mothers in wider society being inspired to get moving - which, studies (such as this one, published in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal) show impacts the activity levels of children too.

Mothers are proving they can perform and compete at the highest levels

“The old adage of "if you can see it, you can be it," rings true here,” says Dr Burden. “If female athletes see that it is possible to start a family mid-way through their career, then come back and still have a career at the top level, then they can start to believe that motherhood really isn’t the career-ending choice that it used to be.”

Alongside this, greater visibility has come the need for more support for mothers in sport, both physiologically and practically. “We’re supporting pregnant and post-partum athletes more than ever before because there are more of them than there historically ever have been,” acknowledges Dr Burden. “The space has been forced to learn, innovate and understand mothers in sport, and it has become slightly more normalised.”

And far from it being a purely physical challenge, ask any elite athlete who is a parent about the most challenging part of returning to their career, and they'll unequivocally tell you that it's not the training or the physiology that's the toughest - it's the practical considerations like childcare.

"The biggest hurdle in getting back to competing at the top level is practical, definitely," stresses Team GB Olympic rower and mum of three Helen Glover. One of Britain's greatest ever rowers, she has over 20 gold medals to her name and is currently aiming for the top in Paris 2024. "I think it’s really interesting that for everyone I’ve spoken to, whether in sport or out of sport, childcare is the main issue."

This year, for the first time, the Olympic Village has a creche for younger children, allowing mum athletes to travel with their children - something that has been absolutely crucial for rower Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, mum to two-year-old son Freddie.

"It’s awesome that there’s a nursery and that kids can come on things like training camps with us now," she tells MC UK. "I've always had to bring Freddie with me when I train, from the earliest days, since getting childcare when they’re really tiny is tricky. It's great to see it being normalised and if I can inspire mums everywhere to get out there and get moving, with their little ones in tow, then that's incredible."

Challenging the assumption that being a mum is a detrimental to athletic performance

Interestingly, far from being a negative, there is some limited evidence that being a mum can, in fact, improve athletic performance.

A 2022 study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal examined the training and performance of 42 elite runners, both during and after pregnancy, and found that 46% of them improved in performance post-birth. And while this is only a small study, it does raise interesting questions about whether being a mum is actually a barrier to smashing training times.

"As with all research into women’s sport, studies into mothers who have returned to elite sport are lacking," says Hilborne. "That being said, emerging research shows that pregnancy can be physiologically beneficial for some women’s sporting performance and there are certainly examples of female athletes performing better after returning from having a baby."

Back in 1991, Liz McColgan ran a personal best at the World Championships only seven months after giving birth to her daughter Eilish, while Paula Radcliffe won the New York marathon as a mum.

"When I first came back last year, I was on a very reduced training programme," says Hodgkins-Byrne. "But the speed with which I got back to full training was incredible - I never would have believed before I had Freddie that I would have achieved it so quickly. And now, I’m faster and stronger than I was before I had him."

Glover agrees, and notes that the shift in perspective that motherhood has gifted her is also an advantage. "The perspective shift has been a bonus, not a hurdle, for me," she tells MC UK. "I'm doing much more focussed training, so when I get home at the end of the day I can leave it all behind and focus on my children. I've been massively surprised to be getting the same, if not better, results from what some might call ‘less’ training. I feel like I’m getting more out of it than I ever have done, and the biggest learning is that actually, training less or thinking about things less doesn’t affect the outcome at all. It hasn’t affected where I am physically, going into Paris, but having more perspective has made the journey much more enjoyable."

Regardless of whether the mums on Team GB return from Paris with medals round their necks or not, they’re smashing those maternal myths and inspiring a whole generation of girls and women to pursue their dreams – and that’s winning in our eyes.

Whether it’s relishing that first morning coffee or prioritising a soothing end-of-day beauty routine before bed, it’s worth carving out time for life’s everyday pleasures and putting self-care front and centre in our lives. This isn’t always easy. In our increasingly busy world, escaping the daily grind for a few minutes of ‘me time’ can be a daily challenge – just ask Olympian Desirèe Henry, Sculpted By Aimee’s founder and CEO Aimee Connolly, and nutritionist and author Jenna Hope. The three women are trailblazers in very different arenas, but they all agree on one thing: building in ‘golden moments’ is key to maintaining their long term success, as they told Marie Claire's Editor in Chief Andrea Thompson.

“Despite developments in technology, women today are balancing more responsibilities and ever increasing workloads,” said Thompson, who led a discussion with Henry, Connolly, and Hope. “Amongst work commitments, caring responsibilities and an ‘always on’ digital world, it’s so often our own basic self-care and relaxation that slips to the bottom of our priority list.”

It's why Marie Claire has partnered with Solgar - a leading vitamins and supplements brand -to highlight the importance of celebrating small moments of joy. “It’s vital we cherish those golden moments in our lives; moments when we stop, take time to do something that nourishes us holistically, or engage in activities that bring us joy,” adds Thompson.

So what were the highlights of their conversation? Here are the key takeaways.

Find strength in setbacks

It may look like these women are natural winners, but as Thompson says to athlete Henry, it's “not easy when you’ve got to be consistently top of your game.” Henry has overcome plenty of obstacles on her path to Olympic stardom. For starters, she cites the two painful knee surgeries she’s undergone as “some of the hardest moments” of her career. Ultimately, though, she’s more resilient because of the inner strength she built overcoming them.

“Despite going through those setbacks I’m grateful because it allowed me to discover who I am,” she says. “Now I feel like I’m a greater person than I was before all those injuries.”

Move your body, boost your mind

Most of us won’t have the stamina of an Olympian, but all three women agree that even a small bit of movement goes a long way. “It’s really important that I do simple things; exercise is huge,” says Connolly who cites this as key to maintaining her clarity and performance as a CEO. Walking, classes – anything is better than nothing, she adds.

“Try to incorporate fitness and health into your lifestyle,” agrees Henry. “That doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. It could be putting on a YouTube video in your living room and doing a five-minute stretch.”

But sleep and diet are just as important, says nutritionist Jenna Hope who emphasises that the current trend for fasting, skipping meals or cutting down on carbohydrates can impact hormone health for women: “Diarise those three meals a day – it’s really important and will regulate your energy and mood.” Supplement those busy times in your life with a good quality multi vitamin too.

Seize joy in the small moments 

When it comes to celebrating the small wins, Hope goes to bed looking forward to her morning matcha, while Connolly relishes the ritual of winding down with her skincare routine: “That moment of self-care at the end of the day is so important,” she says.

Olympic wins have made for some of the happiest moments in Henry’s life, but it’s the little moments that she lives for. “Make sure you celebrate every day,” she tells Thompson. “The moment you open your eyes is a gift – and an opportunity to just be grateful.”

What are your golden moments? Let us know on social @SolgarUK #goldenmoments, and find out more about making life golden with Solgar at Solgar.co.uk.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

A new campaign showing Team GB’s Olympic rugby players Jasmine Joyce, Celia Quansah and Ellie Boatman in lingerie is dividing the internet.

“Can you explain to me, like I’m four years old, why you need to do this kind of campaign?” says the most recent comment on the Evening Standard’s Instagram post showing the new #StrongIsBeautiful campaign in partnership with the lingerie label Bluebella. It seems to say it all.

The campaign, which features the incredible Team GB athletes, is ostensibly aimed at encouraging young girls not to drop out of sport. While the Olympians look strong, powerful, and striking, many on social media have been questioning why they need to be in highly sexualised lingerie to make the point. “So they have to wear sexy underwear to encourage girls to carry on with sports ? Seriously we have gone back to the 1930s”, argued one social media user.

More than half of all secondary schoolgirls (64%) give up sport before they turn 16, often because of insecurity about their bodies around puberty. If I’d seen this campaign then, I think I’d have dropped out even sooner.

Sport at my school—an underfunded and wildly overcrowded school that, according to an Ofsted report at the time, “requires improvement”—was already messily conflated with sexuality. This was a school that repeatedly saw a substitute teacher pass off playing a Ministry of Sound ‘Pump It Up’ workout DVD as a PE lesson. Now, I hope that this was not true of most schools, but it didn’t take models gyrating to Eric Prydz to turn sport into a painfully uncomfortable experience for me; it was already there.

As a Women in Sport survey shows, nearly half of girls drop out of sport after 13 citing self-belief and body image concerns as key factors. A campaign that focuses so acutely on image seems to miss the point, even if it does make a case for strength as beauty and the underwear is aesthetically pleasing.

According to Bluebella, the campaign aims to challenge the notion that female athletes are ‘masculine’ and ‘unfeminine’ and encourage young girls to stay in sports. Both are valid causes, yet many have been quick to point out the double standard in how we champion our young people. “So basically women have to appear in lingerie in order to look feminine? Well done that’s a new level of treating women as sex objects.” argues one social media user. Another quips; “Encourage girls to play sports but appear in lingerie”.

While the campaign succeeds in showing the elite athletes as both strong and beautiful, it also portrays an outdated idea of femininity and does little to dispel unattainable beauty ideals, given that these are quite literally Olympic—or soon-to-be-Olympic athletes. Teenage girls have enough of a game comparing themselves with each other—and everyone on social media— without throwing literal athletes into the mix.

The comment section, which is stuffed with sparring social media users and dicey opinions on both ends of the spectrum.

Ashley James, a presenter and broadcaster who regularly appears on This Morning, addressed “everyone” in the comment section on the divisive post and argued that “if you can’t look at women wearing bras without sexualising them-that is a you problem, not a them problem.” James also compares the shoot to a recent Skims campaign fronted by footballer Jude Bellingham in a fittingly skimpy pair of boxers.

I see her point, but the argument that the campaign is “clearly for girls” and not the male gaze doesn’t land. As others have pointed out, there is a difference between boxers and lingerie. Garter belts and suspender skirts are undoubtedly empowering for some women, and it’s an otherwise nice brand, but it’s a confusing move to use sexiness as a tool for keeping young girls in sports. It’s as if the incentive here is to say, ‘Stay in sport so that you too can look good in a garter belt’. “Love the idea of girl power but the lingerie thing not so much,” adds one social media user.

I think the worst part in all this is that the campaign has already fuelled a tear-down of women. We should be championing Team GB, just as we should be championing young girls to stay in sport. Ellie Boatman, Celia Quansah, and Jasmine Joyce are strong, and they are beautiful, but the campaign falls into the same old trap of focusing too much on the latter.