International Women’s Day

I have toyed many times with the idea of writing a blog about being a woman in sport. In my opinion, it seems as though that anyone adding their voice on women’s rights or women in sport can leave themselves open to adverse scrutiny and negative comments. Sad but true. However, after my nomination in 2024 for the Sportswoman of the Year by the Scottish Women in Sport’s (SW/S) organisation I have felt quite compelled to speak out about being a woman in sport and my personal experiences along the way. With International Women’s Day (IWD) this weekend it seems like a good time to do it. I recently saw a poster for IWD 2025 on LinkedIn which exclaimed - What can you do? So here we are. Continue reading at your peril.
I haven’t been in sport for my whole life. It is something I picked up properly in my 20s, and I moved into “elite” level sports when I started boxing in the IOM. I won a national title in Nov 2015 and the rest is history. It’s been a journey and although I don’t box anymore, I continue to work for the IOM Boxing Association in the hope I can give something back to the Sport that helped shape my path for so many different reasons.
Despite competing to a high level in two sports, which I think would be fair to say, are “male dominated” I am and will be forever grateful to say that I haven’t experienced inequality in sport at all. In fact - far from it. The theme for IWD 2025 is Accelerate Action - So, what can you do? In my opinion, regardless of gender, the best thing anyone can do is be an ally.
Without the “allies” I have met along the way - I genuinely believe I wouldn’t be where I am in Sport. Regardless of the environment I have found myself in - I have always found an ally. Here are just some of the examples of how that has helped shape my journey into living, breathing and now, working in Sport.
Whilst competing in Combat sports you have sessions in your week known as sparring. Sparring is putting your technical skills into practise in the ring. It is to try to replicate and prepare for getting in the ring for a fight. At the time there wasn’t a lot of senior boxers around and there definitely wasn’t a lot of females for me to practise with. I was lucky that I had another combat sport in which I got regular tough sparring sessions.
I recall a moment in one sparring session in which the coach stopped myself and my teammate mid round. Genuinely believing I was doing something wrong or dropping my hands (it happened often in sparring haha - many a black eye or sore nose…) I looked at my coach for feedback to see I actually wasn’t the reason the round had been stopped.
“What are you doing man? You’re not sparring properly. Don’t do that. That helps no one. Spar properly. She wont break.” Ally.
We had some great rounds after that. I got so much physical strength, mental resilience, self-belief and endorphins from those sessions. I loved them and I loved to fight. I wasn’t a girl; I was a competitor. I got hurt quite often, I didn’t care - I loved it and I gave back what I could. I’ve cried in or after some of those sessions but then so did the boys…Combat sports are tough and you know you are part of a special team when you can be vulnerable around your teammates and never be judged for it.
I remember in one session getting dropped by a brilliant body shot. The fighter clipped me right in the liver. I was much more experienced by then and although it hurt I went to take my next move.
Ha! If you have ever been clipped by a body shot it goes a bit like this:
Brain - “Don’t worry you’re ok just get up and keep going”
Body - “…..Absolutely not hun.”
Your body just crumples - you cannot get a breath in. Your body feels like it’s in a vice.
Very slowly, as the tension released, I got up and finished the round and then some...My teammate wasn’t hitting me hard or doing anything I couldn’t cope with. It was just a good shot, and it would’ve likely dropped many others in the group.
My second ever fight - I got two standing counts in the first minute of the first round. It was nearly over. However, I knew from the experiences I had in those sparring sessions that I could take it - I could come back, and I did. I lost the fight, but we got Bout of the night. A female fight getting bout of the night in a male dominated show back in 2014/2015. I will never forget that fight - realising what I am made of. Trusting my training. Little did I know the journey of mental resilience would continue for another 10 years and new levels of mental strength would be unlocked in a different environment. I still call upon those sessions for strength.
As my boxing journey progressed, I reached out to girls across England and Scotland for help, training and sparring. I was never turned away or made to feel unwelcome. I got my ass handed to me time and again - but the vibe was - we are in this together. Allies.
Moving into Ultrarunning the experiences have been more of the same. If not even better.
I reflect on the Manx Mountain Marathon (MMM) 2024- I got my second fastest time and highest position in the race at 6th. When I got to the finish a fellow competitor said:
“Don’t take this the wrong way but I was climbing up Fleshwick and I saw you descending and I thought to myself I can’t let her catch me.” …. Ally.
Fleshwick is a short but steep, horrible hill within the last 2/3 miles of the MMM, on a clear day you can see who is ascending the other side of the valley and vice versa.
I didn’t catch him, I tried though, but I know he pushed harder so that I couldn’t - I am not just a girl, I am a competitor. That was a compliment, and I can say I was not offended. That gentleman was one of the few people who PB’s that day in rough conditions underfoot - he had a great race and it was brilliant to see.
The support and press around the ladies’ race in the Winter Spine 2025 was fantastic - it is great to see it get so much publicity. The start list was a who’s who of some of the top ultra runners in the UK (notice I say runners - not female runners - because these girls - they will kick your ass whoever you are). The ethos of every girl in that race was we are allies - we are in it to compete not just with each other but everyone in that race. Being totally competitive and wanting to win doesn’t mean you can’t do everything to support your fellow women and men in the race - that is the Spine Vibe.
I recently moved from a senior leadership position in education to work in Sport. My entire office is male. You wouldn’t know it - We talk weight, periods, training, eating habits, and most importantly respect and support each other. 3 amazing dads of 3 young girls who couldn’t want more for their daughters growing up but also want the absolute best for all the athletes we work with. Allies.


My time in sport, as short as it has been in the grand scheme of it, has exposed me to many coaches and people of different backgrounds, experiences and lifestyles. Many have been male. Never… never have any of them given me any indication that they didn’t think I could achieve whatever I wanted, whatever I worked for and whatever I gave the time too. If anything, many of them believe that I am capable of more than what I believe myself.
Their support has included switching up training to cope with my ever-changing idea of what I wanted to do next, showing me that the “unthinkable” is possible - you just gotta do it/dream it, sponsoring my mad challenges, promoting me, supporting me, coming to my fights and races…being my ally. I won’t forget the dips and sprints, the fighting for me behind closed doors when I needed it most, the body shots and queen of clubs, the black eyes, the side of the hill naps, the genuine belief that I am not just a girl I am a competitor.
The inspiration I take from the girls I fought along side in Boxing and toe the line with in running - allies. The inspiration I take from the women who have come before me, especially those who haven’t had such a brilliant experience or been told no you can’t do that - and the go and do just that. (Barkleys…) For the women who have been called out for too skinny, too fat, too busy, too fast and for those who have been torn down because they have tried to create change, to work towards level playing fields…but they have stood right back up again.
Your support network, near and far, those you know and those you don’t, is everything. I am not an expert and I’m not here to say this should happen or that should happen in respect to women’s equality or women’s rights but just be an ally. This doesn’t have to be a big change; in fact it could be a really easy change but….it does have to change. Not every sport is as proactive as I have experienced and not everyone truly understands (including me) what true equality would look like. Be an ally. To your fellow women, to your fellow men and to your competitors. Everyone’s journey is different, but everyone wants to gain something positive from it - so help them. That is what you can do to accelerate action.
IWD 2025 - Dedicated to the Allies.