Bianca Dawson: Army sergeant turned international rugby star
Within six months, Bianca Dawson has gone from army sergeant to international rugby player. Here, she shares her incredible journey.
Back soon…
****** POSTPONEMENT ****** Women Who Like Sport will be taking a break throughout August. I’m lucky enough to have a job that allows me to travel the world and with some very exciting trips coming up, there just won’t be time to continue the blog. To follow my journey across the globe reporting from some…
‘Sport saved my life.’ How powerlifting world champion Monique Newton overcame cancer + a suicide attempt
About four years ago, Monique Newton scoured the internet for obscure sports. She needed something to focus her energy on; something to take her away from the challenges in her life. At 18, Monique had already recovered from cancer, overcome homelessness and battled through depression and a suicide attempt. Monique needed a sport that would change…
How do you become a sports journalist?
Ever thought about becoming a sports journalist? From chatting to Usain Bolt to following the England women’s football team to Cyprus, I love that my job offers so much variety. I recently spoke to the BBC Academy about my route into journalism, tips for success and the most memorable moment of my career thus far.…
Sportswomen do exist during the football World Cup… part II
You’d be hard-pressed to find a sportswoman in the newspaper back pages at the moment. During the football World Cup every four years, sportswomen, already covered far less than the men in the mainstream media, have an even bigger battle on their hands to have their achievements recognised. Recently, Women Who Like Sport featured three remarkable sportswomen…
Jamaica women’s football: how social media is helping them create history
No Caribbean team has ever qualified for a Women’s World Cup. Enter the Reggae Girlz. After a six year hiatus, Jamaica’s women made an impressive return to competitive action with 14-0 and 7-0 wins over St Lucia and Dominican Republic in crucial World Cup qualifiers. That leads them to the next stage of qualification: an…
Sportswomen do exist during the football World Cup…
The football World Cup is awfully male-centred, isn’t it? A flick through the country’s newspaper back pages and you would think sportswomen didn’t exist around about this time every four years. But they do; and they are still achieving phenomenal feats for often a fraction of the pay and a slither of the media coverage. And that…
Can the Reggae Girlz put Jamaica on the football map?
The island of Jamaica has long been known for punching above its weight. In a country of just 2.9 million people, it has produced global sporting icons in Usain Bolt, Merlene Ottey and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce. But when it comes to football, Jamaica is yet to make its mark on the world. In 2008, Jamaica had no…
ACL injuries: Can they be prevented in women footballers?
Some stats for you: women footballers are up to eight times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male footballers. Injury prevention exercises can bring about a 64% decrease in the likelihood of ACL tears. There seems to be a decent chunk of research surrounding women footballers and knee problems, but it doesn’t…
ACL injuries: Charlton captain Kim Dixson’s battle for fitness
Sportswomen are up to eight times more likely to suffer ACL (knee) injuries than sportsmen. As discussed in my previous blog, there are a number of factors causing this including menstruation, access to top physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and the differences in female and male body shapes. An ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, injury can mean…
ACL injuries: Is there an epidemic in women’s football?
I’ve played football since I was five years old and over the years I’ve seen a ridiculous number of women and girls sidelined for months, or even had their careers ended altogether, because of knee injuries. In particular, their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL is a band of tissue that connects the femur (thigh) to the tibia…
