Series 21 of The Game Changers

In series 21 we’re shining a light on the trailblazing women who are transforming sport and society.

You’ll hear from Baroness Sue Campbell, one of the most respected and influential figures in British sport, as she candidly shares her leadership journey and lessons learnt from time working in Olympic and Paralympic Sport, Women’s football and now as Chair of England Netball.

We meet Melanie Barratt, the Paralympic swimmer who made history last year as the first blind woman to swim the English Channel, as she tells her remarkable story of courage and determination.

Champion boxer, fashion model and UNICEF UK ambassador Ramla Ali opens up about her extraordinary journey from refugee to Olympian and global role model.

Entrepreneur Mari Thomas-Welland shares how she founded Maaree sports bras, creating innovative kit that empowers women to move with confidence and we hear about what happened when global icon Serena Williams shared photos of her in the Maree sports bra.

Rugby pioneer, and World Cup winner, Giselle Mather reveals the lessons she’s learned from a career that’s broken new ground as both player and professional coach in the men’s and women’s game.

Olympic windsurfing sensation Emma Wilson talks about her meteoric rise to the top of world sailing, the heartbreak of Paris 2024 and the resilience it takes to compete at the highest level whilst retaining your sense of self.

Award winning, human rights lawyer Kat Craig discusses her mission to protect athletes and hold sport to account on the issues that matter most.

And World Cup winning rugby player Sarah Bern reflects on her experiences in elite rugby and her ambition to redefine what strength really means for women and girls.

Join us as we uncover the stories behind the headlines and explore what it means to drive real change in sport.

The Game Changers is free to listen to on all podcast platforms or from our website at fearlesswomen.co.uk. That’s also where you’ll find details of the Women’s Sport Collective, our free, inclusive community for 14,000 women working in sport.

Thank you to Sport England, who support The Game Changers podcast and the Women’s Sport Collective through a National Lottery Award.

Inspiring conversations with fearless women in sport.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production

Episode Transcript

Sue Campbell (00:05):
When Michael Gove made his terrible decision to
get rid of the school sportsstructure that I've spent 15
years of my life building andwatched somebody dismantle it in
about two hours.
That was brutal.

Sue Anstiss (00:26):
Welcome to The Game Changers, the podcast that
celebrates extraordinary womenin sport.
I'm Sue Anstiss and in thisseries 21, we're shining a light
on the trailblazing women whoare transforming sport and
society.
You'll hear from Baroness SueCampbell, one of the most
respected and influentialfigures in British sport, as she

(00:48):
candidly shares her leadershipjourney and lessons learnt from
time working in Olympic andParalympic sport, women's
football, and now as chair ofEngland Netball.
We meet Melanie Barrett, theParalympic swimmer who made
history last year as the firstblind woman to swim the English
Channel, as she tells herremarkable story of courage and

(01:10):
determination.
Champion boxer, fashion model,and UNICEF UK ambassador Ramla
Ali opens up about herextraordinary journey from
refugee to Olympian and globalrole model.
Entrepreneur Mari ThomasWelland shares how she founded
Maaree Sports Bras, creatinginnovative kit that empowers

(01:31):
women to move with confidence.
And we hear what happened whenglobal icon Serena Williams
shared her photos of her in theMaaree Sports Bra.
Rugby pioneer and World Cupwinner Giselle Mather reveals
the lessons she's learnt from acareer that's broken new ground,
both as a player andprofessional coach in the men's
and women's game.

(01:52):
Olympic windsurfing sensationEmma Wilson talks about her
meteoric rise to the top ofworld sailing, the heartbreak of
Paris 2024, and the resilienceit takes to compete at the
highest level, whilst retainingyour sense of self.
Award-winning human rightslawyer Kat Craig discusses her
mission to protect athletes andhold sport to account on the

(02:15):
issues that matter most.
And World Cup winning rugbyplayer Sarah Bern reflects on
her experiences in elite rugbyand her ambition to redefine
what strength really means forwomen and girls.
Join us as we uncover thestories behind the headlines and

(02:44):
explore what it means to drivereal change in sport.
New episodes in this serieswill be released each Tuesday.
So please follow or subscribenow, and you'll be the first to
hear from these extraordinaryTrailblazers.
The Game Changers is free tolisten to on all podcast
platforms or from our website atfearlesswomen.co.uk.

(03:05):
That's also where you'll finddetails of the Women's Sport
Collective, our free, inclusivecommunity for 14,000 women
working in sport.
Thank you to Sport England whosupport The Game Changers
podcast and the Women's SportCollective with a national
lottery award.

Giselle Mather (03:26):
They are international rookie players.
They are elite sportswomen.
Playing in front of 25,000people, that experience is huge.
So why would you not put infront of them a really
experienced coach?
Why do you think that it's okayto bring somebody just off of
the field?

Sarah Bern (03:43):
And maybe that's controversial.
We're lost for words toactually get your hands on that
trophy of pure joy, relief,excitement, but like so many
different emotions, and justlike not only have we won this
World Cup that we have workedincredibly hard for, like we're
hopefully changing the game forwomen's rugby and helping women
sport all over the world.

Sue Anstiss (04:05):
The Game Changers.