BAZ MOFFAT
“We're working really hard to get men to be part of this solution. Our work is about females, not just for females.”
Meet Baz Moffat, a former elite rower who was part of the British Rowing Team for four years, winning medals as part of the women’s eight. Baz holds a BSc and MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and has been a personal trainer for over 15 years, specialising in pelvic health and menopause since having her two children. She is now the CEO of The Well HQ, an organisation dedicated to improving female health and wellbeing in sport and life.
“I loved sport from the get go, and did everything, with far more drive than talent. Eventually, I found rowing at 21, which was the sport I did best at. I had a Granny and an Uncle who adored sport, and I connected with them through it from a young age.”
“My first memory is of the Olympics in Barcelona. I just loved the enormity of the whole thing and the athletes, I really wanted to get to know them all! I've always loved watching and being a part of the big events.
I also just loved the world of sport and everyone who worked in it, so always looked for opportunities to work in this sector. Sport was the place where I felt like I truly belonged. Through my work as a PT it became really obvious how little women knew about their bodies and also how the workforce around them knew even less. This inspired me to set up The Well HQ.”
FEMALE ATHLETE HEALTH
“The system is failing women, and we all have a responsibility to fix it. Women are not doing less sport or exercise because of their periods, or any of the many other examples I could use. Most sport and exercise structures were designed from a default male perspective, and it does not fit women’s needs.
We at the Well HQ are specifically focused on female athlete health, and the biggest barrier for us is that there is no education on the female body in any sports coach or fitness trainer qualification. You can take topup courses, but the system essentially says you can be fully educated, employed, and insured to do your job—whether as head of female talent, head of girls’ games, or working exclusively with women—without any education on the female body.
This is a huge issue for us, and the gender gaps in sport and exercise will not close until the workforce is properly educated about women and girls.”
“Storytelling of women is getting better, but there is still very little coverage of women’s sport, and more stories are emerging about how sport damages women (elite sport can affect your fertility, or the rates of ACL rupture in the WSL for example). Sport is not bad for us, but we are harmed when it is not designed for us.”
BRINGING EVERYONE INTO THE SOLUTION
“We're working really hard to get men to be part of this solution. Our work is about females, not just for females. So, getting the male coaches and trainers in the room, which is starting to happen, is just terrific. And, if they are given a safe space to learn, they are terrific.”
“Surround yourself with the people that you admire the most even if their not in the specific area you're interested in, good energy and achievement is what you want to be around - because it's totally infectious!”
