#HERSTORY
Inspiring Women in Sport
Changing the narrative by amplifying women’s stories in sport.
Women working in sport are shaping sport in powerful ways, on the field, behind the scenes, and in leadership roles across the industry. Yet too often, their stories go unheard, under-represented, or undervalued.
Her Story is a CTN initiative dedicated to spotlighting women working in sport. It shares real experiences, career pathways, and perspectives that reflect the diversity of the sport industry today.
This is about visibility, representation, and ensuring more women can see themselves and their futures in sport.
To nominate an inspirational woman in sport or learn more about the story of #HerStory, checkout the buttons below.
Meet the women changing sport
Her Story features women from across the sport ecosystem. Each story offers insight into the realities of working in sport — the challenges, the opportunities, and the moments that shape a career.
These are real, honest reflections from each woman on what it means to build a life and career in sport.
Field
- Advocacy
- Anti-doping
- Athlete
- Athlete Health
- Brand
- Coaching
- Commentating
- Commercial
- Communications
- Education
- Events
- Governance
- HR
- Health
- Inclusion
- Journalism
- Leadership
- Legal
- Management
- Marketing
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Officiating
- Operations
- Recruitment
- Research
- Retail
- Safeguarding
- Sponsorship
- Sport Administration
- Sport for Development
- Sustainability
- Technology
- Volunteer
LIPA NESSA
“I’m going to change the world with a hijab on my head and a ball at my feet.” - Lipa Nessa
LUCY HORSELL
“Whenever we fit women properly, we have a real ‘OMG’ moment from them. It fuels me to believe we can see a whole generation grow up without the worries we had.” - Lucy Horsell
DANIELLE BROWN MBE
“I want to show that ability is not defined by your gender and change the narrative around what people think girls can or can't achieve. It is important to me to find ways to break down barriers so more girls can feel safe and participate in a sport they love, while also helping to build their confidence and resilience.” - Danielle Brown MBE
RHIAN CLEVERLY
"You don’t have to be the fastest, strongest, or most skillful player, but if you find something you love and push through the tough times, you can achieve something special." - Rhian Cleverly
ARIANNA CRISCIONE
“Don't wait for anyone to invite you or pull out the chair for you. But once you have a seat, never forget to keep making the table bigger, and pull up chairs for other women.” - Arianna Criscione
KAREN DOBRES
“I went to see Lewes FC Women playing and was gobsmacked by the potential of the game to change the world. Here were women being strong, working in a team, taking up space, showing absolute focus on the ball, making decisions on the spot, and being total LEADERS....and all in a public place! What's more, the environment was beautiful, relaxed and safe. I realised that women's football was an antidote to sexism and decided to become a fan of Lewes FC there and then.” - Karen Dobres
ELIZABETH PIKE
“Dr Anita White CBE crystallised my thinking about the importance of scholarship informing activism. With her, I co-founded the Anita White Foundation, and with our friends from Females Achieving Brilliance - Lucy Faulkner and Pauline Harrison - we established the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy and the Women in Sport High performance pathway to empower women leaders globally and help make the systemic changes needed for gender equality.” - Elizabeth Pike
OLGA BAGATINI
“I believe that transforming discomfort into motivation and finding the courage to break from tradition to pursue what you believe is right can be the driving force behind changing the world and finding purpose within your field." - Olga Bagatini
THE STORY OF #HERSTORY
Herstory is a digital campaign that was created in the lead-up to our Changing the Narrative in Sport Summit in May 2024 in Lausanne. This event focused on “Harnessing the Power of Storytelling for Women’s Sports”. We explored how athletes are portrayed in the media, strategies to enhance their exposure, the role of digital transformation, and ways to overcome bias.
As part of this event, we decided to share the stories of women working in sport. Our goal was simple: to challenge stereotypes, increase representation, and celebrate the achievements of women in sport around the world. We issued a call for nominations on our channels, inviting people to nominate inspirational women in sport. Within 36 hours, we received over 80 nominations, and we knew we were on to something — people want to hear from women in sport.
From March to May 2024, we received 152 nominations and shared the stories of 26 women. To further amplify these women’s stories, we organised an exhibition at our Changing the Narrative event. The response was so positive that we realised HerStory needed to grow beyond a single event.
With the support of England football legend Jill Scott, we opened HerStory to international nominations. Since then, we’ve received nominations for 400+ women across 40+ countries, and we continue to reach out to every woman nominated to see if they would like to share their story and perspective.
We love hearing these stories and learning from these journeys. If you know an inspirational woman working in sport, please nominate her using the button below — thank you for being part of the change.
Get involved
There are many ways to be part of HerStory:
Read & share
Explore the stories and help amplify women’s voices by sharing them within your networks.
Tell your story
If you are a woman working in sport and would like to share your experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Partner with us
We collaborate with organisations that share our commitment to inclusion, representation, and meaningful change in sport.