#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
JELENA CANKOVIC
“I want to remind others to never forget to have fun along the way, because the joy of the game fuels the passion to keep going. Success is not just about physical strength and skill - it's about being balanced and resilient in mind.” - Jelena Cankovic
DANNI UNWAY
“As the ocean has tides, we too have phases and stages. We have been conditioned to reject and fight the lows, but the highs wouldn’t exist without them. We can either resist the lows or practice acceptance towards them.” - Danni Unway
KHATIJA BAHDUR
“My pathway and journey in sport was not seen as traditional. I never saw people who looked like me in the field. My message is to educate and mentor the next generation of sports professionals to not only excel in their careers but also embrace the social responsibility that comes with their roles.” - Khatija Bahdur
VANESSA FROST-PIEDRAHITA
“For women aspiring to work in the sports industry, take pride in your work and embrace opportunities with confidence. If an opportunity presents itself, lean in—it might just change your career.” - Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita
SAMIN ABEDKHOJASTEH
“I believe that if we have a strong reason to believe in ourselves , there is no impossible” - Samin Abedkhojasteh
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.