#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
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
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
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
LUCY MILLS
“I want to leave behind a message of optimism - that by embracing technology we can build a more inclusive, sustainable, and engaging sports industry.” - Lucy Mills
JESS REUS
“My hope is to change the narrative by showing that women belong—not just on the pitch, but in every part of this industry. I want to inspire women to claim their space unapologetically and create an environment where the next generation of girls doesn’t have to fight as hard to feel like they belong.” - Jess Reus
DAGMARA GERASIMUK
“Sports are more than just a competition—they’re a way of life, teaching valuable lessons and creating lasting connections. It’s about uplifting and empowering those around you to achieve greatness together.” - Dagmara Gerasimuk
LUCY PIGGOTT
“Through my research, I want to develop new insights into both the challenges and solutions for making sport a more inclusive space. By working with practitioners and activists, I want to find effective ways to implement research findings and recommendations to real world sporting contexts.” - Lucy Piggott
SYLVANA MESTRE ALEXANDER
“Celebrate diversity and champion positive change. The sports industry is vast, encompassing many different roles. Identify the area that aligns with your interests and skills. By blending passion, persistence, and a commitment to breaking barriers, you can make a lasting impact in the sports industry while inspiring others to follow in your footsteps.” - Sylvana Mestre Alexander
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
GURO ASKHEIM JOHNSEN
"I hope to have made a meaningful impact on former athletes through the Athlete's Career program. Additionally, I aim to contribute to closing the gender gap in sports through SkeSkillz Global, by fostering cooperation with various sports organisations." - Guro Askheim Johnsen
SOPHIE JONES
"As women in the sports industry, our innovation and power can drive meaningful change and make the industry better." - Sophie Jones
MARIONA MASDEMONT
“We must stop labeling it differently and start recognising it simply as sport for people with disabilities. This shift in perspective is crucial to breaking down barriers and ensuring that athletes with disabilities receive the same recognition, respect, and opportunities as any other athlete in the industry.” - Mariona Masdemont
ANNE TIIVAS, OBE
“Sport should provide a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for everyone participating, in any role and at any age. In order to achieve this, we all need to work together with shared values and principles. Working collaboratively is not always easy, but we must always ask, how does what we do benefit those we are there to serve?” - Anne Tiivas, OBE
MÍRIAM MARIMON
“In sports, we all participate to the best of our abilities, and in most cases, disabilities are not inherent in the individual but in their environment. When the necessary resources are available to practice sports, the concept of disability fades away.” - Míriam Marimon
Léa Battistolo
“Times are changing, and as young women aspiring to work in sports, we have the opportunity to prove ourselves in this environment. We must equip ourselves with the tools to succeed, believe in our abilities and skills, and support one another.” - Léa Battistolo
RENATA ROTH
“I hope people can see that determination will always pay off, and that loving what you do is not enough to guarantee success but it does help the hard moments. There’s no single path to success, and I hope people see that I did things my way—and so can you!” - Renata Roth
ANNE-CÉCILE TURNER
“Athletes show us that it is always possible to push boundaries and achieve what once seemed unattainable. This is especially true in the sustainability sector!” - Anne-Cécile Turner
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.