Sport not gender

S P O RT NOT GENDER

S P O RT NOT GENDER

“Ballet like many sports are gender specific, this book will be showcasing different types of sports athletes, and will be highlighting males in female dominated sports and vice versa.

Sport shouldn’t ever have to be gender bias as many athletes can do the sport whatever gender they identify as. From my perspective of my sport I have heard of male athletes

being bullied out of the sport, just because they are male.

Creating this book has given a voice to athletes that have always been silenced by dominated ideologies and have been told that their successes aren’t valued in sporting community.By giving a voice to the current generation of athletes, it will help future generations to conquer those prejudices.”

-ESTELLE ATKIN-PALMER

POWER LIFTING

“My best achievements in the sport so far is getting all south west records in the squat, bench, deadlift and total.”

“I started powerlifting for a few reasons.

I used to do a lot of cross country, athletics, and long distance running in secondary school but eventually I felL out of love with the sport. I realised I wasn't built for running my height and stature was more suited to building mass rather than being lean like a runner.

I had also gone through a series of bad break ups with boys in sixth form so I wanted to focus my energy on myself rather than other people for a while and figured that having a new focus might allow me to grow mentally. My brother was also competing in powerlifting at the time so he was able to show me all the different lifts and help me with my technique. As soon as I began making progress, I was hooked on the process.

At the start, seeing the numbers go up and my physique change was super motivating. But once progress started to slow, I found my motivation by training with other like-minded people at the University strength club as they kept me accountable. During strength club, I met my coach, Tim, who took my training to the next level.

Having a programme and competitions to look forward to became my new motivation. However, during the pandemic, my motivation was pretty hard

to maintain as I had to train to a high level with minimal equipment in my garden.

With all my competitions being cancelled, I’ve now realised that keeping fit and mentally clear is enough motivation for me to keep going as health is the most important thing.

My best achievements in the sport so far is getting all south west records in the squat, bench, deadlift and total. I also came second in the junior British championships in 2019. In March 2020 I was contacted to join the British team to compete at the world championships but in the end they were cancelled. In training, I also beat the junior squat world record, getting 142.5kg.

I’m aware that there are some stereotypes in the fitness world.Luckily, I haven’t experienced any stereotyping against myself, but I’ve seen girls’ achievements be brushed aside because they have a nice arse. Similarly, guys’ achievements tend to be downplayed because people think they are taking gear.

I think there was an old stereotype that women couldn’t lift weights and that they were weak, but due to the rise in social media fitness pages and the growing popularity in powerlifting, I think women have definitely beat this stereotype.”

- Heather Christie

“strong and invincible, pushing myself to my limits and setting myself goals which to others seem impossible�

“People often ask why I ended up being a powerlifting. Unless you do it yourself its hard to understand why on earth someone would want to lift something really heavy for just one rep, or why would someone want to dedicate themselves to a sport that’s, well, just not very well known, but a lot more goes into it than you might think.

I love powerlifting for so many reasons. Feeling strong and invincible, pushing myself to my limits and setting myself goals which to others seem impossible. I love the hard work, dedication, motivation and discipline required just to make the smallest improvements or weight increase in each lift. Nothing is quite like the butterflies in your stomach you get when attempting a PB and the amazing feeling once you hit that PB. But most importantly, my incredible coaches made me fall in

love with this sport, and they are the ones that motivate me the most, keep me on track for my goals and they are the ones that made all this possible.

Powerlifting very quickly consumed my life, It’s addictive. Although because of Covid-19 I have only had chance to compete once, it was the most amazing experience of my life and I am itching to get back on the platform. I had my coaches and fantastic team around me helping me throughout the day. The powerlifting community within itself is so supportive and friendly. And a managed to break a few British records and won best lifter.

This all gave me the motivation to set some BIG goals ready for the next time I compete.

I am extremely lucky that one of my coaches is an incredible female

powerlifter herself. There is also a lot of women within the team, so I’m blessed I haven’t had much stereotyping within the gym itself.

However, outside of the gym that’s not always the case. A lot of people have asked me ‘why would you want to do such a manly sport’ or will comment on the fact its ‘not a very feminine sport to do’.

But most comments I have received have been solely on looks and people thinking I will no longer be feminine if I have muscles. ‘Don’t lift too much, you will look like a man’, ‘don’t take it too far, you might end up looking like a lesbian’, ‘don’t do any upper body weight, big arms aren’t very feminine’, ‘should you be eating that much, you might get fat’. You get the gist. On the bright side, I really do not care what people think or say about me. No comment will ever stop me being a powerlifter”.

-Tehya Leonie

Rugby Union

“I have been playing rugby for over 27 years. When I first joined I was 17 and over weight. At the time I did not think of myself as overweight, but strong and powerful. At that time there was a lot of stereotyping about female rugby players.

How they had to be “butch” and “strong”.

When stereotypical comments were made I enjoyed living up to that expectation, I got gratification when being compared to being as strong as males. In my younger years I strived to prove my ability to those around me, to the many, many people who thought ruby was not for women.

I was constantly trying to prove that I was just as strong and powerful as any man.

However I did little to work on building my strength. I did attend training regularly. I then went through trials. Here I started to work hard on my fitness in order to get into county, regional etc. When I was selected for England Academy and was invited to enter the “super fours” as it was known then, it was not just about strength but overall fitness. To be playing amongst the best was my ambition. Now the game is very different to what it was.

The positions have merged and are more fluid. As an individual I have had to adapt and change not only my physicality, but my game play too. The level feels much higher than it was. I feel there is much less stereotyping that occurs. There is still some but not to the same extent that it was.

As an older player I have to continually prove to myself that I am as fit and strong as the 20 year old stood next to me. It is no longer striving to be the best for others, but for myself”.

-Theresa Bickell

“I play rugby because it’s a sense of the impossible, I feel as though I can do anything. I have so much power and strength and I'm controlling it. It’s a release of all my stress and worries! My team and myself prove the stereotypes wrong, we are able to provide a full eighty minutes of quality rugby that’s worth watching. Seeing the support from my friends and family and watching as my team mates play like there is nothing else in the world is the reason I play rugby”.

-CHARLOTTE mcfarland

“I’ve grown up playing rugby with boys up until the age of twelve. They used to say that girls rugby isn’t as good and that I won’t get any where. First year playing for an all girls team I made it to county level and managed to get myself a trial for the Midlands. I have now represented many county’s, the midlands and a premiership squad since playing for an all girls team.

Just shows that women are just as strong and powerful and can succeed just as well as men can”.

-Avy Devgun

BAL

LET

“I’ve been called gay, soft and tweedy when really being a male ballet dancer is the complete opposite”

“Being a male ballet dancer can be difficult, growing up I’ve been called gay, soft and tweedy when really being a male ballet dancer is the complete opposite, Which I’ve realised with age.

I’ve lifted 120lb girls above my head, and made it look effortless yet my bullies threw a ball and couldn’t even catch it sometimes. I realised I’m more secure in my masculinity and sexuality than any of the guys who refer it to “gay”.

I also discovered I am not soft. I’m strong physically and emotionally, I’m training as a ballet dancer where you are knocked back every day, you’re not perfect, and it’s not easy.

The opportunities only come with hard work, determination and perseverance. My bullies made me better, and now I thank them for where I am, I’m dancing professionally and successfully all around the world”.

-Brogan Mckelvey

Cheer Leading

“A stereotype that many people assosiate with male cheerleaders is that they are gay. Even now when I tell people I do cheer they presume it. I feel this is very much a stereotype that off puts some boys and men from joining cheer�.

-ROBERT THOMAS

“Stereotypes given to cheerleaders; It’s for girls, doing cheer as a guy means your gay, you’re a bit big to get thrown around, do you have pom-poms?It’s not a guy sport, not for black people, it’s a bunch of girls waving Pom-poms around.

These are only some of the stereotypes I’ve had to deal with as a male cheerleader. What kept me going to want to carry on? I simply didn’t care what people thought of me and their opinions didn’t matter to me.

I realised that they didn’t understand it and that was fine because it wasn’t for them to understand. As long as I understood why I was doing the thing I loved and that challenged and pushed me and gave me confidence, that was all that mattered”.

-Sam Oyedeji

“When I joined cheerleading I was in secondary school and had been battling really hard with severe anxiety and depression as a result of continuous years of bullying. It was a deep deep pain that I kept in and kept to myself to the point where I just gave in to defeat of being treated as someone who was a complete outsider everywhere I went.

At one of my lowest points of my school experience, I had an encounter with my old gymnastics coach, who encouraged me to join the cheerleading team and attend the practice the next day. I was so scared to try out for cheerleading, I was already being bullied for being myself, and to then factor in a sport which I felt a lot of people referred to as a “girls sport”, I was nothing but scared.

If it wasn’t for cheerleading, I can say that I most likely would not be sat here on the other side of this screen writing to you now, Cheerleading genuinely has saved my life in my lowest moment. I have grown into someone who wears my weaknesses as my pride, and continue to do the thing that I love most in the world, despite anyones thoughts and views on the sport

and any ‘controversy’ regarding my participation in cheerleading.I can say with my whole heart, the moment I stepped into the cheer gym, I felt accepted, loved and most importantly I felt as EQUAL to everyone else in the gym. I have now been able to progress within my three years to being on the level five world team, which is a complete dream come true”.

-Olly Burrows

BOXING

“When I was in the gym nobody saw me as the female I was just another boxer but it was actually in school when I was younger the boys used to try and make smart comments making stereotypes that I must be a lesbian because I like boxing�

“Boxing is a sport which has been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old. I’ve grown up in the gym and what is very typically male dominated. Luckily for me I have never been repressed or felt I was at a disadvantage because I was a female. However, there are the typical comments such as, “You’re too pretty to be a boxer” and “What would you do if you got a black eye or a flat nose”.

-Sian O’Toole

“I began my boxing journey back in 2015 at solihul ABC boxing gym. I was the only girl who trained at this gym and I was told to leave as ‘girls don’t belong in a boxing gym’.

I was also told that ‘females can’t train hard enough’. I was even told that females ‘belong in the kitchen’. Since then I moved boxing clubs and have gone on to box for england all around the world”.

-ELISE Glynn

“I’m so proud of Elise, not only for stepping into the ring to box but also standing up against the hostility from certain individuals for being a female in the boxing GYM.

momments like watching Elise box for England, standing on a podium as a European Gold Medalist AND hearing the National Anthem will stay with me forever�

-ELISES DAD

“I just brushed it off as I knew they wouldn’t be able to do what I’m capable of”