June: available athletes are less unavailable

Brazilians, brands and back to basics Norway-style …

1. Working Well

Brazil knows a thing or two about soccer, right?

Mid June and Dr Emma flew to Norway to address 700 reps from sport systems all around the globe. Her keynote speech positioned female ACL injuries as the emblem for inequality in sport. The culmination of shortcomings in biology, psychology, culture, education …

But from her talk (and its response), it’s clear TWHQ’s work in UK women’s football has made waves. Numerous attendees told us what TWHQ are doing in this space is fast becoming the blueprint for change.

In between all those consultations and panel discussions (and saunas, hikes and fjord-dipping) Emma was approached by soccer officials from Brazil — a country which knows a thing or two about the game — for TWHQ help in changing their women’s system. Trip to Rio? Let’s see.

Other wins from June include our Aways event (keep reading), and journalist webinar Moments in HerStory which went down last week. Over 250 attended the workshop designed to enhance reporting and storytelling this summer.

Maybe we’ll finally hear the word period on live TV …

2. The World at Well

Always moving forward …

Take your line of work. If you go to industry events, conferences or workshops then you’ll likely see the same old faces.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Not at all. But you know an industry or movement is catching fire when there’s new butts on the seats. When new faces and names join the ranks.

Case in point, our work with global product leader, Always, kicked off last week with the debut Master Your Menstrual Cycle workshop.

The event went well, but what it represents bigger still. A brand with global reach and resources is investing into women’s health in a meaningful, genuine way. This is not just a national ad campaign, this is grassroots stuff.

Always are engaging local changemakers and bringing female health resource packs into schools. They’re walking the walk. It’s easy to see our movement as an uphill battle, but passions were reinvigorated at last week’s event as all of us learned we’re not alone. It’s momentum and it’s tangible. It’s exciting.

3. SIHS registrations close soon

Sport in Her Shoes V2 starts with the academic year

You’ll have seen recent comms about our Sport in Her Shoes schools offer; the switch to a subscription model plus unique and ongoing benefits for partner schools.

Enquiries have already rained in from north to south and east to west. It all bodes well for our first crop of Female Health Leads in the SIHS network.

For schools still mulling it, please note that SIHS will kick off in line with the academic year thus the deadline to register is Friday 12th July.

Obviously this isn’t much time, but it is a necessary hard stop …

So please get your confirmations in, and if you’ve any questions before deciding yay or nay, send Sophie a note or visit our SIHS page for more.

4. Here Comes the Science Bit

Norway’s before and after shot

In 2006 Norway finished thirteenth in the medal table. Nout to write home about. By 2018 they topped the table and set the record for most total medals at a single Winter Olympics with 39. They came in first again 2022.

A table-topping revolution in next to no time – how did they do it?

In 2006, when Norway placed thirteenth, 17% of athletes were unavailable due to injury or ill health. In 2018 when Norway first came first just 6% were unavailable. In 2022 down to 4%. The correlation is as obvious as this statement: if athletes are injured less they can train more. It’s science, see.

Joking aside, it wasn’t easy. Driving down injury rates meant targeting the foundations (education; technique; nutrition; coaching; culture etc) and rolling right back. Norway shocked its system and rewrote its story in just 12 years.

We can learn a lot from Norway. There, 93% of kids participate in organised sport while sport governance and management is handled by one system from grassroots to elite levels. It’s not perfect (they have teen dropout problems too) but Norway rewired the status quo and the gamble paid off.

Still processing her Norway trip, get more from Dr Emma Ross on LinkedIn.

5. Medical BS

WTF is ‘good’ menstrual health anyway?

Dr Bella says: The phrase ‘good menstrual health’ is thrown around like we all know what it is … 

Is it regularity, light symptoms and no problems? No, that’s pipe dream stuff.

Good menstrual health is feeling tuned in and confident, despite issues, through every cycle phase and every life stage. It is knowing what to expect. It’s having access to products and care. It is feeling supported and respected and being able to participate without symptoms or systems holding us back.

Support, confidence and knowledge. That’s good. That is very, very good.