What does equality in sport look like?

Last week, I attended the “Transforming Sport: Women’s Sport Conference” hosted by Women in Sport.  It was a great event: well hosted, well attended, lots of opportunities for sharing ideas and concerns.  However, one moment sticks out for me.  During the BBC 5 Live Game Changers broadcast, the debate shifted to the discussion of sponsorship disparity between male and female athletes (only 0.4% of UK sports sponsorship invested in women’s sport).  A young girl from the audience bravely raised her hand to say that female athletes should be paid the same as male athletes because they are doing the same job.  The room erupted into cheers and applause.  But I found myself in the awkward position of being unable to join the applause.  I am a professional female athlete who is passionate about the involvement of women of all ages in sport.  But I don’t agree.

               I feel like the wrong metaphor is being used when it comes to discussing athlete salaries.  There is no doubt in my mind that two accountants working the same number of hours producing the same quality of work should be paid the same salary regardless of age, race, or gender.  But I don’t think of athletes as performing jobs.  When it comes to commercial considerations, we are entrepreneurs trying to sell a product, which is ourselves.  The reality for all entrepreneurs is that product price is dictated by market interest.  Millions of entrepreneurs around the world, from craftsmen, to musicians, to hoteliers can attest to the fact that market interest and price don’t always correlate with fairness, effort, or quality of work.

               Women often play a central role in dictating where money is spent, and a company would be crazy not to try and appeal to the female market.  I hate that Under Armour America recently hired Gisele to front their women’s sport line, and not an elite female athlete.  Something needs to change.  We can vilify the media and we can vilify corporate business, but I think what needs to change is me.  I need to show that I value sport (if indeed I do) with my actions.  We need girls flocking to PE classes, analysing the offensive strategy of last night’s netball game, and saving up to buy carbon fibre race tires.  These are the sorts of “market” changes that I am interested in and want to help bring about.

An interview on women's sport

I was recently asked the following questions about women’s sport. I hope this conversation continues until all girls are actively engaged in sport.

 

What do you think is the biggest barrier in driving visibility of women’s sport?

To be honest, I think women are the biggest barrier.  Men love sport, and spend lots of money to see their counterparts play.  Aside from the athletes I train with, I don’t have any female friends who regularly watch and follow women’s sport leagues.  So much effort is made trying to convince male audiences to watch female sport.  Women need to value and enjoy sport if we want female athletes to have more visibility.  Women need to value female athletes more than models and reality stars.

 

Why do you think it is taking so long for things to change?

It takes a long time for things like thought patterns and societal norms to change.  There has to be a very strong motivating factor supported by a large and vocal group in order for this to happen quickly.  Corporate businesses, governments, schools, religious groups, mums and dads need to be clear on why the promotion of sport for women is beneficial and relevant for them.

 

What do you think male athletes can do to help drive visibility of female sports?

One of the best things they can do is become vocal fans!

 

What role do you think sponsorship brands should play?

One of the biggest roles brands play is the provision of a platform.  The fact that a brand chooses to actively support women in sport already speaks volumes.  Actions speak louder than words, and the ambassadors companies align themselves with and where they spend their money sends a very strong message to the public.  Speaking as a female athlete, I’m not sure it is appropriate to demand people like and watch my sport, so the best thing a sponsor can do is give my sport visibility.  Give the public the opportunity to see what I do and then let them make their own choice.

 

What radical things must change in order for women’s sports to be taken as seriously as men’s?

We need to eliminate the expectation that women’s sport needs to take on the same shape as men’s sport.  By in large, female athletes are not as strong or a fast as their male counterparts.  This is a neutral statement, and all it means is that females will play the game differently.  Women may have to play more creatively or strategically.  It is still exciting, it is still entertaining, and it is still an impressive display of sporting talent.  If women’s sports keep trying to mimic men’s sports, they will simply end up being a second rate version.  We need to find a way to do sport on our own terms and be proud of it.

http://stefreid.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

Things I would tell my 20 year old athlete self

It has been 10 years since I got my first running
leg!  I have enjoyed every part of my career
and learned so much through the experience.
But here are some lessons I could have stood to
learn earlier:

# 1) Consider the possibility that you may dedicate the next decade of your life, missing several important social occasions, forgoing other career opportunities, enduring endless grueling workouts, only to wake up the morning of your Olympic final and have your dream shattered by food poisoning.  Would those 10 years pursuing your athletic dream still have been worth it?  If the answer is no, then pick a different career.  If it is yes, remember in both the good times and the bad that you chose this.

#2.) One loss doesn’t make you a loser, and one win doesn’t make you a winner.  Always keep your perspective and aim for consistency.

#3.) Be intentional about maintaining friendships inside and outside your sport.  Sport alone cannot fulfil you.  No matter how talented you are, no matter how many wins, you can never escape the basic human requirement of friendship.  Winning, but having no one to celebrate with will hurt more than losing.

#4.) Make up a list now of all the things you will do when you get injured: new skills you would like to learn, classes you would like to take, internships that interests you.  Notice I said when you get injured, not if.  You are not special; it happens to everyone. It’s far better to use your time productively instead of moping.

#5.) Take ownership of yourself and your career.  Do not automatically deflect important decisions to experts.  Be respectful, be grateful, and acknowledge the wisdom and counsel of others. But remember that you are also an expert when it comes to yourself.

#6.) I cringe when I think of the number of receptions I have been to filled with very important people working for very successful companies, and all I did was stand in a corner talking to other athletes.  The most valuable thing you can amass in your athletic career are contacts, not prize money and sponsorship (unless you are going to be the next Usain Bolt, then you can ignore this one).  Prize money and sponsors disappear when you retire as an athlete.  Your contact network is what will help you to start a successful round 2.

#7.) Live your personal life and your sporting life according to your own set of values - do not buy into cliche sport quotes without critically assessing them.  This includes reciting them in interviews and allowing them residence in your subconscious.  For example, watch this video of Derek Redmond's 400m semi final  at the 1992 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2G8KVzTwfw .
Then see if you still agree with Vince Lombardi when he says “Winning isn’t everything.  It is the only thing.”

I'm Over it

I am so tired of doping stories dominating athletics news.  It’s another form of stealing. First they steal the win, now they are stealing the limelight. 

It is frustrating to see so much press time devoted to the same boring story line, because it takes away from the positive stories everyone should be talking about.  Like Markus Rehm. 

Markus is a single leg amputee who recorded an astonishing 8.24m jump in the 2014 German National Champs.  To put this into perspective, Greg Rutherford jumped 8.20m to win Gold at the Commonwealth Games.  This jump would have won Markus silver in the London 2012 Olympics.

The world couldn't get enough of the fact that double amputee Oscar Pistorius was able to hold his own in an able bodied 400m race.  They extolled his Olympic semi-final effort.  But Markus is the first amputee in the history of athletics to actually record a result that could see a podium finish in an able bodied final. 

Who cares about Justin Gatlin - HOW IS THE ATHLETIC WORLD NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS? 

Markus was not selected for the German European 2014 Champs team because there was concern that his blade may provide a competitive advantage.  More investigation was needed.  This article provides more details: http://espn.go.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/11285062/german-federation-drops-amputee-long-jumper-markus-rehm-team.

A recent study by the University of Oslo has concluded that “muscles can retain the advantages given by anabolic steroids decades after the point at which they were taken.” More details can be found here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/29510575.

Why are former “chemical” dopers given the benefit of doubt and allowed to compete while accused “technological” dopers are denied the opportunity until it can be 100% proved a blade does not confer a special advantage?

I am not sure what the answer is for either case, but again, how is the athletic world not obsessed with Markus Rehm?

Stop elevating the profiles of intentional dopers: stop nominating them for awards, stop writing about them in the press.  Let’s focus on rewarding athletes trying to achieve their goals with character and integrity.

Debate on Leg Amputee Classification in the Paralympics

Debate on Leg Amputee Classification in the Paralympics

I have been asked several times about my views on leg amputee classification in the Paralympics.  I have given it some thought, and finally put my views to paper.  Please share your comments!  This is definitely a discussion worth engaging in!

The link to the pdf file is below.

https://acrobat.com/?d=C-Ey5ri4EFSBygOX0hKc5g

Do you compete in the NORMAL Olympics?

Do You Compete in the NORMAL Olympics?

Casual Observer: "…so, do you compete in the normal Olympics?"

Me: “No, I compete in the abnormal ones. “

Stef Reid, Paralympic sprinter/long jump, and
Louis Smith, British gymnast, having a muscle off

These are the kinds of questions I field on a daily basis when working out at the local track or gym.  Vocabulary matters because it exposes underlying attitudes and beliefs.  To me, this answer is perfect, especially when I nail the delivery with a sweet and innocent smile:-). I call them out on their belief that it is strange for a disabled person to be athletic, and the result is a good laugh, at both of our expenses.  I am never offended because I understand that their words don’t come from a malicious heart.  It is from well meaning people who are genuinely curious, and simply have not had the opportunity to be educated about the Paralympics.  I can relate to them because for the first 16 years of my life, I was one of them, and shared many of the same thoughts about the Paralympics.  I became involved in disabled sport after becoming an amputee and realized how far off I was from the truth. 

So, with the Paralympics fast approaching, I thought I would do the general public and journalists a favour by clarifying a couple of things and saving you from some potential awkwardness.

Here is a quick tutorial on the proper usage of the following terms: Paralympian, Paralympics, Olympian, Olympics, and Special Olympics

The term “Paralympian” is very specific: it refers ONLY to those who have attended a Paralympic games. The honour is downgraded when you start referring to all disabled athletes as Paralympians or Paralympic athletes.  Secondly, the term “para” does not make any reference to paralysis.  It is short for “parallel”, as in the Paralympics take place alongside the Olympics. 

The Special Olympics and the Paralympics are not interchangeable terms.  They are separate organizations with different mandates.  The Special Olympics is an amazing organization that provides sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.  They follow a participation model and their primary mandate is the betterment of the athletes and communities they are a part of.  The mandate of the Paralympics is to provide a competitive opportunity for elite athletes with physical disabilities.  While Paralympic athletes strive to demonstrate the Paralympic values (inspiration, determination, courage, and equality), at the end of the day, the primary goal is to win.

The terms Olympian and Paralympian are also not interchangeable.  Lately, I have noticed people referring to me as an Olympic athlete, or telling other friends that I am going to the Olympics, despite continued references to myself as a Paralympian.  I am starting to understand why: they are doing it as sign of respect because they are trying to convey the message that what I am trying to achieve as a Paralympian is on par with an Olympian.  But the truth is, I am proud to be a Paralympian, and every time you refer to me as an Olympian, you are chipping away at the Paralympic movement and saying that it is not good enough to simply be a Paralympian.  I am honoured to be a Paralympian.  I see no shame in the term. 

Besides, being normal is boring :-)

The REAL Fountain of Youth

The REAL Fountain of Youth

It is amazing the speed at which people will part with their money for the promise of a youthful glow.  Magic wrinkle creams and miraculous weight loss equipment are what keep the shopping network in business.  It is the creams that particularly amuse me.  Are we forgetting that everything we see on our body – skin, hair, and nails – is ALREADY DEAD?  How effective is that cream really going to be?  Cream manufacturers are starting to get smarter.  The newest advertising phrases include things like “DNA repair and renewal”.  This is on the right track.  We know that the key to aging well lies in the protection and maintenance of our DNA.  But back to the same point – is it really worth repairing the DNA of skin that is already dead?  And why just repair skin DNA?  How can I get my heart, lungs, and liver in on the action as well?

The answer is rather simple and boring: EAT MORE PLANTS.  There is an abundance of research demonstrating that key compounds in plants interact directly with our DNA.  They can turn on genes and they can turn off genes.  Genes matter because they produce proteins, and it is these proteins that are responsible for everything else that happens in our bodies, from our skin to our brains.  I would like to be more specific, but I can’t.  It is not because I am wrong – it is because nutrition is a very new science.  We still can’t even identify all of the compounds that make up an apple, let alone understand how they interact with our body after digestion.  But what we do know with a large degree of certainty is that people who eat plants are less prone to cancer, a disease characterized by damaged DNA that has the wrong genes turned on.

So, how do I protect the DNA in my living cells, and thus retain my youth and health?  You do it from the inside out by eating more plants.  Here is one of my favourite ways to increase my raw veggie intake:



You cannot bottle the nutritional punch of raw veggies and homemade salad dressing in a pill or a cream. A quick note:  DO NOT skip the salad dressing because you think you are doing yourself a favour by eliminating calories.  The oil is necessary for the body to absorb all of the wonderful fat soluble vitamins, like A, D, and K found in the veggies.  I have seen gourmet health salads sell for upwards of £10-20.  Using my method below, you can make and store a week’s worth of salad using organic produce, for under £8.

Directions:

Salads are all about the right combination of textures and flavours!   In my experience, I have found that almost any raw vegetable can be eaten -and enjoyed- when finely chopped.

Here is the rubric for making an outstanding salad:

1) Colourful mix of veggies
2) Intensely flavoured cheese (the stronger the flavour, the less you need to use; my personal fav is goat feta)
3) Sprinkling of any type of nut or seed
4) Balanced dressing

Once a week, I load up on fresh veggies.  I wash and dry them, and then slice them up in my food processor.   Pretty much any combo will work, but the key is to get a variety of textures and colours. For example, combine Swiss chard, red cabbage, shredded carrots, and sliced radishes.  I also like to add in some onions for flavour.  I mix it all in a massive Tupperware container, and then store it in my fridge.  By choosing thicker, rougher leaves, like kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens, and staying away from traditional lettuce leaves (like spinach, romaine, etc), your salad will last the entire week.   All you will have to do is plate it and add the nuts, cheese, and dressing! 

PS. Have your photo ID handy!