Sport for All – Everything about #SIGAWoW episode 7

Nuno Perestrelo0

SIGAWoW episode 7 – Sport for All

(Watch on demand)

 

No matter what you do, you can make a difference on someone’s life, and inspire others. Following Black History Month, Katie Simmonds, SIGA Global COO, Producer and Host of the Women on Wednesdays show, gathered four leaders in sport for the 7th episode of this growing SIGA initiative. Four women shared their views and experiences for more than an hour, and showcased the importance of empowering women in Sport.

Difficulties are all around, and sometimes, all it takes to solve them is to be active in the search for solutions. Entrepreneur Luticha Doucette,  had the opportunity to kick off the conversation, and she showcased it perfectly:“My biggest achievement to date has been to be promoting recreational activities in Rochester, New York, and being a part of this whole kind of group of individuals with and without disabilities. We were able to get inclusive recreational opportunities for kayaking and cycling, along our Erie canal. That has been recognized by the New York State, and so they have put in millions of dollars in renovating the Erie canal, so that we can expand that model across the entirety of it. We are talking about a really long channel of water that goes across the majority of New York state, so we can have these recreational opportunities for everybody. This is am opportunity for so many disabled people to get connected to nature and to  sport, to gettingg them reconnected with their families”.

Football player Samantha Jonhson, currently training with West Ham, in England, flagged the need women athletes have to do more than just sports. Why? Because of the salary gap between men and women:

“A lot of us have to think that we’re more than just the athletes, because our salaries are not as much as the men’s salaries but we are quite dynamic i think it’s just natural for a woman to be more dynamic, in that sense. Outside sport I created a brand called Better. The slogan is “be better”. I used to say it to the kids in appearances., but now I’ve turned it into something where I can make an impact on a macro level, and try to align myself with people who are already helping kids in sports”.

“I’m a firm believer in action”. Ytannia Wiggins, Executive Board Member at CANOC, words led the conversation to another important topic. Even doers have difficulties…

“One of the biggest obstacles I may have faced, believe it or not, was finding mentors and role models, that could identify with, that I could be inspired and motivated by. As a female, sometimes my biggest obstacle was cultural barriers and stereotypes about men and women places… There are invisible barriers, and we sometimes look at them as norm, and cultural, so we don’t talk about them. Women should never underestimate themselves”

Katie Simmonds then asked Luticha Doucette about inclusion being the poorer relation to diversity in sport. Luticha confirmed, and added more information…

“Sport has always been a part of my life but being disabled there weren’t opportunities when I was younger. Not only I had physical barrier but also a monetary barrier. We would have to find those opportunities which don’t really exist, especially in our urban settings. They don’t offer the same level of access as our suburbs do, so we can really see the impacts of redlining and structural racism, especially when it comes to those with physical disabilities. Even here, in Rochester, seeing that many disabled people are black or brown, and they live in the city, the city does not have the resources, facilities, or equipment. You know they can be very expensive, from lessons to gym membership, equipment. They also don’t have access to transportation”.

Talking about how to close the gap on the lack of diversity and inclusion, Ytannia Wiggins reviewed the impact of a specific international movement:

“The Black Lives Matter movement affected us in the Caribbean, but I don’t think it promoted greater inclusion and diversity. It simply highlights the racial

Injustices, and the systemic and institutionalized racism that exists. We always had advocacy in Sports. Let’s think about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, let’s think about Muhammad Ali. I appreciate what the Black Lives Matter movement has done, but if we think about it, it is really just highlighting. What really helped closing the gap are athletes like Naomi Osaka and Lewis Hamilton.”

Lucy Ford and Amy Clement, co-founders of Her Game Too, a social media campaign to prevent sexism in football, from a fan perspective, joined Katie for a chat. It all started in 2021, and since a group of young women shout out about that,  abuses decreased. This was another inspiring moment of WoW, and made the guests smile, showing support for this “amazing” action.

“As a mom and as a leader, I dream of a day when I no longer have to say ‘the first woman’ or ‘the first black anything’. I want it to be the norm, not an anomaly. That’s why I love her video, and why I get up everyday”, commented Ytannia Wiggins.

 

Teri Smith, Chief Operating Officer at the NFL Players Association, was the next guest. Enthusiastic about her role, she had great news to share with the audience:

“It’s been great. I love the Player Association, and we’re very diverse internally. Our team has 55 per cent men, and 45 percent women. There’s no big disparity, and we have a number of minorities and leadership. I couldn’t ask for more”.

Before closing the show, Katie Simmonds moved to the announcement of the Male Champion of the Month. “He is a man of football, his name is Paul Elliot and he’s the chair of the FA Advisory

Board for inclusion”, SIGA’s global COO announced with a smile on her face.

At the end, Katie and her guests had a surprise on social networks, as Martin Fearnley, Vice President of International Sales at Pumpjack Dataworks, and CEO at Urban Fear left an amazing feedback on linkedin:

“Everyone should be tuning into Women on Wednesday each month. Truly inspiring conversation. Samantha Martel Johnson, Ytannia Wiggins, Luticha Andre Doucette and of course Katie Simmonds you should be super proud of what you are doing and how you will influence a new generation of people across the spectrum – but especially young women. Humbled by your open, honest and educational views on some tough topics including both racism and sexism in sport. Loved every second. Thank you”.

 

ABOUT SIGA

SIGA is the world´s largest coalition in the field of sport´s governance and integrity. Supported by more than 100 international multi-industry supporters, SIGA is an independent and neutral organisation whose mission is to bring about meaningful reforms and enhance the integrity of all sports through a set of universal standards operated by an independent and neutral body. SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.

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For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com.

 

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