The experiences of women in extreme sports-
Told in their own words.
Women are tough. We know this and we have done since the birth of modern civilisation. But the participation of women in extreme and intense sports has been a long, so far unfulfilled journey of which we’re about to explore- Ruby Dunaway takes a dive into the worlds of three remarkable women.
Kira Leat dominates in the front row of the scrum for Harlequins and England u20s, Emma Walton braves the icy water of the south coast for her mental wellbeing and female friendships and Anya Sherlock rips up the surf in Cornwall, beating her male counterparts to the ‘gnarliest’ waves. Each of these three inspiring women break barriers daily and unearth a multitude of wisdom and experience, which we can use to learn and understand what it is like to be a female who braves sports like these.
I visited Emma’s house on the seafront of Hayling Island which was bustling with members of her own swimming group, fondly named ‘Swimblers Shenanigans’. She wore a woolly beanie hat proudly emblazoned with the group’s moniker. Emma was pleased to talk about the plethora of benefits she has found with cold water sea swimming; she told us “we go at half six in the morning at the moment, because that’s the time you get the sunrises which are absolutely amazing- by 8am it’s all gone”. Her eyes light up as she describes the way it “sets [her] up for the day, you always regret not going but you never regret going”. She explains the ways the sport has affected and improved her female friendships and how it’s helped them also, saying “it’s amazing how many of my friends who are all nurses come now and they say it’s really helped them with stress relief, anxiety, that sort of thing”. When asked whether she finds it hard to cope with the cold in the winter months, Emma depicted how they’re “all effing and jeffing at the cold but it’s just so funny, we’re always laughing”. Members of her group popped in and out of the interview, laughing and commenting on Emma’s answers which really illustrated the type of sisterhood and solidarity an extreme sport can create.
Sitting on the beach watching Anya Sherlock ride the waves in her hometown of Southsea, you couldn’t help but notice her in the middle of the crowd of male surfers, her blonde hair damp with salt. Once she had finished her session, she gave a real insight into her encounters into the competitive world of surfing. She detailed how “when I’m out on the water, I have men trying to drop in and cut me up daily, they never apologise either”- her annoyance translated in her tone of voice. The tone brightened up though, when she began explaining how like-minded females have started up support groups to aid fellow surfers struggling with subtle discrimination in the sport. “These groups try and raise awareness around issues like viewing figures”- “female surfers compete separately to the men and the female heats happen after the men’s when all the good waves are died down, it’s so much harder to perform at your best when you don’t have the facilities to”. She went on to explain how less people watch due to the women surfing smaller waves, and much less funding in the media for the women. Yet Anya did make sure to reiterate how the support groups do “make [her] feel much more comfortable out on the water”. It was comforting to hear how much of a difference these women are making to Anya’s tough sport, and how just some support from her peers can make the world of difference to her experience.
Kira had just returned from her quarterly camp with England Rugby, which consisted of four solid days of training and playing, preparing the team for the upcoming Six Nations tournament. She found time to chat about her experiences in the male dominated space of rugby, where she divulged the ways the sport has shaped her, her run-ins with discrimination and the effect it has had on her body image.
She said, “I find, as a developing prop, that there’s almost an extra bit of stigma around that position. To me all that matters is that I’m fit enough for the position and can do what my team need me to do- I would say having women to look up to is definitely a good start.”
It’s not uncommon for people to discriminate against some positions more than others, according to Kira, especially those that need a certain ‘body type’ to accommodate the specific needs, namely the front row of the scrum.
When asked about her experience as a younger rugby player, Kira said “I was always the one the boys felt like they could wrestle and it wouldn’t hurt, but now as I’ve grown up, I only really have people around me that have been with me through my rugby journey”.
It’s widely acknowledged that rugby as a sport can instil many benefits in people, and Kira made sure to note that the occasional discrimination and prejudice she faces is majorly outweighed by the positives.
“I am who I am because of rugby. Confidence, leadership and teamwork has all come through team talks, being put in uncomfortable situations and having to make new friends- I would love to see every young woman have the opportunity to get involved in sport, not just rugby.”
Click here to hear more on these incredible women, and the progression of extreme sports in their worlds.
It was an incredibly eye-opening experience to hear from these athletes; their wealth of knowledge providing an insight into what it’s like to combat issues like prejudice and body image in this space. Yet so many benefits were uncovered, and it’s safe to say these women are all thriving in their chosen sports- we’d suggest giving them a go if you can handle the cold and the odd bruise.
By Ruby Dunaway.
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