25 Who Support Women In Sport
To celebrate International Women’s Day, here are some of the individuals and organisations who have embraced and supported this media outlet as it strives to elevate women in sport.
When you create a one-off magazine which very quickly evolves into a media platform… on your own… as an 11 year old - without a team of producers, agencies and connections in the industry behind you, there is a hope you’ll receive support and encouragement from others in order to encourage, empower and sustain you.
And while it can be challenging at times, there have been a huge number of people and organisations across the sporting spectrum who continue to champion HER WAY Sports Media.
There are many who do so, but here are 25 of those who embrace, elevate and support HER WAY’s mission to provide excellent coverage of women in sport.
Amanda Shalala
ABC Sport Deputy Editor. @amandashalala
Amanda has been a practical unofficial mentor and champion of HER WAY since first meeting in 2022.
We’ve stood side by side at media Mixed Zones, and chat regularly at events we are covering together. Amanda also asked HER WAY to be a panelist for a Women In Media event in 2024. A friendly, encouraging face at media events and press conferences, which can sometimes be a bit ‘cliquey’ among journalists.
Charlotte Caslick
Olympic gold medalist Rugby Sevens. @charlottecaslick
There’s nothing better than when an athlete you’ve long admired is also a great human being.
HER WAY first reached out to Charlotte for an online chat in the last days of COVID restrictions when this media outlet was just getting started. She agreed to the chat despite herself suffering from COVID at the time. Since then, she’s provided several interviews with HER WAY whenever asked, and even personally gave me a guided tour of the team’s training facilities when visiting in August 2022.
Change Our Game (Vic)/Office of Sport (NSW)/Women in Sport (WA)
A number of Australian state-based organisations have been massive supporters from the start. Sarah Styles, head of Change Our Game in Victoria, was one of the very first people to reach out at the start of HW. They continue to support and elevate this outlet.
On the other side of the country, Karen Hennessy of Women in Sport WA has also championed HER WAY since its inception, while the NSW Office of Sport has provided opportunities to HER WAY.
Christy Collier-Hill
Outgoing Head of WNBL.
Since day one the WNBL league, under Christy’s guidance, has been a huge supporter of HER WAY and provided some amazing opportunities.
Collier-Hill has personally invited HER WAY to be involved at the past three season launches and Awards nights, and has been an encouragement during all of that time.
Christy has also always gone out of her way to come and have a chat to HER WAY and other media outlets when covering WNBL games, and has made this journalist - who in no way comes from a basketball background - feel part of the sport, and embraces the less traditional ways I try to provide coverage.
Ella Sabljak
2 x Paralympian. @e.sabss
A Wheelchair Basketball Paralympian from the Tokyo Games, Ella and HER WAY first crossed paths in real life at the 2022 National Wheelchair Basketball League, a few weeks before she headed to the Commonwealth Games as part of the 3x3 Basketball medal-winning team. Later that year, we did a full length chat together via zoom, and Ella also provided content for HER WAY’s magazine.
After switching to Wheelchair Rugby in late 2022 and ultimately winning bronze in Paris with the Steelers, Ella’s journey has continued to inspire HER WAY, and she has remained an athlete that can be relied on for both interviews and encouragement.
Georgia Rajic
Emerging Football/Netball commentator. @georgjar
Georgia’s passion and energy for the sports she loves is both contagious and inspiring. Georgia has supported HER WAY since early on in practical ways - being a subscriber to the initial HER WAY magazine, even encouraging others to do the same on social media.
We semi-regularly bump into each other at events either in Sydney or Melbourne and have a chat. The support of someone like Georgia, who could easily focus on herself in the early stages of her own sports broadcasting career, is appreciated and valued.
Giaan Rooney
Olympic gold medalist. Commentator. @giaan.rooney
Giaan Rooney has provided encouragement to HER WAY since 2022, when she happily answered HER WAY’s request to give analysis on Australian swimming in an issue of the magazine. She still regularly shares HER WAY’s content on her own social media channels.
It holds special significance when a well credentialed expert like Giaan, who is part of Australian sporting history, considers the content you create and work you do as legitimate.
Hannah Ferguson
Cheek Media CEO. @cheekmedia.co
While Hannah is not from the world of sport as such, she reaches across news, pop culture and other facets of society. Her platform Cheek Media is influential, and a chance meeting initiated some valuable growth to HER WAY.
At a water polo match in 2024, a mutual friend thought Hannah and myself should meet. We did so and chatted for several minutes. That evening, Hannah shared about HER WAY in a simple social media post to her engaged audience, and it triggered the biggest single 24 hour period of growth to this outlet’s Instagram account. That one act of a female outlet supporting another probably meant very little to Hannah and Cheek Media, but it helped HER WAY to increase its audience dramatically.
Jade Melbourne
Opals and WNBA Basketballer. @jade.melbourne
To be honest, numerous basketball players could be named on this list. Great relationships have been built over three years with the likes of Tess Madgen, Cayla George, Izzy Borlase, Sami Whitcomb, and the GOAT Lauren Jackson to name a few.
Since first interviewing her from hotel quarantine in 2021, Jade’s support and friendship to HER WAY has grown stronger each year. I’ve interviewed her more times than I can count on both hands - she’s willing to give her time for a chat after either a win or loss. An amazing ambassador for her sport, and a huge advocate for HER WAY.
Jess Fox
3 x Olympic gold medalist. @jessfoxcanoe
HER WAY’s first meeting with Jess was actually a surprise - organised by some of Jess’ representatives along with my parents.
An hour after returning home from that first meeting, Jess DMed on social media to provide encouragement, and she’s done so ever since in three years of interviewing and chatting to her as we’ve built a great relationship.
Jess will answer questions about an upcoming World Cup from the other side of the world within an hour, and regularly shares HER WAY’s content about Canoe Slalom with her audience.
Kate McLoughlin/Paralympics Australia
Chef de Mission, Australian Paralympic Team. @katemcloughlin4
From day one, a mission of HER WAY has been to elevate the talents and achievements of Para Athletes, something noticed early on by Kate McLoughlin.
From providing opportunities for HER WAY to cover athlete announcements and awards, and personally repping the HER WAY brand by wearing merchandise, Kate and her team have always seen this outlet as more than a novelty, but a legitimate news source which aims to give these incredible athletes the exposure they deserve but often struggle to receive.
Kate walks the talk with women in sport, as I’ve bumped into her at several sporting events, including her son’s birthday party at a women’s A-League game.
Kim Green
Former Australian Diamond Netballer. Analyst. @kimmygee8
It’s quite surreal to suggest that former Australian Diamond star and now respected commentator Kim Green is an advocate for HER WAY.
We briefly met at a Super Netball game, but became more familiar with each other at an event around the 2023 Football World Cup, where we sat next to each other.
From then Kim has become a valued supporter of HER WAY. We’ve attended Super Netball post-match press conferences together, and just recently Kim fought for and trusted me with the responsibility of being the Keynote speaker at a leadership event for high school girls from across Sydney which she was instrumental in organising. I can’t speak highly enough of Kim’s quality as a person.
Libby Trickett
4 x Olympic champion. Mum. Podcaster. @beingsportish
Over the past couple of years, Libby and her sister-in-law Georgie, through their podcast, have been more than happy to share HER WAY’s news and content.
I’ve been lucky to meet Libby on a couple of occasions at functions in Brisbane, and Georgie once. Both are super supportive, and clearly don’t see age or previous life experience as barriers to being able to do that.
Liz Wright
Former Paralympian. Journalist. @elizabethlwright
Liz and I first met in early 2024 as co-panelists for a Women in Media event. Since then, she has been a source of support and encouragement in the reporting of Para sport. In actual fact, a couple of events in the lead up to the Paris games, we were the only two journalists in attendance.
Liz continues to support HER WAY, either through words of encouragement or by sharing content.
Madison de Rozario
2 x Paralympic Champion. @madison___
I will run out of characters to express the support of wheelchair racing champion Madi. From the early days of HER WAY, Madi has been a huge support and encouragement to this outlet. At times, she has fought for (almost literally at one point!) HER WAY’s struggles to be accepted by some in the sports industry.
She is a fierce advocate for gender equality and changing perceptions of people with a disability. One of my very favourite athletes, interviewees and human beings.
Missing Perspectives
Online Media Platform Amplifying Diversity. @missingperspectives
The founder and driving force behind Missing Perspectives, Phoebe, reached out to HER WAY in the first couple of weeks after the launch of the platform. While they are focussed on their own content and opportunities, MP continue to be not afraid to share HER WAY’s content on their own channels.
Minerva Network
Mentoring Platform for Female Athletes. @minervanetwork
Minerva provides an invaluable resource for elite female athletes via connecting them with mentors.
From co-founder and now Governor General Sam Mostyn, to COO Kate Argent and others, the network has supported HER WAY continually, from chats at sporting events, to sharing daily schedules HER WAY created from last year’s Olympics and Paralympics, to purchasing a subscription to the HER WAY magazine as a prize for a Minerva function back in 2022.
Para Matildas
Australia’s World Champion IFCPF Team. @paramatildas
Australia’s football team for athletes with CP, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke was established in 2022.
The athletes and team behind this extraordinary and history-making group of women have been a source of encouragement and inspiration to HER WAY since their inception. I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of them many times, and the dynamic between this group of women is something special to see up close.
Sandra Sully
Network 10 News Presenter. @Sandra_Sully
The legendary Sandra Sally first reached out to HER WAY by way of support from the very start, even recording a video message of encouragement for a live interview I did on one of the network’s programs, and even offered to help set up interviews with athletes she knew.
Since then, Sandra has remained an encouragement, and is someone who regularly shares news that HER WAY posts on social media to her own audience. Sandra’s support of HER WAY’s journalism provides a real legitimacy to this media platform.
Saya Sakakibara
Olympic BMX Champion. @sayasakakibara
Saya was the very first athlete HER WAY interviewed, back in October 2021 when she was in hotel quarantine after returning from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Since then BMX superstar has remained an advocate and supporter of HER WAY. The support has always been reciprocal, with a determination to report on Saya’s racing all year round, not just at Olympics when the world tunes in.
Shooting the Breeze
Basketball Podcasters. @shootingthebreezepod, @jacinta_govind
As women’s basketball strives to receive regular and good media interest from ‘legacy’ media, HER WAY has been embraced by the crew at Shooting the Breeze, a Sydney-based podcast.
Led by husband and wife Paul and Mary, the longtime basketball lovers have become almost like sporting parents to HER WAY as we bond over covering the sport live at venues together. Co-host and basketball expert Jacinta Govind, who is based in Queensland these days, has also been an amazing support by regularly sharing HER WAY basketball content.
Siren Sport/Kasey Symons
Women’s Sport Media Platform. @siren_sport
HER WAY admired the work of Siren Sport even before launching this outlet, even buying a couple of their ‘I ❤️ Women’s Sport’ Tee shirts - I even wore one for my first live TV interview on Channel 10!
Started by a group who wanted to challenge the status quo of sports reporting, they embraced HER WAY from early on. Co-founder Kasey Symons in particular is someone who I’ve built a supportive and encouraging relationship, catching up for a chat whenever we meet up - usually at basketball-related events in Melbourne.
Tracey Holmes
Sports Journalist Legend. @traceyleeholmes
A true pioneer in sports journalism, Tracey is an exception to ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’, having built a long and successful trailblazing career reporting in sport at a time when there were hardly any other women doing so.
Since first meeting at a FIFA Women’s World Cup event in 2022 and giving me her phone number, Tracey has been perhaps the most supportive ally and mentor for HER WAY. She’s followed the HER WAY journey, giving regular public encouragement, and created opportunities for me to share the screen during her time at the ABC for both the 2022 Basketball World Cup and 2023 Football World Cup.
Last year we also shared a panel together as guest lecturers at a Sydney university, and our collaborations won’t end there…
Wollemi Capital Group/Victoria Denholm
Hoops Capital/WNBL Co-owners.
The Wollemi Capital Group, which features Victoria Denholm as CEO, have a big focus on investing in sport in a way which elevates women at all levels.
The co-owners of the Sydney Flames (which have been an extraordinary support over three years) will become part of the WNBL league’s new ownership group next month, and Victoria in particular has been a big supporter of HER WAY over the past two years.
HER WAY recently sat down with Victoria to chat about her journey, and her passion to see female athletes and leaders go to a new level. That chat will be released next week via HER WAY’s podcast.
Women Sport Australia
Advocacy Body. @auswomensport
From previous President Gen Dohrmann to the current one Helen Dorczak, as well as others within the organisation, Women Sport Australia has been a regular encouragement to HER WAY, and are another organisation who aren’t above sharing content created by a teenager’s media platform.
I was invited to share (albeit via video) at their 2023 International Women’s Day event in Melbourne, and attended their Photo Action Awards last year.