Women’s Sport Trust has today revealed the 28 individuals, teams, organisations and initiatives who have been selected as finalists for the 2018 #BeAGameChanger Awards.
The awards bring together the visionaries and game changers driving the future of women’s sport for one of the biggest nights in the sporting calendar.
The finalists for Individual Sporting Role Model, awarded to an individual who has used their influence to drive forward women’s sport, are Chelsea striker and England centurion Eniola Aluko, professional boxer Stacey Copeland and Afghan-Danish Manchester City striker Nadia Nadim.
In contention for Team Sporting Role Model are the World Cup winning England Women’s Cricket Team, crowd-funded success Team McNeill and Scotland’s UWS Sirens.
As well as recognising athletes and teams driving forward women’s sport, the #BeAGameChanger Awards also celebrates other individuals, organisations and initiatives that have had a significant impact. Categories include: Ambassador of Women’s Sport; National Governing Body of the Year; Brand / Sponsor Partnership of the Year; Inspiring Initiative – National and Local; Media Initiative of the Year; and Imagery of the Year. An award for Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Sport will also be chosen by Women’s Sport Trust and presented on the night of the awards.
The Brand / Sponsor Partnership of the Year category recognises the vital role of investment in raising the profile and increasing the impact of women’s sport. Finalists include Investec’s partnership with GB and England Women’s Hockey, Disney UK and The FA’s partnership to increase the role of football in girls’ lives and OVO Energy’s sponsorship of the Women’s Tour.
The National Inspiring Initiative category recognises projects that have had a significant impact on progressing women’s sport in the UK. This year’s finalists are TeamUp a three-year campaign to maximise the legacy of the World Cups and build a broader fan base for women's team sports, The Silk Series which aims to address the lack of female jockeys and England Rugby’s Inner Warrior campaign which aims to encourage more female players into rugby.
Jo Bostock, Co-founder and Joint CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust commented “Why is the Women’s Sport Trust so committed to running the #BeAGameChanger Awards? Because compelling stories about the trailblazers need to be told. They set the pace and show what’s possible. Most importantly they stimulate other brands, sport and the media to step up and take action. Building this momentum will ensure the future of women’s sport.”
The public vote is now open here: https://www.womenssporttrust.com/bagc2018/
The vote closes at midnight on the 13 May 2018.
The winners will be announced at the #BeAGameChanger Awards on 24 May 2018 at Troxy, East London.
Sarah started the Tough Girl Podcast in August 2015 with 4 episodes and the sole aim of increasing the amount of female role models in the media. Sarah has now interviewed over 150 female explorers, adventurers, athletes, and everyday women, who have overcome great challenges. The Tough Girl Podcast has been downloaded over 500,000 times and is listened to in 174 countries.
In 2017 – she started “7 women – 7 challenges”, where she followed the adventures of 7 ordinary women of different ages, from different background, going after different goals. Throughout the year, we got to go behind the scenes, as these women went after their goals.
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In 2016, Sarah ran the Marathon des Sables, 6 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara Desert, which is known as the world’s toughest footrace. In 2017, Sarah thru-hiked solo, the Appalachian trail, 2,190 miles in 100 days, while daily vlogging.
Sarah is currently studying for her Masters in Women and Gender Studies at Lancaster University and continues to be a huge source of inspiration for women and girls.
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