Unlocked: Making Moves For Change

“I feel like this is the first year I feel like I really can identify as an athlete” she muses. “I think I definitely had impostor syndrome to begin with,” she says. “But the Unlocked launch was amazing. To be in a room with some of the people who I’ve admired since I was young. I think for me, just getting to be in that space is better than a medal!” The photo shoot was a novel experience for her, too. “I’ve never had my makeup done by someone, or been in front of a camera like that!” she laughs. “The way they approached it was really lovely, just to be in tune with who we are as people – as women as much as athletes. It was so exciting to be a part of it”.

Given Laura Weightman’s stellar athletics career in middle and long distance running – including two Olympic Games finals and medals at both the European and Commonwealth championships – you’d think a photoshoot would be commonplace for her. But far from it: “It’s something I don’t do a lot of, having that confidence to do something like that, putting myself out of my comfort zone. I just hope they got some good shots with my eyes open!” she laughs. Challenging herself is in fact Laura’s goal for Unlocked: “I really want to push myself, to put myself out there a little bit more, to be part of the next generation of women in sport and health and make change for things that I didn’t necessarily have growing up in sport.” She has been coaching for a few years now, but more than the technical aspects, it’s the human side that appeals to her. “It’s the athlete mentoring and athlete support that I really enjoy the most,” she explains. “And that feeling that running gives me – I want to give that to young girls, to instil a passion for sport and activity in them”.

She too was blown away by the launch event: “There was just so much energy in the room! Everyone wants to do something amazing.” And para-athlete Kare Adenegan agrees, “I’m usually in my athletics bubble, so it was so nice to meet other people. We all related on that level of being elite sportswomen, and we all really shared some of the struggles we’ve gone through as athletes. So it almost felt like a sisterhood already, even though I just met a lot of them for the first time.” For Kare, that sisterhood of Unlocked is also an opportunity to put her aspirations into action. “I really want to get involved in promoting diversity in my sport but I’d like to learn how I can do that practically, what that actually looks like,” she explains. In the meantime, she has a busy year of sport. “My main goal this year is the Commonwealth Games. Being an integrated event, it’s such a great opportunity to showcase para-sport alongside able-bodied sport as well.”

Being that visible role model for girls now is therefore something Simi is keenly aware of. “One of the things I can do to help the picture is just exist! To be loud and prominent and proud of being a rugby player, playing well and having aspirations to get into the higher echelons of the sport,” she explains. That, and continuing the hugely impressive feat of juggling her training with working as an NHS doctor. She is also keen to learn via Unlocked how to effectively combat some of the negative stereotypes she herself has faced, on behalf of other girls and women. “All the body image stuff people say on the internet, the racism, the microaggressions… I want to have a voice to be able to address those kinds of things, but in a positive way. How can I make people aware of it, and how can we then address that in a constructive way? How can we change that narrative for the next generation of girls?”

Tammy Parlour, CEO at Women’s Sport Trust, agrees that while the picture is slowly changing, more needs to come: “The sporting landscape for women has changed in many ways, even in the two years since we established Unlocked. Women’s sport is growing in visibility, and we have an exciting year ahead with major tournaments in football, cricket, rugby union and rugby league. However, we know from talking and listening to our athletes that there is still a lot to do. The issues these sportswomen care about are many and varied and we can’t wait to see what the 2022 cohort achieves.”

It is Mercy’s description of the Unlocked launch that really stands as a wonderful summary of the programme and an agenda for the future: “Sometimes in sport you can feel like you’re going through it alone. So to be in a room with these ladies and just to hear about their experiences – so I feel like it’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. These are some determined hardworking, accomplished women who are literally sitting at the table and saying things have to change. For me, that has kind of put a big fire in my belly. My thoughts are: ‘I’m around the right team here’.”