Challenging expectations - a journey in sport, education, and leadership

Growing up with expectations: experiences that shaped my understanding of gender roles

Growing up an athlete, I observed and experienced the significant gaps that exist between women’s and men’s athletics. As a young girl just starting to play soccer, I would complain to my mom that the boys on my team wouldn’t pass me the ball. I remember it made me feel as if my male teammates didn’t see me as “good enough” to warrant inclusion in the game. As I transitioned into playing lacrosse, I would often be told by players on the men’s team that the women’s game was not as physical and challenging as the men’s game. From my experiences, these comments did not come from a genuine understanding of the women’s game, but rather a perception that women could never be as strong, as physical, as competitive as men. I continued to see this reflected in the world around me as professional female athletes remained underrecognized, underpaid, and underpromoted. Later in my time as an athlete, I was finally able to work with female coaches, who exemplified and encouraged the strength, commitment, confidence, and leadership of women. I see these qualities reflected in women everyday, whether in sports or beyond. Yet, they continued to be largely dismissed or overlooked.

Professional female athletes remained underrecognized, underpaid, and underpromoted.

As I was training for my first half marathon, I went on a run in a nearby park around sunrise. I remember calling my mom shortly after and her being worried that I was running at that time of day by myself. She asked if there were other people in the park, told me to make sure there was enough daylight when I went running, and encouraged me to carry my pepper spray with me. This is a common fear for many, if not all, of the women in my life. We have been taught to always be aware of our surroundings, not to walk alone at night, and be prepared to defend ourselves. In fact, I have never gone for a run or walk alone at night, despite enjoying being outside at that time of day.

Privileged in my educational journey

I cannot recall any specific barriers that I faced during my education at this time, although I may be forgetting or overlooking something.

Overall, I was privileged to be provided with significant support and opportunities throughout my education, which helped me get to where I am today. However, I feel my experience is uncommon as many women face significant discrimination and inequalities throughout their education, while others cannot access education at all. I cannot personally speak to the impact these experiences have on a person’s life. All I can say is that my education has played an important role in expanding my perspective, growing my abilities, giving me the tools to express myself, and establishing a foundation for future opportunities.

Gender bias in the workplace: experiences from leadership roles

Since graduating college, I have worked in female-dominated spaces. Being able to learn from women managers and coworkers has been significantly impactful in shaping my career and inspiring the manager that I want to be in the future. Being surrounded by strong, smart, confident women allowed me to learn from their experiences and feel seen and supported on a deeply personal level. These women exemplified how to simultaneously be a strong, confident leader, while also maintaining empathy and understanding.

Being surrounded by strong, smart, confident women allowed me to learn from their experiences and feel seen and supported on a deeply personal level.

Yet, being a woman in a leadership position comes with significant challenges. Even as an Assistant Manager at a gym, I experienced being dismissed or even opposed by male members when trying to enforce company rules. In several instances, I felt as if these members didn’t take me seriously or felt they knew better than me simply because I was young and a woman. There were even several instances in which members who would not listen to me would easily respond to the same request when made by a male coach at our gym. It felt to me that these members viewed the male coaches as having more authority and credibility in the space than the women who worked there.

Challenging gender inequality through conversation, education and support

I think one of the most important things we can do in challenging gender inequality is engaging in education and storytelling. Even as a woman myself, I do not know all the ways in which inequality and discrimination impact women around the globe. I do my best to engage with literature, media, and news that highlight and share diverse women’s stories. By educating myself, I feel I will be better equipped to engage in meaningful conversations surrounding gender dynamics as I will have a better understanding of a broader range of experiences.

I also engage the men in my life in conversations about the challenges and inequalities women face on a day-to-day basis. Whether it’s talking to my dad about the recent news surrounding gender dynamics in US hockey or discussing perceptions of feminism with my boyfriend, I feel engaging in these personal conversations helps to expand shared understanding and collaborative effort. The fight for gender equality is not just the job of women, but of all people. I feel it is important for men to understand their role in supporting women and holding other men accountable. 

The fight for gender equality is not just the job of women, but of all people.

Finally, I do my best to ensure that the women in my life have the space to speak and voice their opinions. I have many strong, passionate, inspiring women in my life and try to take moments to recognize their excellence and impact whenever I can. It can be extremely challenging to exist as women in this world, so I personally aim to continue to listen and uplift other women throughout my life, even in small ways.