the [female] athlete project

One of Australia’s greatest athletes - cricketer Alyssa Healy's career highlights to date include being named the ICC T20 international cricketer of the year, twice; knocking a casual 170 runs in a World Cup Final in New Zealand in 2022. And who could forget the time she smashed 75 runs off 39 balls in front of 86,000 screaming fans at the MCG?! Since this interview, Alyssa has won a Commonwealth Games gold medal and has since been named the captain of the Australian Women’s Cricket team. Healy shares some incredible gold nuggets of wisdom, in particular around patience, perseverance, playing without fear, and of course how to dance on stage with Katy Perry. This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law.  Get the wrap (weekly women's sports news) delivered into your inbox as a weekly newsletter! Subscribe here for the newsletter + don’t miss a merch drop. www.linktr.ee/thefemaleathleteproject Shop TFAP merch: https://www.thefemaleathleteproject.com/shop Find us on Instagram: @thefemaleathleteproject

Daisy Pearce is a pioneer of women’s football. She grew up in country Victoria, playing footy with the boys until the age of 13, when she was told that she wasn’t allowed to anymore. Later in her teenage years, she discovered women’s football for the first time, and has since gone on to become one of the faces of the AFLW competition.  After giving birth to twins in 2019, Daisy successfully returned to the AFLW, and is forging a path for women in the media, commentary and coaching space.  Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Daisy on instagram @daisypearce6 This episode is brought to you by Toyota’s Good for Footy Gear Grants. Read more here: https://www.toyota.com.au/community/partnerships/afl-aflw/gear 

At the age of 17, Tiana Penitani became the youngest player to represent Australia at a rugby World Cup.  In the years following, she went through an intense rehabilitation process following two separate ACL ruptures while playing rugby sevens. Her second rupture was just 10 months out from the Rio Olympics. A week before the plane departed to Brazil, Tiana had to sit down with the team doctor to hear the news that she hadn’t make it back in time.  Tiana now plays for the Parramatta Eels in the NRLW competition, represents the NSW Blues in the State of Origin, and has also represented the Australian rugby league team, the Jillaroos.  Tiana has overcome huge trauma in her life, after losing her father at the age of 12. As you’ll hear, she has a beautiful relationship with her family, and a wisdom beyond her years.  Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Tiana on instagram @tianapenitani This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Snowboarder Belle Brockhoff is about to become a 3 x olympian. A huge feat achieved by a very minute number of the population. Belle was born into snowsport royalty, Her uncle, Peter Brockhoff competed in Alpine Skiing at the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, and her great aunt, Joyce Brockhoff has a run named in her honour at Mt Hotham, Victoria in recognition of her work promoting the involvement of women in snow sports. Belle was given her first snowboard at the age of ten, and won the national schools snowboarding title within just weeks. Throughout her career, she has faced numerous set backs, including rupturing her ACL twice in the lead up to the 2018 Winter Olympics. She's got a really beautiful outlook on life, and on what the dark places can teach you about yourself. Belle is a huge advocate for mental health literacy.  TW: this podcast discusses suicide. you can contact Lifeline on 131114, or Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Belle on instagram @bellebrockhoff This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Melissa [Milly] Tapper made history in 2016 as the first Australian athlete to have competed at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. As a youngster, Milly fell in love with the game of table tennis, and as you’ll hear, had an incredible local community pushing her to achieve some big dreams. In 2018, she also became the first Australian to achieve Commonwealth Games glory in table tennis. This chat with milly was following her competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo 2020, and you can hear her stubbornness, her drive, and her desire to work every single day at her craft, often taking herself to the point of feeling like she didn’t possibly have any more left in her. Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Milly on instagram @millytapper This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Rebekah Stott captained Australia as a junior footballer before switching allegiences and committing to the country of her birth, New Zealand. Stott has represented the Football Ferns 81 times, been to 2 World Cups and 2 Oympic Games and travelled the world plying her trade in Australia’s ALeague, Germany, the United States, Norway, and, most recently, England. Off the field Stott faced what could be described as her greatest challenge early in 2021. In February, Stotty was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. As a fit and healthy 27-year-old elite athlete, she was used to facing many physical and mental challenges, but nothing could prepare her for her cancer battle. after an agressive chemotherapy treatement program she was given the amazing news in July that she was in remission. Stotty took part in the worlds Greatest Shave and has launched a project called "beat it by Stotty" which aims to provide a modern cancer pack - a bag with specific compartments and items to support fellow patients through their medical journey.  She got back on the pitch for Melbourne City at the start of the month, it was 348 days since her last game of Football and 294 days since her cancer diagnosis was confirmed.  Stotty wants to raise awareness for blood cancer, to support others going through their own battle and use her story to help inspire as many people as possible. Follow us on instagram @thefemaleathleteproject. Find Stotty on instagram @stotty_13, @beatitbystotty. Read more about her incredible story www.beatitbystotty.com Shop TFAP merch www.thefemaleathleteproject.com/shop This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

When Nicola McDermott was 8 years old, she had a desire to one day be an international High Jumper. After trying her hand at a large number of sports she found herself at Little A's and the already quite tall 8 year old felt right at home. She discovered early on that no woman in australia had ever jumped over 2 metres and that mark quickly became the dream. At 24 years old, the dream is now a working reality, which is hardly surprising when you come to appreciate the determination, focus and self belief that Nicola possesses. For the past 10 years she has equalled or improved her high jump PB each and every year. On the 18th of April 2021 at the National Champs she jumped 2 metres to become the first Australian woman to soar that high. She would go on to break the Australian Record again at the Olympics where she cleared 2.02m and finished with a Silver medal. McDermott captured the attention of the world in Tokyo, her unique approach to jumping includes journalling and rating herself after every attempt and a deliberate pre-jump ritual where she looks to the sky, starts the slow clap, yells COME ON and smiles the biggest smile that just fills everyone watching with joy. That smile, the journal and her devout faith are 3 constants that McDermott has with her at all times. The World Record currently stands at 2.09m and no one has seen a woman jump higher. I get the feeling that Nicola's faith and belief might just have us all witnessing something none of us have ever seen before in the near future. Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Nicola on instagram @nicolalmcdermott. This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Vanessa Low knows all too well that change can happen quickly and drastically. At the age of 15 while living in Germany she fell from a train platform, lost both her legs, and spent the next 5 months in hospital fighting for her life. When she woke from her coma the future she had planned for herself had evaporated, the confident sporting teenager was faced with massive uncertainty and fears that could have caused her to retreat from her life and shelve her dreams. But Vanessa did none of those things, she discovered paralympic sport and she thrived. Vanessa incredibly found "the beauty within the change", and her athletics career took off. She has competed at 3 Paralympics, 2012 and 2016 where she represented her native Germany before making a shift to represent Australia at Tokyo 2020 after marrying Aussie paralympic gold medallist Scott Reardon. In Rio Low won Gold in the Long Jump and Silver in the 100m. In Tokyo she had us glued to our TVs, Low was unstoppable in the Long Jump, breaking the world record three times in just over one hour to win the gold medal. Vanessa is an inspirational human, her story is phenomenal and her courage is breathtaking, she speaks about adversity as being an opportunity and she has absolutely made the most of her opportunities to date. Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Vanessa on instagram @vanessalow90. This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Getting to the top of your sport is difficult, very few will ever represent their country on the world stage. Ellyse Perry has done that in not 1, but 2 sports in her illustrious career. Ellyse was 16 when first selected to represent Australia in Cricket, the youngest ever to play Cricket for Australia male or female, 13 days later she pulled on a Matilda's jersey and made her Aussie Soccer Debut. She is the only person ever to have played for Australia in both cricket and Soccer World Cups. In December 2020, the ICC staged a special edition of its annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players of the past ten years. Perry swept all three major female categories to be named the Women's ODI Player of the Decade, Women's T20I Player of the Decade and overall Women's Cricketer of the Decade. Proper GOAT behaviours. Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Ellyse on instagram @ellyseperry. This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Sabrina Frederick is a force on and off the AFLW field. She is a fierce competitor and a ruthless fighter, skills that she picked up as a kid in country WA, after moving across the world with her family from Brighton, England at just 7 years old. But she found her place on the footy field playing with the boys before joining a women's team at the tender age of 14. Fast forward a few years and Frederick was one of the inagural marquee signings for the Brisbane Lions in Season 1 of AFLW. That season saw her named an AFLW rising star, and in the All-Australian team. A move to Melbourne to play for Richmond in 2020 and a win on the popular reality show SAS Australia has seen Frederick's profile grow and she is passionate about using that profile to help others who face adversity and experience inequality. Sabrina is about to start AFLW season 6 with Collingwood, a new start, a new club and a new challenge. Follow us on Instagram @thefemaleathleteproject Find Sabrina on instagram @sabzizzle This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Ariarne Titmus became a household name in the space of 3 minutes and 56 seconds. At the tokyo olympics, she beat one of the greatest swimmers of all time - Katie Ledecky, in the 400m. Just to prove it was no fluke she finished first and took Gold in the 200m Freestyle too. Her humble and balanced personality on the pool deck is in stark contrast to the energy and passion shown by her coach Dean Boxall who became a viral hit cheering Titmus home in the 400m.  Find Ariarne on instagram @ariarnetitmus_ This episode is brought to you by Blossom [www.blossomapp.com] and Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Like so many of us, Taliqua Clancy watched as Cathy Freeman won gold in Sydney and promised herself that one day she too would compete for Australia at an Olympic Games. Fast forward 21 years and she has been to 2 Olympics and has brought home a Silver Medal from Tokyo.  She is a proud Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng woman from Kingaroy. Kingaroy is a 2 and half hour drive North West of Brisbane and doesn't really have many, actually any beaches, which makes her journey to Olympic Medalist in Beach Volleyball incredibly interesting. In this chat, Taliqua shares some really powerful insights around preparing for the biggest sporting event in the world in the middle of a global pandemic. Find Taliqua on instagram @taliqua This episode is brought to you by Blossom [www.blossomapp.com] and Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Gretel Bueta (formerly Gretel Tippett) is an incredible athlete. Since making her WNBL debut in 2010 at the age of 17 she has packed in plenty of highlights. WNBL seasons, 3 Junior World Championships in basketball, and then a switch to Netball. 2013 saw an opportunity to play with the Queensland Firebirds, get selected in the Australian U21 team and then make a move to the NSW Swifts, before eventually returning home to QLD. The Australian Diamonds call up came in the 2018/2019 season which was a peach of a season for Gretel. She was named in the Super Netball team of the year and in 2019 was awarded the Liz Ellis Diamond, the most prestigious annual award in Australian netball, given to the player judged the best in both domestic and international netball throughout the calendar year. But potentially her greatest highlight was still to come, Gretel married Niko Bueta in 2020 and they welcomed son Bobby into the world in January this year. Gretel is now back on court with an extra little fan cheering on from the stands. Find Gretel on instagram @gtippett This episode is brought to you by Blossom [www.blossomapp.com] and Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Tyler Wright is a 2 time World Champion Surfer from the South Coast town of Culburra. Labeled a childhood prodigy, Tyler is the youngest surfer in history to win a Championship Tour event. In 2008 at the age of just 14 Tyler won the Beachley Classic in Manly before joining the Tour full time 3 years later. Tyler has won an amazing 14 World Tour events and two historic World Title's in 2016 and 2017. Surfing is a serious thing in the Wright family with two of Tyler's brothers competing alongside her on the World Tour. In this episode, Tyler shares the scary depths she went to after being diagnosed with post-viral syndrome, where she went days and weeks on end barely able to move in a pitch black room. As you will hear, after undertaking intense neurological rehabilitation sessions, tyler made a momentous return to surfing, and has made the choice to use her platform to speak out on issues of inequality - around race, gender and sexuality. Find Tyler on Instagram @tylerwright This episode is brought to you by Blossom [www.blossomapp.com] and Workplace Law [www.workplacelaw.com.au]

Steph Catley is one of the best footballers that Australia has produced. She made her debut for Melbourne Victory in the W league at 15 years of age, and has since gone on to win 5 w league championships between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City. Steph has been named in the W-leauge’s team of the season for the last 4 years in a row, and in 2020, was named the PFA WOmen’s player of the year. She has been an integral part of the Matildas team since her debut in 2012, has played alongside some of the world’s best in the NWSL in America, and is currently playing with Arsenal in the Women’s Super League in England while preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and 2023 World Cup. This episode is brought to you by our incredible partners Workplace Law and Athletes Authority. Find Steph on Instagram

Wheelchair racer Madison De Rozario is a 3 x Paralympic silver medallist, a 2 time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, winner of the London Marathon, and multiple World Championship medallist. Madison competes in a range of wheelchair track and road events, including the 800m, 1500m and the gruelling marathon; in the T53 classification - where athletes typically have full function of the arms but no abdominal or lower spinal muscle activity. She is currently preparing for her fourth paralympics in Tokyo. There’s no bs with Madison, and as you’ll hear, she has some powerful insights into the importance of representation and visibility of both female and para-athletes. This episode is brought to you by our incredible partners Workplace Law and Athletes Authority. Find Madison on Instagram.

Alicia Lucas (known as Quirky) played every minute of Australia’s Gold Medal winning campaign at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Born and bred in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Quirky played any sport she could find, before representing Australia in touch football, and then making the transition to the Australian Rugby Sevens Team. Quirky is the player that you want on your team in the dying seconds of a gold medal match. She’s meticulous in her preparation and planning, has an engine that will go for days, and an unrelenting drive that comes from somewhere deep within. She’s the teammate who will yell at you to GET UP OFF THE GROUND AND GET BACK IN THE LINE and the first one to pick you up after you’ve scored a try. Quirky has recently moved over to live in Japan with her husband Matt who plays rugby for the Ricoh BlackRams. And they have very recently welcomed a brand new member of the family, their adorable baby girl Matilda. This episode is brought to you by our incredible partners Workplace Law and Athletes Authority. Find Quirky on instagram @alicia_quirk

Tayla Harris has played in the AFLW since its inception in 2017, and has been named in the All-Australian side on 3 occasions. In 2018 she was awarded mark of the year, and in 2019, was photographed kicking a goal that will go down in history, not for the kick itself, but for her response to online trolls that spread across the globe. In that same year, Tayla won the Australian titles for both the middleweight and super-welterweight boxing. Besides all the impressive stuff she does in sport, and the causes that she has championed, as you will hear - she’s just a good person who will do anything to support her mates. This episode is brought to you by our incredible partners Workplace Law and Athletes Authority. Find Tayla on instagram @tayla_harris

Swimmer Ellie Cole is a bloody legend. She’s a 6 time Paralympic champion, a world record holder and an incredible role model. In 2020, Ellie featured in the amazing Netflix documentary, Rising Phoenix. At age three, Ellie’s right leg was amputated above the knee after she suffered a life-threatening sarcoma cancer. Cole is classified in the S9 category in swimming due to her amputation, a classification that also includes swimmers who have joint restrictions in one leg and those with double below-knee amputations. Ellie has a wicked sense of humour, she’s warm and open, and as you’ll hear, has a really beautiful sense of appreciation for life. She shares some incredible insights around performance, and that even when you're the best in the world, it's so much more important to be happy, than to be successful.  This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law. www.workplacelaw.com.au Find Ellie on instagram @elliecoleswim

Cyclist Anna Meares needs no introduction. She’s Australian sporting royalty. But for the kids who are too young to have seen her in all her glory - she’s a 4-time Olympian, a 6-time Olympic medallist, and a 5-time Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist. During her career, she won 11 World Championships, cementing her spot as the most decorated female track cyclist of all time. Anna shares insights into performing under pressure at the highest level, learning from failure, the role of successful teams, and the importance of valuing mental health as highly as we treat our physical health.  Anna is incredibly genuine, honest and articulate about everything she experienced both during and after her cycling career. She really is a true Aussie hero.  This episode is brought to you by Workplace Law. www.workplacelaw.com.au Find Anna on instagram @annameares Find Anna’s book ‘Now’ at Stoke Hill Press