Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 15

6 RACE: EQUALITY #ChooseToChallenge The inaugural webinar, hosted by the UK Obstacle Sports Federation (UKOSF), united athletes and supporters from around the globe on International Women’s Day to #ChooseToChallenge gender based inequality in obstacle course racing. The Elevating Women & Girls in OCR panel discussion was the first in a new series of online events – UKOSF Unite – looking at some of the big issues facing UK sport. It aims to investigate where the greatest potential for preventing and tackling inequalities in physical activity lie, to transform lives and communities through our sport. The Q&A featured a strong international panel of women and girls including five-time world champion Nicole Mericle (USA), Red Bull Athlete Ida Mathilde Steensgaard (DEN), Mudd Queen Co-Founder Jojo Brown (UK), Spartan Pro Nicki Johnson (UK) and 15 year old elite racer from the OCR Girls team, Cameron Tucker (USA). The panel shared their thoughts and experiences through a discussion with questions from the 124 registered attendees who represented 14 countries and included coaches, partners, race directors, parents, teammates and athletes, who commented that there were some really useful take home messages. The panel discussed alternative ways to alter obstacle difficulty in competitive races, explored the disparity in sponsorship and media coverage, and encouraged women and girls to have the confidence to compete. A large part of the discussion also explored reasons for dropout, how to specify coaching and create more accessible training environments for women and girls. It became clear that visible role models are key and attendees were encouraged to consider how they could support the female athlete. Time limited the discussion of all of the planned topics, such as balancing responsibilities and safeguarding, but these will be addressed in the future. Catch up on the discussion to find out how you can elevate women and girls in OCR by watching on YouTube via ukosf.org – or click below to view it now. UKOSF are taking action on aspects raised in the discussion and will incorporate feedback from this event when hosting the next webinar in the UKOSF Unite series in the Spring. If you would like to recommend a topic or panel member then please submit through ukosf.org/unite Becky Rendell – UKOSF, Head of Obstacle Racing UKOSF has a mission to unite individual OCR athletes, event providers and OCR clubs, to represent them and serve their needs, and promote sportsmanship