The football World Cup is awfully male-centred, isn't it? A flick through the country's newspaper back pages and you would think sportswomen didn't exist around about this time every four years. But they do; and they are still achieving phenomenal feats for often a fraction of the...
[caption id="attachment_588" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Could Jamaica be the first Caribbean nation to qualify for a Women's Football World Cup? (c) Jamaican Football Federation website[/caption] The island of Jamaica has long been known for punching above its weight. In a country of just 2.9 million people, it has...
Some stats for you: women footballers are up to eight times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male footballers. Injury prevention exercises can bring about a 64% decrease in the likelihood of ACL tears. There seems to be a decent chunk of...
[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Charlton Athletic Women FC captain Kim Dixson is one of six players at the club in rehab for an ACL injury (c) CAWFC[/caption] Sportswomen are up to eight times more likely to suffer ACL (knee) injuries than sportsmen. As discussed in my previous...
[caption id="attachment_487" align="aligncenter" width="656"] England forward Ellen White is yet to play a competitive game for new club Notts County after rupturing the cruciate ligament in her knee (c) UEFA website[/caption] I've played football since I was five years old and over the years I've seen...
[caption id="attachment_460" align="aligncenter" width="700"] "Boxing is addictive and I’m hooked. I love every aspect of it," says England's latest boxing sensation Carly Ogogo (c) ABAE website[/caption] Being a boxer is hard enough without having the weight of expectation from a successful family name too. But Carly Ogogo,...
[caption id="attachment_429" align="aligncenter" width="599"] England's most capped footballer Rachel Yankey, who set-up the Rachel Yankey Football Academy for young people, features on the 2014 Black List (c) Arsenal Ladies Twitter account[/caption] For me, the football Black List is a celebration. A recognition of achievement. A source...
[caption id="attachment_393" align="aligncenter" width="600"] "I'd take my job any day instead of an office job," says Northern Ireland squash player Madeline Perry (c) SquashSite's Twitter account[/caption] Squash is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. The sheer pace and intensity of it calls for...
[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Why isn't Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce considered a "living legend" too? (c) Fraser-Pryce's Facebook page[/caption] 'Living legend' is a term reserved for a particular man in the world of athletics: Usain Bolt. The six-time Olympic champion declared himself so after his sprinting clean sweep at the 2012 Olympics. But,...
[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="700"] England footballers pose for an Oscars-style selfie (c) Lianne Sanderson[/caption] "Wow, how'd you get that big black eye?" I asked Laura Bassett. "Didn't you hear?" she replied. "A massive fight!" She started laughing. She had actually headbutted Natasha Dowie, accidentally, in training....