Goodbye not the final word
to encourage female journos, and I wanted to repay their trust and reaffirm that diversity was important and would help introduce different views.
I was quickly reminded why so few women want to work in sport, or don’t feel they can just ring a sports talkback and casually chat with the lads. Being a woman in sport with an opinion can be like going to a dress up party as a Pinata and accidently walking into a Mexican celebration where the kids have just discovered the baseball bat collection.
I told my partner not to read the comments. When she glanced up from the screen, her thoughts screamed out from her fearful eyes; will these people follow through and do they know where we live! When the blood came back to her face she said, ‘‘don’t read the comments,’’ and we’ve lived happily ever after since.
Ironically, I had been trying to write what I thought people wanted to hear. Pressure does crazy things to a person. It was like a flashback to high school when I realised my role was not to impress and enlighten the boys but to write my views in my voice; not just about female athletes and women’s sport, although that was needed, but giving my perspective (or warped perspective as my boss calls it) from my spot in the women’s changing room — if there was one.
Ah, the patriarchy. I have enjoyed poking the bear or the boys who are a tad sensitive.
I’ve felt guilty at times, then I remembered all the sexist comments I have endured or hear yet another ‘good guy’ make a joke about ‘a woman’s place is in the kitchen’ etc.
Then I take a deep breath (into my feminist lungs), pick myself up (PC self) and start typing all over again, returning their underhand serve with a forehand down the line. We can all play that game, if we must. I mean, I would happily have a guy caddy for me and even let him clean my clubs (not a euphemism) if he gave me a nice smile. It’s true what they say #notallmen #aredorks.
My words have been seen as an attack on men, but really it’s more shining a light on how women and some minority groups have become conditioned to accept the status quo, which often means the back row or left right out.
It is encouraging to see more female athletes showing the way by being brave and speaking out, although they need the freakishly thick skin to stand their ground.
British Paralympian Hannah Dines revealed this: she’d had to have surgery on her vulva because of damage caused by her bike saddle, which were not designed for women. She wrote about the overwhelming response to her honesty; many women and professional athletes had been suffering in silence.
But her words started a conversation that doctors and manufacturers joined. Now riders are waiting impatiently for the release of 3D-printed saddle technology. A happy ending you might say! At Christmas, it feels right to finish on a dad joke.
As I write, a new breed of feisty, thoughtful female reporters are putting on their boots and are being joined by others from diverse backgrounds and minority groups, keen to take part in this wonderful world of sport. The conversation is so much more interesting because of it.