Ground-breaking panel impress importance of role models
The speakers, who included former Chelsea and England 'keeper Carly Telford and Girls United coach and manager Abigail Ingram, joined forces at the Sure Breaking Limits Pitch Day to advocate for more female role models in elite sport.
It was a timely discussion following research that shows half of UK girls have very few or no female role models in sport.
'Role models are so important. It's not just for girls, it's for everyone, but where girls are different is that there just aren't as many role models,' said Emily Heath, Brand Director at Rexona.
'We all remember from when we were kids that teacher or that community worker or even that famous athlete that we looked up to or that person that helped you believe that you could do something.
'The role we're trying to do is to act in a way that we can facilitate and draw attention to all the role models needed within the sport on a wider scale, but also the ones that are already there.
'Role models have so much potential to create something where you truly just believe that you can do something and that shouldn't be underestimated.'
Sure has partnered with Chelsea FC to tell the stories of iconic players like Lucy Bronze and Lauren James to change those statistics for the better.
They are also intent on ensuring those stories create change at grassroots level with the Breaking Limits day also seeing children take to the Stamford Bridge pitch for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
'We're trying to ensure that to bring that authentic voice back to Sure is to put a spotlight on more people than just say the ambassadors,' explained Heath.
'We put the spotlight on the likes of Lucy Bronze and bring her story to life, but we also try to put a spotlight and hear the voices of those within the community, whether that's our NGO partners, the coaches working behind the scenes, or the schoolteachers that are helping young kids start in their physical education journey.'
In part, that wider reach comes back to hearing authentic stories from the likes of Telford, James and Bronze.
The research also showed that UK girls were most inspired by role models' personality and real-life challenges as they sought authentic heroes to look up to.
'Girls really look at role models for multidimensional skills,' added Heath. 'They're taking away the resilience, the determination or the hard work those individuals show.
'It's really about that full journey of what's got them there and what they can take away from that.'
Telford, who now works as a Commercial Manager for Chelsea Women, added: 'I was in a school last week, and we were doing the trophy tour for the FA Cup.
'I sat down next to a group of girls, and I said, 'Oh, who are your role models?' and they said Sam Kerr, Millie Bright, Lauren James and that is just so normal for them.
'To see them writing their names down, wishing them good luck, it's just so inspiring for them to be like, I see myself in her, or I want to be like her one day.'
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