To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, we have spent some time talking to five incredible members of the Netball Family who all #ChooseToChallenge. Displaying resilience and determination, all these women either thrive working in a role or field some may perceive to be gender biased, continue to break down barriers or successfully challenge age stereotypes.
Meet the five outstanding individuals whose stories we’ll be sharing over the course of the week (8-12 March) and the areas they #ChooseToChallenge...
Afsana Afsar – breaking down barriers Since September 2018, Afsana has worked tirelessly to break down barriers within the community and has been the key driver behind creating a netball provision that’s empowering, welcoming and safe for ethnically diverse communities in Derby. Isobella Cottrell – age stereotypes Izzy, aged 21, has volunteered for a total of over 900 hours over the past two years in a variety of netball roles whether it be coaching, umpiring, organising, teaching or leading. She also represents England Netball as a Youth Voice on the National Youth Sport Forum (led by the Youth Sport Trust). Emma Bowes-Crick – challenging perceptionsEmma has been involved in nursing for the Army for over 20 years and has fulfilled various deployments overseas in a variety of roles. She worked at the Nightingale Intensive Care Unit during the first lockdown, when it was used as a step-down unit for post-COVID patients.Lucy Page – what it means to be teen and showing a mature attitude Lucy, aged 14, has had a particularly tough time through the pandemic with her mum working as a paramedic and her stepdad as a police officer. With both parents out on the front line, home life has been particularly stressful, not to mention balancing school. Natalie Morris – the male sports media landscape Natalie has several connections to netball, not only playing but also being a familiar voice with the work she does on The Netball Show – the first UK netball podcast which launched in 2017 – to help promote and raise the profile of the sport and the individuals involved. Follow England Netball on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for the latest content.
