Midwest Academy of Sport (MWAS) signed on to become a part of the Community, Respect & Equality alliance in late 2025. Being part of the program was a natural decision, as we are working daily to break down some of the barriers facing our female athletes.
- Institutional Inequality: Unequal access to quality facilities, training, and sponsorship opportunities.
- Health Issues: Female athletes face specific health challenges, such as the Female Athlete Triad (energy deficiency, menstrual irregularities, and poor bone health). There is a noted lack of research and education regarding women’s health in sports.
- Mental Health and Societal Pressures: Fear of judgement and lower self-confidence in sporting environments.
- Discrimination: Female athletes face gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence. A high percentage of online harassment.
- Media Bias: Women’s sports receive significantly less media coverage and airtime compared to men’s, hindering visibility and revenue. They are also often subjected to sexualisation in media coverage.
- Career Conflicts: A lack of female representation in coaching and management roles.
The Mid West Academy of Sport (MWAS) has taken big strides over the last year in providing extra focus for our female athletes. MWAS recognises the importance of improving awareness and understanding the unique performance and health considerations of female athletes.
MWAS initially delivered a female health session for our athletes and one for our coaches. We feel it is important to improve female athlete knowledge and systems of support for both our athletes and our coaches.
From these female health sessions an athlete requested to meet as an all-female group to discuss issues that are facing our like-minded athletes. From there we approached Claire McLean (2 x Paralympian) and Nat Marwick (Physiotherapist Extraordinaire) and they were both excited to facilitate the sessions. The group is called MWAS Women in Sport.
A typical session consists of one of our athletes overseeing the meeting as a chairperson, a rotating role that provides athletes with an opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills. A short presentation is then led by Claire or Nat on one of the Australian Institute of Sport Female Health Educational modules or similar related topics. An open discussion follows, providing athletes with a safe platform to share experiences or ask questions.
MWAS Women in Sport is a trailblazing group of young athletes. We envision more academies following in their footsteps.
This is how we want to be a part of change for gender equality, to make the community safer for all. Family violence has a devastating impact in our community, with the overwhelming victims being women. It’s why we signed up to the Community, Respect and Equality initiative.