S2 E8. Woman and Change: Sports with Lauren Fleshman, Elite Distance Runner and Activist

Become a Patreon for access to bonus content and to support the podcast, or buy me a (metaphorical) coffee * In this episode, I speak with one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time, Lauren Fleshman. Throughout her career, Lauren saw how the sports systems - originally designed by men, for men and boys - continued to fail young women and girls as much as empower them. Girls drop out of sports at alarming rates once they hit puberty, and female collegiate athletes routinely fall victim to injury, eating disorders or mental health struggles as they try to force their way past a natural dip in performance for women of their age. Lauren isn’t just changing the system by breaking records, but also by speaking out about the inequitable systems of competitive sport and the need to rebuild them with women at their center. Some topics we cover include: The benefits of sports for women and girls How the sports system was designed for male athletes – and spectators – and what that means for women The physical and psychological toll of unrealistic body standards placed on female athletes – and all women The continued sexualization of female athletes Lauren’s first-hand experience of these inequities, and how she is fighting back Lack of representation in leadership and coaching positions – what makes it hard to gain equality, and why it matters How athletes today – especially women of color – are speaking out and changing the norms And more! Transcription is available here Lauren’s book - Good For A Girl: US | UK Changemakers: How women make change happen This is the first episode of the new Changemakers series which explores how women make change happen from those at the top helping to drive it. Each episode, we look at where we are on this long march to equality, what lies ahead, and how important you are in the fight. In this 14-episode series, we’ll hear from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, and Afghanistan's youngest ever female mayor Zarifa Ghafari, among others. Guest host Asha Dahya speaks with co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement Alicia Garza. — Become a Patron for access to bonus content and to support the podcast, or buy me a (metaphorical) coffee Follow us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Tik Tok | Youtube | LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly dose of all things WOMAN We need more women’s stories in the world! If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe, rate and review on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts Explore The Story of Woman book recommendations in the US and the UK - purchases support the podcast AND local bookstores 🤩 www.thestoryofwomanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

They say it’s a man’s world... so what does that mean for the rest of us? This podcast is on a mission to find out.  The consequences of woman's exclusion from our world are so deeply embedded that they are all but impossible to see... unless you are looking. Featuring interviews with those who explore our world through the female gaze, The Story of Woman looks at everything from the economy, healthcare, gender roles, and more. Each episode dives deep into where we are, how we got here, and what still needs to be changed in order to (finally) rewrite the story of mankind to become the story of humankind. To us, ‘woman’ means all those who presently identify as such - regardless of which body they were born with. This includes other marginalized genders such as those who identify as non-binary, gender fluid, or anywhere else on the spectrum of gender.