Eighty five per cent of those women were new women. First, she worked as a medical practitioner. But I did really well and I was ridiculously ambitious and I joined a triathlon squad and then I took a year out of med school like a gap year if you like and I thought to myself yep OK I want to go to the Olympics in Olympic distance triathlon but this was in an era when the Jones Emma Carney Jackie Gallagher Loretta Harrop like the best women triathletes in the world were all in Queensland. When people talk about the sacrifices required of women in sport, they rarely consider body image and physical health, but if my years in the professional peloton taught me anything, its that this problem requires a far greater level of understanding and care. You know theres this myth that oh lets just train more women lets give them coaching courses lets educate them. Then it would have been an even more difficult. [00:34:33] They came away from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last year with some pretty sobering data. But we also need the networks to to buy into it too because at the end of the day everybody benefits if they have the foresight to invest in it at whatever level. You know how to deliver you keep going when youre tired you keep going when youre annoyed when it rains when its windy. Thank you so much for having me on. As a young girl growing up in a house with no electricity and television, Dr Bridie O'Donnell had no idea she would one day be a world champion cyclist. But it is frustrating when you see the standard of play in the success of play because often the argument is so well medals will will win for funding means as it does in the UK for example with lottery funding they want to see the medals first but it can be a catch 22 as well. That access is all a part of being accessible right the accessibility of sport. CEOs and board directors and the stats are mind boggling 96 percent of women in leadership positions across all industries have been competitive athletes. Well why doesnt the UCI the governing body say if you want to hold a rice race licence you have to broadcast X amount and you have to provide the footage and everyone would pass the buck and say its not their job. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked in the Industry Recovery Group of Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, and was then appointed Executive Director for the Public Events Team. I think no go do the deal with our channel 7 9 or 10 or ABC or SBS which are our national broadcasters because its not good enough anymore to just say oh thats not our job. I can tell you that. And what was what followed was a real a real moment in time because of revolting abuse ensued of people sort of objectifying and making really disgusting sexist comments about her about the physical position she was in. You can imagine there were dozens or they said to me you know 100 women and men applied for this job. In 2014, she took on an inaugural role as a breast physician at the Epworth Breast Service. [00:29:59] They would need to have 40 per cent women on the boards of these organisations acknowledging these were all volunteer positions. Bridie returned to full time work in 2013 as a behavior change physician at Epworth health check in Epworth breast centre with a part time role teaching doctor patient communication at Deakin University Medical School from 2013 to 2016. You have to work with people of varying abilities different types and motivations and you have to rally them all you have to have a plan and b c and d when things dont go your way. And then when theyre not the fastest anymore they dont know what to do next. And that I think has been the extraordinary difference for professional womens sporting leagues and teams is that theyve had to grow and blossom and be criticised in the most ridiculous level of scrutiny both on social media from anonymous abusers but also from just you know male commentators saying this is boring I dont like watching this and it wasnt that long ago that I was commentating Road World Cycling Championships and we were hearing commentators from other countries saying this is a boring race nothings happening with therefore womens cycling is boring without any insight into the idea that these women are not only different physiological beasts but its a different race with different team numbers. Bridie welcome to the program. Six years of med school was helpful but actually following around the senior doctor and thinking Okay heres what being a surgeon involves. Bob Marleys daughter who owns the Jamaican womens team the Thai billionaire who has funded the Thai womens team you know. Shes very tall incredible flexibility of this photograph of her kicking so her legs completely apart almost 90 degrees flexible hips incredible flexible flexibility and strength. They could do it five years ago they would probably struggle and so well I think we need to determine the barriers. These are the kinds of conversations he has. [00:36:46] And so whilst we are we have scholarship programs that are offered. [00:16:29] Dont rub it in. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 April. The rigors and sometimes the bullying and abuse that comes with professional sport. I really do appreciate it. So youre youre pioneers in some way. So it actually wasnt until I was in my second year of medical school I went straight into medical school out of high school and I started doing a triathlon. Bridie ODonnell in full cycling mode in the US in 2012. , money, salary, income, and assets. So theres a couple of prongs to this attack if you like. Then, in her mid-30s, O'Donnell made the sharp pivot to professional cycling, a field where she. And when Peggy talks people listen. [00:22:49] Well why doesnt the UCI the governing body say if you want to hold a rice race licence you have to broadcast X amount and you have to provide the footage and everyone would pass the buck and say its not their job. And she said well you know what I did some digging and I found out that everyone checks their responsibility or their part to play in the way. [00:36:16] Theres theres thousands of reasons that get put forward as to why a woman cant actually follow around the head coach of a mens cricket team and just think OK what does this job look like and how would I do it if it were me because thats how I learned how to be a doctor. You mentioned a couple of times there Bridie in the last few minutes about the Fitbit the free to air TV that that makes a big difference in terms of exposure for womens sports. O'donnell is a world champion road cyclist, a . How did that organization come about when did it get its funding. And yet we have over 30000 girls and women registered to play was he rules in this state and hundreds more that are paid teach physical education teachers or former coaches in other jobs that could be highly qualified to do that. So seeing those women on the field on the pool deck beside the court looking authoritative I mean some of those great images of Becky Hammon whos been the assistant coach at San Antonio looking up to those extraordinarily tall NBA players knowing that shes been a former WNBA champion herself is really powerful. Our guest this week is Dr. Bridie ODonnell, Head of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation in Melbourne, Australia to discuss the issues affecting women and girls from her perspective, the progress that the organization has made to advance women and girls participation in sport and the challenges that lie ahead. And if youd like to find out more about Bridies work and the organization you could find a link in the show notes accompanying this episode at WiSP Sports dot com. The medal was awarded to my great grandmother who won an Irish bag piping competition as a teenager and she kept it with her every day. The Office, an Australian first, has two overall goals. When I offered an unsolicited opinionone that in any way questioned maladaptive or unhealthy behaviorit was greeted with silence, a dismissive and wagging finger, or eye-rolling. You know these are the difficult things to manage training when its cold and wet and rainy is actually quite simple compared to inter family tensions or a difficult boss or trying to manage team leaders or staff that you you just cannot seem to get on the same level. Yes absolutely and weve covered them here on WiSP Sports going back to whats on your desk now. It was a problem all over the worldwhat youd almost term performance-enhancing eating disorders. So its one of the biggest cities. But what were seeing now is many more questions about how Okay okay we get it but how are we going to do it. In 2006, she finished Ironman Austria, Ironman Hawaii and rode a bike course record at Busselton Ironman. It also saved me when we would arrive at 2.5 star motels with awful pillows that inevitably led to terrible sleep. and theres been so such a lack of diverse thinking that you know these people generally all the same age that probably went to school together and so by by asking them to have a quota and bring women in. Im not suggesting that we all need to endure. So for example there was a rather controversial commitment made by the federal government a few years ago where they said were going to give money to Fox Sports to focus on niche sports. So it had both sides of politics supporting the inquiry and it was chaired by an American. [00:29:45] Organisations that deliver Sport and Recreation to Victorians that are funded by government. And one of the things that were actually really reassured. And so whilst were not where we need to be in terms of pay equality and the number of women in leadership positions and the doors that are open to girls and women of all abilities and all genders and all racial backgrounds we are certainly much in a much better position than we have been even two years ago. Bridie We could talk for much longer but Im mindful of your time there is there really so much to cover and Yep things keep coming up that Id like to bring up but I going to let you go and get on with your day because I know your day is starting but maybe we could circle back some time and continue this conversation because I think its I would love Aston and yes I could talk about this stuff. So sometimes one could argue which should come first and I am definitely no media broadcasting expert but I think that the time is for action. [00:17:26] I dont know if you saw just recently there were some moderate criticism about the scheduling of the nipple World Cup that they played a lot of games in a short space of time which for Lisa Alexander the coach of the diamonds said you know she felt that the time is now to expand that tournament to greater numbers of days which of course takes greater investment to allow the athletes to give their best so that theyre at their best and theyre not actually fatigued by the final game and obviously New Zealand had such an extraordinary performance there to win again. Im Chris Stafford. What were seeing now is those people are being left behind. Understandably, for the month leading in, she was irritable, selfish and prone to wild mood swings, butthat was the requisite sacrifice, and standing atop the podium the reward. And so whilst we are we have scholarship programs that are offered. There are frequently motorbikes with cameras following us through the whole three hours and definitely on the footage of the climb at the finale and it was never like on television they didnt even do a 30 minute highlight package 10 years ago and I remember having a conversation with a woman director of a team over in Europe saying why is that. Peggy is an amazing trailblazer here in Australia and she chaired and there were some very important influential powerful athletes and administrators women and men involved in this inquiry that published a report at the end of 12 months and what they had looked into were some specific data around a number of women girls participating in sport access to facilities that these women and girls have number of women in leadership positions in sport. We want fans to experience those games because that then also leads to TV viewership and that if youve never been to a WNBA game or at Suncorp if Nepal or if I thought w the atmosphere is wonderful and very family friendly nowhere near the same levels of aggression and violence. And I do find myself thinking that a lot whatever work Im doing I think you know what Ive been in a worse situation than this. So Im sorry Im getting to the roundabout part of your question but yeah I was a completely ordinary and active kid grew up in a regional part of Queensland with parents whod sort of taken a bit of a tree change and left a city to work in a very hippy sort of school I suppose it was like a Montessori or an unorganized but very creative supported school. So you know there are opportunities out there. You are my reputation as a sporting nation but just to give a little bit about Graham Brady is to your sporting history because youve been very involved with sport actively as a triathlete and then as a cyclist. During her residency she was a rower and then an iron man triathlete and finished theq Ironman highway world championship in 2006. We have had women meddling in basketball at the Olympics for five six Olympics and yet and we have some of the best basketball is in the world have come from Australia. Theyre powerful for women and theyre equally powerful for boys and men. Im Chris Stafford. Now if we come back to Australia and we look at the WB ls a great example we have the fourth season of The Womens Big Bash. And as the saying goes you know you cant be what you cant see that that access is critically important. Dr O'Donnell is a medical doctor, graduating from the University of Queensland's school of medicine in 1998 and is the current head of the Office for Woman in Sport and Recreation for the Victorian State Government. But if youre just mediocre as a girl you tend to drop out whereas boys who are mediocre keep going. [00:06:43] But as youve seen globally weve been taken over by Russia China the UK and definitely the US. Her years on the road as a cyclist taught ODonnell a lot, including the importance of a good nights sleep. These are the procedures he performs and you get a sense of the job. [00:08:28] A friend of mine was doing a triathlon Id never ridden a bike before and Id never done a running race and Id only just swum for you know learning that school. The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. [00:04:37] And like so many of them I took a chance of you know quitting my job as a physician where I was working behaviour change because I just felt that this was a unique opportunity and remarkable way for me to have an influence over the lives and the outcomes of so many girls and women that I didnt have when I was coming through sport and that so many girls and women who are who have a disability or who are from a multicultural background or from a marginalized communities definitely dont have in Australia. I was going to get your reaction to that the topic of equality in sport as far as women are concerned now we wed look maybe at Australia maybe rightly or wrongly from here as being somewhat advanced you know making more strides shall we say than than they are than they are then there is happening elsewhere in the world and certainly keeping up with it. She represented Australia at three Road World Championships and broke the UCI Womens Hour World Record in 2016, riding 46.882km at the Adelaide Superdrome. Its not life and death. Then, in her mid-30s, ODonnell made the sharp pivot to professional cycling, a field where she found great success. But as youve seen globally weve been taken over by Russia China the UK and definitely the US. She became the first Australian woman to make an attempt on the UCI world our record in 15 years setting a new world record of forty six point eighty eight two kilometres at the Adelaide Superdome in November 2017. Theyre powerful for women and theyre equally powerful for boys and men. The two women who coached in the first season got and McCown one of whom won the premiership cannot get a job here. So my mediocrity was a big part of shaping my persistence across all those sports and in rowing included I was a role for five years and an. Yeah theyve just won the Ashes they won the World Cup. So it actually wasnt until I was in my second year of medical school I went straight into medical school out of high school and I started doing a triathlon. And if youve said to me a year ago that Id be sitting down with other jurisdictions and talking about how important it was that we are going to bid for the Womens World Cup football in 2023 to host that in four years time I would have thought Id. So whilst we do have a reputation of being healthy and bronzed and tanned were in fact you know I think we have the third highest rate of childhood obesity in the world behind the US and Mexico. When I was a rower, there were two weight categories for elite competition. So the bar was really high so I got my arse handed handed to me every single race. We now had over 100 women last 18 months benefit from our scholarship program where they apply through a competitive process to get to five or ten thousand dollars to seek out an educational opportunity to advance their sporting career or their administration career whatever it is they do in sport and rec but we also know that systems need to change and thats where board quotas support it. My skill set as Team Valdarnos only Australianthe oldest, the least experienced and the heaviestdefinitely didnt fulfil the kind of outlier traits Italian womens cycling valued. Bridie: In 2007, Cycling Australia put a call out to other sports for athletes with the potential to become time trialists. Systems are the problem. You know we see the increase in pay for professional cricketers for example. I was good but just never great enough to represent my country. Thank you for listening and turning up the volume on womens sport. Bridie O'Donnell (@bridie_od) Instagram photos and videos bridie_od Follow 6,376 posts 7,146 followers 670 following Bridie O'Donnell Eagerly anticipating my next nap This Account is Private Already follow bridie_od? Ive been an athlete than a successful athlete. My concerns about that were met with derision by old, chain smoking Italian men who drove the vans and said that seatbelts were invented by the English and are a waste of time! The core values of WiSP Sports are based on the following principles to: WiSP Sports, Inc. Chris its great to be here. And look were winning the mens ashes too. But the Lottery funding in the UK has boosted all kinds of sports that otherwise would never have had the exposure and certainly reached and mentor and Ill know the position in the Olympics particularly Paralympics. "My sister and I swam a lot in the ocean and did a bit of surfing, but I was not an athlete at all.". We know in many cases that can lead to violence. We have had women meddling in basketball at the Olympics for five six Olympics and yet and we have some of the best basketball is in the world have come from Australia. I would go back to the lost baggage section each week when a team mechanic was headed to the airport for one reason or another, but it never showed up. Search Log In Sign Up The progress that the organization has made to advance women and girls participation in sport and the challenges that lie ahead. What would she save in a fire, whats her most useful object? And men who coached in the first season got and McCown one of the.! When youre annoyed when it rains when its windy cases that can lead to violence lets just more! Accessibility of sport be what you cant be what you cant be what you cant be what you be... Pay for professional cricketers for example Australian first, has two overall goals theq!, money, salary, income, and assets but just never great enough to represent my Country organisations. 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