WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with drummer and former professional skateboarder Georgina Matthews!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Georgie to discuss all things skateboarding. Georgie talks about getting her first skateboard in 1999 and how she went on to win the National Championship the following year. She shares the ups and downs of her professional career and what it was like competing overseas at a young age. She also discusses the role her...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with NZBLAX attacker and current Waikato champ, Keita Perry! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Keita to discuss all things lacrosse. Keita talks about her journey into this minority sport and the role her family has played. She shares her perspective as a wahine Māori playing a sport invented by Indigenous North Americans. Plus, Keita reveals what it takes to represent New Zealand at the upcoming World Cup Qualifier in...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with Para Alpine Development Squad Sit Skier and Winton native, Bailley Unahi! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Bailley to discuss all things sit skiing. Bailley talks about the whole new world she’s discovered on the ski slopes and about using her lived experience in her mahi. She opens up about navigating the trauma of both injury and the news cycle. Plus, Bailley shares what it's like to train and compete with the...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with Caitlin O'Reilly, the youngest person ever to swim the Ocean's Seven! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Caitlin to discuss all things ultra swimming. Caitlin talks about setting her first open-water record at age 12 and her journey to conquer the six remaining open-water channel swims. She opens up about not only what it takes physically to spend hours in the open water but also the mental game behind it. Plus,...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with White Sox and Kaiapoi Queens outfielder Rissa McDowell! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Rissa to discuss all things softball! Rissa talks about growing up in a family of ballers and the vital role community plays in the sport. She opens up about her goals while back in Aotearoa, her time playing overseas, and the doors softball can open for players, even on home soil. Plus, Rissa shares why outfielders deserve a...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with professional trail runner and self-taught artist Caitlin Fielder! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Caitlin right after her victory in France to chat about all things trail running. Caitlin discusses the importance of small wins when aiming to conquer big distances, the issues with the "shrink it and pink it" mentality, and how she tackles training. She also explains how a birthday gift for her boyfriend ultimately...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with tenpin bowler (and four-time consecutive national champion) Sarah Young! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Sarah to chat about a nostalgia-inducing sport that many New Zealanders have played (albeit at a hobby level). Sarah shares about her growing up "on the lanes" in bowling centres run by her parents, then growing up to run one herself. She also highlights how tenpin bowling is an inclusive sport that can be...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with Black Fin Surf Life Saving athlete and World Champion beach sprinter Briana Irving! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Briana to discuss one of New Zealand's most quintessential sports: surf life saving. Briana shares her journey in athletics, her passion for long-distance running, and her competitive experiences on the sand. She also highlights that surf life saving is a sport rooted in community service, playing a...

WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with Olympic Weightlifting Commonwealth medalist and multiple New Zealand title holder Medea Jones! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Medea to discuss the increasing participation of women in this traditionally male-dominated sport. Medea talks about her background in international power tumbling and reveals which gymnastic move has helped enhance her lifts. She also shares how discovering her physical strength has...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with Queenstown athlete and snowboarding Slopestyle Olympian Cool Wakushima!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Cool to chat about the universal language of sport and how it helped ease the culture shock after moving to New Zealand from Japan. Cool talks about her race in the pool against both puberty and Erika Fairweather. She also reminds us of the importance of rehabilitating both our body and mind when returning from...

This week, WOMENZSPORTS is excited to share our kōrero with Tall Fern and captain of the reigning champion BNZ Kāhu, Penina Davidson! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Penina to discuss defining your own version of success — on and off the basketball court. Penina talks about the impact that former Tall Ferns have had on her basketball career and the importance of holding space for her teammates when they need it. She also shares the joy and frustration associated...

This week, WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with field hockey coach and Masters Black Stick athlete Di Jordan!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Di to chat about starting her masters field hockey career in the 90s, representing New Zealand overseas and reminiscing about wearing the Silver Fern for the first time. Di talks about the importance of having a sport that lasts for life and how removing barriers through player-led design is helping others. Di...

This week, in celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with Kī o Rahi athlete, advocate and coach Bobbie Hira!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Bobbie to chat about the wonderful world of Kī o Rahi - a game that is rooted in legend and played around the motu. Bobbie talks about the importance of connecting her Māoritanga with her passion for sport and how she invites more wāhine to give it a go. Bobbie also shares the...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with canoe polo athlete, Paddle Fern and World Games bronze medalist Casey Hales!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Casey to chat about why she thinks canoe polo is rugby on the water, about the draw of team sports and how you can be successful at playing canoe polo chicken! Casey talks about growing up in the Hawke's Bay, the influence her older sisters had on her canoe journey and the impact she hopes to bring to the...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with handball athlete (2015 U21 Oceania Champ), player for London GD & handball commentator Alex Mair!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Alex to chat about how she found her way into the unique sport, about being the voice that she never heard when she first entered the game and about why you should love handball just as much as she does! Alex talks about her passion and the importance of including women behind the mic...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with Volley Fern and Australian Rules Football player for the North Shore Tigers (2023 AFLW Champions) Katie Adamson!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Katie to chat about the nitty-gritty of indoor volleyball and AFL, the art of smack-talk, and the joy that is discovering a new sport after you have mastered another. Katie talks about her journey from growing up in Nelson to playing indoor volleyball around the world, and...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with New Zealand SailGP Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Liv to chat about her less traditional pathway into the sport of sailing, why they both love a quota and about the pressure and privilege of being a first. Liv talks about the struggles she's had with finding her voice as the only female sailor on a team and the hurdles of growing up outside of New Zealand's sailing hub. Liv also...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with 2024 Paris Olympics tennis player and recent Wimbledon sensation Lulu Sun!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Lulu to chat about the myth of overnight success, managing the DM blowup after becoming a household name, and the spark she wants to bring to New Zealand tennis. Lulu talks about being born in Southland's Te Anau, and why she wanted to represent New Zealand after feeling the aroha at the ASB Classic tournament...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with waka ama paddler Jasmin Stevenson!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Jas to chat about how injury re-diverted her course from rugby, reconnecting with her Māori culture through the waka, and her mission to get more wāhine into the open ocean. Jas talks about being part of the New Zealand Elite Open Women's team for the upcoming World Sprint Championships in August in Hawaii, and finding a massive and welcoming...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with equestrian athlete Louise Duncan!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Louise to chat about growing up on horseback, becoming a para-athlete after contracting meningitis as a teenager, and her journey to the 2024 Paris Paralympics (with horse Showcase). Louise talks about finding your perfect equine match, the complex logistics of transporting a horse from New Zealand, and her connection to the horses in the Lord of the...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with badminton athlete Anona Pak!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Anona to chat about how her love of food translated to a love of languages, the secret to finding the right doubles partner, and her recent decision to retire from the national badminton team. Anona talks about passing her knowledge on to the next generation of athletes, and using her experience to coach New Zealand's next para-badminton athlete. Anona...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with inline hockey AND ice hockey athlete Anjali Mulari!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Anjali to chat about representing New Zealand as both an Inline Fern and Ice Fern, her numerous goal-scoring records, and meeting her partner at the rink. Anjali talks about the intersections and differences between inline hockey and ice hockey, and the massive costs associated with playing her sports. Anjali also shares her thoughts...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with long jumper Anna Grimaldi!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Anna to chat about breaking out of societal expectations, reaching success early on as a Paralympian, and winning two gold medals (and heading back to defend her title at the 2024 Paris Paralympics). Anna talks about being a one-handed athlete in a two-handed world, and using her talents to compete in the long jump and 100m/200m sprints. Anna also shares her...

WOMENZSPORTS is hyped to share our kōrero with ultimate frisbee athlete Marah Neal!! Sports journalist and rugby player Alice Soper sits down with Marah to chat about playing a minority sport that is relatively new to New Zealand, what it's like to be a player and a coach, and where people can find ultimate teams across Aotearoa. Marah talks about how the NZ Whaitiri Ultimate Women's Team is preparing for the upcoming World Ultimate Championships in the Gold Coast. Marah also shares her...