In 1967, Kathrine Switzer registered for the Boston Marathon using only her initials. A race official spotted her mid-run, tried to physically rip the number off her back, and screamed at her to get out of his race. She kept running. She finished.
I never had anyone try to pull a number off my back, but I want to tell you about the quieter, far less photogenic version of that same fight, because it ran through my entire first season in professional rugby.
I’ll tell you about the CEO who asked me, in my job interview, whether I had a boyfriend, and what he meant by it. I’ll tell you about the club captain who stopped me on the stairs on my first away trip and asked why I was even there. And I’ll tell you what I decided to do about both of them.
This one isn’t just for the women listening. If you’ve ever had to answer a question nobody would think to ask someone else, or work twice as hard just to earn a seat everyone else got handed automatically, this episode is for you.
One lesson from sport. One story from me. One thing you can take away and use today.
Press play. I’ll see you in there.
