Celebrating International Women's Day with Empowering Insights from our Clients & Team.
This year, to celebrate International Women's Day in Skylab, we've put the spotlight on a selection of our esteemed female clients & team, asking the following question:
'What has been the biggest challenge and most fulfilling accomplishment during your career?'
Join us and discover the insights shared by these inspiring women on the triumphs and tribulations that have shaped their careers in the diverse world of sports, including Padel, Rowing, Floorball, Athletics, and many more.
Maddie Portwain, Henley Royal Regatta's Digital Marketing Manager, said, “Challenging deep-seated stereotypes and transforming perspectives has been my greatest challenge as a woman in the sports industry, but also my most fulfilling accomplishment. The joy of seeing our initiatives significantly increase women's engagement in this male-dominated field has made every effort not just worthwhile, but a testament to the positive change we're driving.”
Kirsty Van Peer, IMGA's Communication Director, said, “My biggest accomplishment in sport has been the realisation and epiphany of what sport brings me in terms of growth as a person, and the decision to follow-up on that and take action to challenge myself. I’ve always been very sporty when I was young. After the kids were older and I had more time, I’ve started building the routine again of doing sports on a regular basis (running, kickboxing, tennis, xc ski) and I registered for the Vichy Ironman 70.3 in 2023. I have been training alone and finished. It felt awesome! Now I’m training for the Nice 70.3 in June, with a coach, to see what more I can do when working with a professional. So I would say it is not one event in particular but more the path I'm taking to pursue self growth, the intentional choice of the place I give sport in my life and the feeling of how it fulfils me - allowing me to tap into my full potential, in both sport and life.”
Sarah Mitchell, IFF's Event Manager, said, “As an athlete, the biggest challenge I faced was when I decided to move from Australia to Finland to play Floorball. I sacrificed and risked a lot to do this. However, as difficult as it was it has also been more rewarding than I could ever have imagined and it resulted also in the most fulfilling accomplishment which was when Australia won the World Floorball Championships B-division in Västerås, Sweden in 2009. It was something that a core group of the team had been building towards for many years and was so satisfying to achieve. From a work perspective, the move to Finland also resulted in being employed in the International Floorball Federation, which I could never have dreamed of. Now, as Event Manager, overseeing the numerous international events which get bigger and bigger each year, and which are the cornerstones of the sport, is exciting and I feel a great responsibility to make sure that the sport continues to grow and thrive.”
Emma Davis, Rocks Lane's Communications Director, said, “I love working in this industry, there so many fantastic opportunities to progress and achieve. My biggest challenge is fitting it all in! To successfully and happily raise a family whilst working full time and fitting in the time to exercise and play sports is tricky, but is my greatest achievement! Happily, we are offered flexibility to enable us to achieve it all at Rocks Lane, with the added bonus of our children playing, learning, competing and also now working here. It benefits us all. I am hugely inspired by the girls and women who play, learn and compete at Rocks Lane in all sports from our Friday Night 5s junior football and netball leagues, Rocks Lane FC girls’ teams, tennis squads and Rocks Lane Padel Teams, with one of our players, Victoria Nicholas reaching UK No.2 whilst working as a doctor. She goes to show that determination and training pays off and anyone can achieve their dreams in this industry with strong willpower and the support of a great team..”
Chloe Waddington, Managing Director, Skylab, said, “As the MD of a Sports Tech & Data company, all of which lack female representation, I have the power to affect change and to create real and complete inclusion, not just something symbolic for women. I take great pride in breaking gender barriers and contributing to the progressive evolution of traditionally male-dominated industries, showcasing the invaluable impact of diversity and leadership in driving innovation and success.”
Hollie Phimister, Account Director, Skylab, said, "Overcoming breast cancer whilst maintaining my career in sports stands as the greatest challenge and achievement of my life so far. I deeply admire the incredible women—both colleagues and clients—who have rallied around me, offering unwavering support during such a difficult time of my life. Together, we're driving meaningful change within the industry, and I'm immensely proud to be a part of this movement."
Madara Strazdina, Account Executive, Skylab, said, "I am very grateful and proud to be working for a company which encourages inclusivity in this industry."
About Skylab
Skylab is a first-of-its-kind, offering top of the line performance analysis and bespoke web platforms to elite sporting clients. It revolutionises the ways in which elite sports teams and individuals interact, use and visualise their data. By packaging performance analysis with industry leading UX and bespoke software, partners will be in the position to make better decisions in sport.