Kylie Watson Wheeler – The Double Header
In her roles as managing director of the Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand and vice-president of the Western Bulldogs AFL team, Watson-Wheeler is the poster-woman for marrying a successful business career with a personal passion for sport.
“I’m a terrible sportswoman … hopeless. But you don’t have to be good at sport to love sport, and you also don’t have to be good at sport to be involved. I think some women are deterred from entering the sporting space because they think they can’t run or kick a ball, but it’s equally as important for women to be involved in the administration as that can really help advance the opportunity for women in sport.”
Cate Campbell – The Comeback Queen
After a disappointing Olympic campaign in 2016, Campbell could have let one performance in the pool define her. Instead, she has matured, both as an athlete and woman, and bounced back with the fastest times of her career.
“It’s been a time of great change and a lot of growth outside the swimming pool, which I think was very due. [Rio] taught me a lot about the meaning of bravery and courage – they exist when you put yourself out there. One of the ironic things about success and failure is that the only place where success is possible is a place where failure is also possible.”
Madison de Rozario – The Quiet Achiever
She’s been to three Paralympic Games, but it was only when de Rozario won two gold medals at last year’s Commonwealth Games that she was given a platform to drive the conversation about disability forward. Her aim is to inspire the next generation to forge their own path.
“My message is definitely specific to girls and that’s not to be passive. I think we all kind of create this environment, which is to be the bigger person in all kinds of situations, to fit into a particular mold that isn’t designed by us or doesn’t actually fit us. I would love to see women and girls create something that is authentic and genuine for themselves. I would like to use any visibility I have to show what that looks like.”
Mel McLaughlin – The Mouthpiece
As an avid sports fan, it was only natural for McLaughlin to following turn passion into a successful television career. This month she helms the Optus Sport broadcast team for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ – the perfect pairing given McLaughlin has loved football ever since she was a young girl.
“It should be normal to turn on your TV and have girls there. That’s life in 2019. I’m a firm believer that if you’re just into coverage that is older men in grey suits then you’re completely out of touch with society. The biggest compliment I ever got was working on an A-league story years ago in Perth. This grandma came up to me in her [supporter’s] gear with the granddaughter and she said I just wanted her to meet you. You can’t put a price on that.”
Kim Brennan – The Campaigner
The retired rower has made transitioning from an Olympic gold medalist to powerbroker in the boardroom look seamless. Now working for Ernst & Young, she paid it forward by establishing an employment program for athletes wanting to marry a successful career with their sporting commitments.
“It’s hard for current competing athletes to get the opportunities they need, but planning and thinking about your future is really important. I would never want someone who has the right intent and really wants to learn things outside sport to not be able to have that opportunity because they didn’t have the right network.”
Tayla Harris
Earlier this year after Channel Seven removed a photo of Harris kicking a goal in the AFLW following a barrage of trolling online, she responded with maturity called out some of the comments as sexual abuse on social media.
“I’m feeling empowered. Now that the dust has settled, I’m feeling proud of the sporting community because of how it all unfolded. I made a huge effort with the whole thing – it had to be a quick decision of what to say after the photo [went viral]. I didn’t want to dilute what I wanted to say. It was really intense and obviously it was about sexual abuse online, which is uncomfortable, but I felt the need to talk about it because it is so important.”
Optus Sport is giving all Australian school kids the entire FIFA Women’s World Cup, at no charge. To redeem, any school kid can visit an Optus Yes store with a parent or guardian, and do not have to be Optus customers to activate.
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