Women Unscripted

Sara Gross and Kelly O'Mara are joined in the Locker Room by Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin and Ava Holliday, the founders of The Avarna Group. Aparna worked in outdoor education and organized a project in Alaska called Expedition Denali to inspire diversity in the outdoors. She then teamed up with Eva Holliday who has a PhD in American Environmentalism, Equity and Inclusion to form The Avarna Group, whi...

Retired Marine Corps Major Lisa Davis, has broken into the Guiness Book of Records by completing 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. She has become the fastest woman to complete the Triple 7 Quest and the first African American woman to ever complete the quest. On Jan. 31, 2017 she completed the challenge in a record time of 7 days, 30 minutes and 27 seconds. The previous best time for a woman...

Record breaking offshore sailor Dee Caffari MBE talks to Sara Gross about a sailor's diet and nutritional requirements when they are at sea for extended periods. Making the right choices for long trips incluing treats are important for moral, especially if you're alone on the ocean.  Freeze dried meals have come a long way but how much can you take before it gets really boring? And what meal would...

Tara Campbell talks to Lisa Abramson, a former marketing executive turned executive coach, speaker and entrepreneur, who changed her direction after battling postpartum depression and psychosis. Lisa found running and yoga inspired and motivated her during her struggle, which has since guided her to a higher level of self awareness and discipline in her daily schedule and sleep routine.  After a d...

Chris Stafford and Cindi Leeman talk to record-breaking 8-time Canadian Race Walking Champion Rachel Seaman about how she balances high performance training with pregnancy and family life. With her second baby due in May, Rachel is planning to train to the last moment. Once her baby is born she will be back on track for this year's races with her sights firmly set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games....

Sara Gross and Kelly O'Mara take on more important topics in women's sports from the potential undermining of Title XI under the new U.S. Secretary of Education, to the free movement of Muslim athletes competing in the U.S. during the 'uncertain chaos' surrounding immigration, and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) ban on hijabs. This 'nefarious' threat to the Los Angeles Olympic bid i...

Sara Gross and Alyssa Godesky take a closer look at diversity in triathlon following the 2017 Triathlon Business International Conference at which Sara led a panel that included African American triathlete Sika Henry. To expand this important conversation Sika tells us more about her own experiences and ways the sport can work towards increasing diversity. Some suggestions are to encourage minorit...

Mountain Biker, Mountain Runner and Adventurist Traharn Chidley shares her very personal and traumatic story of surviving domestic abuse and how sport gave her the strength and confidence to take control of her life. Narrated by Chris Stafford.  For more conversations from the world of women’s sport visit us at www.wispsports.com and join us on social media @WiSP Sports. Become a supporter of this...

Olympic short track speed skater Isabelle Charest, who will be Canada’s Chef de Mission for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, has made a seamless transition from her athletic career which spanned three decades to representing the Canadian Olympic Committee and the athletes of today. Charest, a native of Rimouski, Québec, medalled in three consecutive Olympic Winter Games. Making her Olymp...

Former Canadian World Cup team mates Maria Samson and Kim Donaldson are back with the very latest on the Rugby Six Nations which is happening right now...and then it's all about their picks of Tight Fives for the 2017 World Cup this summer. Everything you need to know about loose-end scrummagers, hookers, props and the second row and who to look out for when the best of the best get to Ireland in...

White Ferns Cricketer Sophie Devine joins our Zoe George in the co-host chair this month. We hear from Ironwoman Tamsyn Hayes on prepping for Challenge Wanaka— translating mountain running to the Ironman shuffle—and how she's had to adapt after the difficult birth of her baby. Sheep shearing makes its debut on WiSP Sports as Roysey Maryanne Batey tells us what it’s like to be gearing up for the Wo...

A History of Hockey written by Penny Hopkins and narrated by Chris Stafford tells the story of the women's game, which began in its most basic form in ancient times and dates back to some of the earliest civilisations. We hear how the game has development across continents from grassroots to international level, and how its popularity has grown through regional championships to Champions Trophy an...

In the Locker Room this week, Sara Gross & Kelly O'Mara discuss sexual abuse of young athletes by coaches. Why are there so many case of sexual misconduct in sport and what can we do to make changes to protect our vulnerable children? Kelly catches up with U.S. National Track Cycling Champion and 2016 Olympic Games team member Missy Erickson who recently shared her story of abuse in a revealing ar...

Breaking Free is a brand new show in which sportswomen discuss mental health issues and how sport helps them overcome personal challenges. We will be hearing from women who have different experiences and who have generously agreed to share their journeys while offering some advice and resources. In this first episode, runner and journalist Tara Campbell talks to British runner and author Tina Chan...

Chris Stafford talks to Cathy O'Dowd, the South African rock climber, mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. Cathy began climbing while in university and at 21 took part in her first mountain expedition to the Ruwenzori in central Africa. The first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest from both south and north sides, she was a member of the First South African Everest Expedition which...

Chris Stafford and Cindi Leeman's guest is Erin Taylor Talcott who is best known for being a pioneer for women's equality in race walking, striving to make the 50K a distance for women internationally. She's the first woman to compete in a men's Olympic Trials event which she did in 2012 at the men's 50K Olympic Trials where she placed 6th.  She's the winner of the first ever Area Championship for...

On this week's WiSP IronWomen, Ruth Brennan Morrey is a 41-year-old mother of three, has a PhD in Counselling Psychology, is a former Division I and Semi-Pro soccer player and Olympic Trials marathon runner. Ruth competed in her first triathlon in 2011 and raced as an amateur for two seasons before entering the professional ranks. She is an Ironman 70.3 Champion and most recently ended her 2016 wi...

On this week's episode of Locker Room Talk Sara Gross & Kelly O'Mara ask: Should women be paid as much as men in cycling? Kathryn Bertine joins the conversation and explains how women’s cycling can hold its own in a free market economy. Across all sports, the argument is often made that women do not deserve to be paid as much as men because they don't draw the same crowds or viewership. Why do fem...

Rugby World Cup Silver Medalist Maria Samson is joined by her former team-mate Kim Donaldson to discuss the World Cup in this episode of Ruck On. They pick some players to watch from the top five ranked team and discuss a selection of standout performances as well as bringing us up to date with the final World Cup Pools. Tune in to Ruck On every month leading up to the 2017 World Cup this August i...

 WiSP IronWomen kicks off the new year with a star-studded line-up of guests as Sara Gross welcomes her new co-host Alyssa Godesky. They are joined by Ironman champions and all-round inspirational women; Mary-Beth Ellis, Meredith Kessler, Hillary Biscay and Marilyn Chychota. Hear what motivates and activates these highly successful sportswomen and what they share with their athletes as they plan t...

As we approach 2017 Sara and Kelly consider the value of new year’s resolutions and consult Danelle Kabush who has a PhD in social psychology and is a mental performance consultant with several Canadian national teams. Plus Kelly has the Gripe of the Week which involves a Fitbit reminding her of her weight, and Sara offers something to celebrate in women’s sports with the Hype of the Week. For mor...

Abby Ehler from The Magenta Project talks to Team Magenta 32 Skipper Sally Barkow about the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series which starts in Perth, Australia in March. Sally skippered the new crew in 2016 and is bringing that experience to the next round having been awarded the second card for the series which runs through November in different venues. They also have all the latest news of women sailin...

Sara Gross & Kelly O'Mara are back in the locker room with more frank and female banter about sport, women and their perspective on life in and around sport. The question they pose this week is—Why don't more people watch women's sport? Plus they have not just the Gripe of the Week but also the Hype of the Week so tune in and prepare to be at least informed and entertained.  For more global women'...

Maria Samson is back with a round-up of women's international rugby. She reviews recent games of the nations that are campaigning towards the 2017 Rugby World Cup, offering her assessment of the matches that have taken place over the last month, including the formats they were playing. It's a fascinating insight from a former international who has played these nations and knows many of their tacti...

In A History of Rugby, written by Penny Hopkins and narrated by Chris Stafford, we explore the origins of the game, why women were first playing in secret, Miss Emily Valentine's role in the game and chronicle the sport's development from World War II through to the establishment of Rugby Sevens, the introduction of international competitions and participating nations through to the advent of prof...