Earlier this month, Stephanie Anderson and Jarasport & Hawthorn Triathlon Club’s Mardi Cuthbert joined 28 other young women aged 16-39 in Canberra to participate in the 2019 Triathlon Young Women Leadership Program.
Hosted by Triathlon ACT, with support from Triathlon Australia, QUT and Sport & Recreation Canberra, the five-month program will see the young leaders partake in seminars, curriculum modules and a group project, designed to enhance their leadership skills within the context of triathlon.
Speaking to Triathlon Victoria, Mardi said that the combination of completing her development coaching course and training for the upcoming ITU World Championships in Lausanne led her to become inspired to share her perspective and grow as a leader within the sport.
“Growing up, I was heavily involved in the sport of netball, and I was mentored by a number of female coaches, administrators and community leaders,” Mardi said.
“Moving into triathlon, I see a much smaller number of women represented as coaches, officials and participants – special shoutouts to Amy Johnson and Michelle Couper – but I have found that there is certainly more work to be done.”
In a time where women’s sport is on the rise, Mardi says she is keen to use the leadership skills she will develop from this program to help highlight and address some of the issues as they relate to women in triathlon.
“Whether it be developing the skills and confidence to take on coaching and leadership roles, working toward equal pay and media coverage of elite female athletes, and to promote triathlon as a diverse and welcoming sport for women of all backgrounds and abilities.”
“While the premise of the program is to develop leadership skills and to identify issues and opportunities for women in triathlon, I think the real highlight was being in a room full of like-minded women who are willing to support each other’s growth, confidence and influence.”
We look forward to seeing where Mardi and Stephanie take their newfound skills and experiences as the program continues over the coming months.
You can check out the full photo gallery of the first part of their workshop here.
