5 female personalities reveal tips on putting health first
Tips and inspiration from five incredible women.
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, nib brought together five of the most recognisable female faces in Australian sporting and health culture: Erin Molan, Sam Squiers, Tamika Upton, Kate Sheahan and Sarah Grynberg. These inspirational women – all of whom have faced adversity in their journey to success - discussed gender equity, reducing discrimination and, their tips and advice for others.
Here's their four top tips.
1. Don’t get caught up in any of it
Erin spoke about her time as one of the first female media footy personalities and the online backlash, death threats and abuse she received. Her biggest tip? Don’t read any of it. Stay true to yourself and what other people say – good or bad – doesn’t matter. As Sarah said, “The good posts just boost your ego and the negative… well you don’t want to hear it.”
2. Follow your passion
The women spoke about how far the sports industry has come, particularly with the NRLW and AFLW teams. However, it wasn’t always the case that women had a voice in this industry, which is why it’s so important to be passionate, use your voice and make a stand.
Sam explained, “If you have a passion or you have a vision and people are telling you you’re crazy or dismissing you, follow that passion. Follow what you believe in. One day <the doubters> will be sending you texts and phone calls saying, “remember when you said this was going to happen?”
3. Realise when you need to call it
Recognise when something isn’t serving you and be prepared to walk away, because ‘calling it’ often requires more strength than staying. Erin said, “In some respects <walking away> is actually a lot braver than staying.”
Know when to say, ‘this isn’t good for me’
Kate backed this up saying although it can be disheartening and heartbreaking at the time, you never know what opportunities walking away can lead to.
4. Find your balance
Everyone’s perfect balance is different and it’s all about finding what works for you and where you’re at in your life.
On finding her balance Erin said, “Little bit of exercise when I can, speaking to a psychologist, great family and just being present with my daughter are the things that fill my cup.”
Sam said, “An active lifestyle is important to me. I have my girls. I try to do as much as I can, but I don’t put pressure on myself. I play netball once a week and I still try to run.”
Sam also reiterated the importance of having a support system, particularly as a mum. “I have an agreement with my husband… We tag team a lot of the time.”
She finished by saying, “Be kind to yourself. If I’m feeling rundown, I won’t get gym sessions out. I give myself permission <to rest>.”
Ultimately everybody is different, which is why it’s so important to keep track of your own body, recognise changes and keep up to date with your health checks. At nib, we consider ourselves your health partner, which is why we developed an online health check to give you personalised insights and actionable recommendations – all from reliable sources. Complete your personal HealthCheck.
Watch the entire panel discussion below.
Check out Sarah Grynberg’s Women of Greatness podcast with Erin Molan here.
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