The conference served not only as the official programme launch but also as a critical forum offering detailed insights and solutions to the personal development challenges faced by aspiring female athletes. The event drew a targeted audience, including athletes, service providers, coaches, support staff, CEOs, and decision-makers across high-level sport, education, and training.
Top-tier speakers contributed crucial support perspectives on women’s sport, including Maria Walsh (Member of the European Parliament), Nancy Chillingworth (High Performance Manager with the Olympic Federation of Ireland), and Paola Ottonello (European Commission Sport Unit). High-level athletes such as Silvia Turani, Edel McMahon (Rugby), and Lisa Koop (Basketball) provided invaluable, lived-experience insights from across the European continent.
Support programmes for women’s sport are often deficient—either based on male athlete models that are merely adapted to a new environment, or entirely non-existent.
In their concluding remarks, HerForm co-creators Finola Roache (
Rugby Players Ireland) and Wolfgang Stockinger (
TWIN) drove home the programme’s mission, emphasizing the necessity of gender-specific training and the critical role of adoption:
“The rapid progress of women’s sport has outpaced the development of gender-specific support and policy. HerForm is one essential springboard for change. Now, we call on female athletes and their support organizations to take ownership by actively contextualizing this training to fit their unique situations.”
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Co-funded by the European Union, HerForm stands as a testament to the power of targeted, collaborative support. We are proud to offer our comprehensive training completely free of charge.
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