Women In Sports

"I always say that for when I hopefully have kids one day: as long as my kids are happy, I’m happy."

"Yeah, we’re in the 21st century now – whoever you fall in love with, that’s OK as long as you’re happy."

"When you’re on the pitch, it’s easy to focus. But when you’re away from it, the noise can get quite loud sometimes. It’s just about staying focused and locked in and obviously listening to the people you trust and care about. And not letting it affect you, especially on the pitch."

"Football has always been about having fun and that’s why I got into it when I was a young girl. You learn lessons about yourself and how you react in different situations."

"I want every girl to feel like football’s a place for them, whether they want to coach, play, referee."

"Obviously, times can be tough but I think what's special in team sports is that you have each other's backs through the good times and the bad."

"You can feel like the new kid at school when you come into a new team, but everyone has been incredibly welcoming. You've just got to put yourself out there and have the conversations to get to know each other."

"The highs are easy to celebrate, but it's the tougher moments that you need each other for."

"The world of football is not just about football; it’s a game of power, gender equality, democracy, and a lot of politics as well."

"We’ve come a long way, but there’s still such a long way to go, and is it happening at the pace we want it to happen? I don’t think so. You have all these young girls, and it’s about getting them in an environment where they can practice the sport. And I think we failed a little bit."

"We need to put the same demands on young girls in order for them to feel seen. We don’t take young girls as seriously as we do young boys. And as a footballer, I can see that the end product is not going to be the same quality as it is with the men. We’re just behind, you know?"

"I was very fortunate to grow up in the family that I did. I had a mom and dad who were extremely focused toward gender equality. I would call my dad a little feminist sometimes."

"To do something is better than to pretend it’s not there and to do nothing."

"Then you have kids again in this situation who can’t do anything about it. Kids are supposed to be kids. This is not the only big problem we have in the world today when it comes to being human to each other."

"They didn’t choose it, the situation, and it’s hard for humans who have to flee for their lives. We start wars. The people who suffer from it come to new countries but nobody has the capacity, or even the will, to help them."

"During the years your brain has learned to read the movements of the body. Football is played with your head: you need confidence, to be smart, to make the right decisions. This feeling of thrill is why I do it."

"As a girl, you were always told you were not supposed to be able to live from football. Adults try to tell kids to choose the right way, but what they knew as normal when they were kids doesn’t necessarily mean it was normal when we grew up. It was a goal to prove them wrong, and eventually developed to: ‘I want to show that I can live from it.’"

"I had a natural aggression to the game. I have a temperament."

"Nothing comes for free in life, but I thought I had earned a certain amount of respect, but maybe that wasn’t the case."

"We’re talking about being supported and being treated the same as the men, but they’re playing in a country where the women’s team doesn’t really exist."

"If you’re looking at the human rights side and LGBTQ+, it’s not ideal hosting it in a country where not every fan will feel safe, where not every fan will feel able to go and feels comfortable."

"I’ve just got more confidence in myself now. Everyone’s going to love you or hate you; it’s a game of opinions and I had to learn that."

""I’ve admired her as a player … But I don’t think she has ever admired me"."

"I think a lot of it is because of being a minister and making a stand for my beliefs. I have had a lot of bullying. But we should be able to say what we believe. I’ve got nothing against anybody"

"Everything we have in life is a choice. That’s the freedom God gave us. That’s their choice. I don’t hate them for their choice"

""I was used as a high profile person to get some opinions and views across – but I have nothing against homosexual people or transgender people"."

""This was for my tennis and I think it was a long time coming and I’m very honoured … We did nothing but play for our nation"."

"“I wasn’t one who looked for it, I didn’t know I was getting it, I was very honoured when I was told I was"

"No matter how high the highs are, you always come back down and it’s a hard place to be in, especially when you’re in the lowest of lows as well. It’s a hard thing to manage. Professional athletes have a hard time with it mentally. It’s difficult especially because your career is so short."

"To bring yourself back to reality, remember why you’re playing and how much you love this game. That’s why you started playing it. That’s something that I always go back to whenever I’m having certain moments."

"I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is no matter what is happening throughout your career, everything that you’re going through—ups, downs, losses, titles, whatever— to remember why you’re playing the game."

"The route that I chose and everything that I experienced, has led me to this point and has made me the player that I am today. I don’t regret anything and I’m very happy with all my choices."

"There have been so many women before me who’ve paved the way for my journey and yet there’s more work to be done for the next generation."

"I've said it a lot to the team and to the press: pressure is a privilege. The expectations that we have, the standards that we hold, the mentality of this team… it's a privilege to be on this team. You don’t get that anywhere else."

"So for a young athlete, my advice is to stay patient, focus on being the best you can be, and everything else will fall into place. Everyone’s path is different, so just be you."

"Focus on being the best player you can be."

"Stay true to yourself and focus on your craft. It’s so cliché, but it’s true. Don’t get caught up stressing about sponsorships."

"But it’s hard to think about being partnered with a company or representing a product that I don’t totally believe in. That’s really hard for me. It’s my name, and I get to choose what I attach it to. So I’m pretty selective, which I know is a luxury not every athlete has, so I’m super fortunate."

"I always wanted to be a nurse, ever since I was a child. I was born in Lebanon, you know; we left when I was four years old, during the war. I remember the day we left, actually — I remember getting an injection, and the nurse helping me prepare for it. A few years later — I was seven — I saw a nurse on television and I turned to my father and said, “I want to be a nurse.” He said, “You’re too young to be thinking about this.” But it was always in the back of my mind, and when I started secondary school I insisted on a school with a program in nursing. My mother didn’t accept this at first — my cousins were all doctors, and her idea of a nurse was someone who brought dinner and changed the Pampers on elderly patients. But my father pushed me and helped me get what I wanted. Hamdullah."

"Well, at the same time, I’ve always enjoyed a challenge — I tend to take to the most difficult route. When I go hiking in Jordan or Lebanon, I like the mountains. I like suffering in the mountains."

"Don't let anyone tell you, you can't do it. If it's something you want to do and pursue, don't stop until you have reached your full potential. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to make your way up the ladder, so never give up."

"It (karting) helps me to keep driving fit, seeing as it's extremely physical. In the end, nothing quite compares to the real thing though, and I can't wait to go back real Racing again"

"Being chosen as one of the top 18 women around the world to compete in the W Series was the most memorable highlight of my career. I finished the season 10th overall in the championship."

"Racing has always been a part of the equation. If we not at the racetrack competing, we are watching some form of motorsport on TV. To become a professional racing driver is and always has been the ultimate goal."

"It’s not very often you unearth a story like Rosemary's, she's a remarkable woman, a tremendous athlete, and embodies the kind of passion for life we can all learn a lesson or two from. I think this piece of work will resonate with hearts and petrol heads alike."

"Rosemary is a truly inspirational racer and woman who so strongly embodies our guiding principle of passion for life, so it was a privilege to help her achieve her dream by driving a Renault Sport Formula One™ Team car as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations. It was great to see her out on track, pushing herself to get everything she could out of the experience."

"After racing and facing the challenges of competing in a male-dominated sport together for many years I was so happy that my friend Pauline was able to share this latest milestone and give me that extra boost. It just goes to show that anyone can fulfil their dreams at any age if they put their mind to it and always follow their passions"

"Driving an 800bhp car is something I, like many other racers, have always dreamt of but I didn’t think I’d ever have the opportunity to do it, so when the team at Renault UK contacted me I jumped at the chance. It was definitely very different to the rally cars I’m used to but was an amazing experience. I could feel myself getting more and more comfortable with the single-seater and being able to speak to Jolyon, driver to driver, also helped when the nerves did kick in."

"Our primary goal is to finish the race and get the best finish that we possibly can so hopefully that's a win"

"I think there's always been more females running than people realize, I think that sometimes you just don't hear about it as much. In today's society people are more accepting of certain things, and they might go more out of their way to accept that a female is good and has proved herself… There's also more equal opportunity now for some of us then there was in the past."