8th March 2025
| Claudia Vaughan-Johns
International Women’s Day is always a moment to celebrate, reflect, and take action. This year, I spent Friday surrounded by inspiring conversations, powerful insights, and a collective drive to #AccelerateAction. From myth-busting discussions on women’s health to climbing Pen-Y-Fan each moment reinforces the importance of accelerating progress for women in sports and wellbeing.
Friday began with an insightful session led by Karen Malam, Castle Chiropractic who spoke about bone density and the influence of hormones on health and performance. It was eye-opening to hear that basing training around our physiological cycles doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, training smartly can actually optimize performance. What really stood out was how Karen used examples that applied to both male and female anatomy, making the discussion even relevant and impactful for all in the room.
Karen also shed light on the importance of Vitamin D and protein in maintaining long-term health. Her discussion on RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) particularly struck a chord with me. I’ve heard so many myths about muscle-building in young female athletes, and today, those myths were shattered. Strength isn’t something to shy away from, it’s something to embrace, now more than ever.
Later in the day, we heard from Louise Cawte, Lou’s Crew. She spoke about weight training for women and touched upon importance of strong female role models in sport and fitness. It really made me think about the influence social media has in shaping perceptions, both good and bad. Seeing more women in sport, showing relatability and vulnerability while also achieving goals and thriving, is exactly what we need to challenge outdated stereotypes.
Louise’s emphasis on setting realistic and gradual health goals really resonated with me. Too often, we’re caught up in quick fixes and unrealistic expectations. But lasting change comes from consistent effort. Thank you to Louise and Karen for sharing their expertise and knowledge with us.
Today a few of our colleagues and friends from Cricket Wales took on the challenge of summiting Pen-Y-Fan. It represents both a real and symbolic journey for women’s and girls’ cricket in Wales as we continue to break down barriers and push forward, building a strong and impactful community. But just as important as looking ahead is taking a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and the progress we can see pulsing through cricket in Wales. We walked for Women's Aid... please donate here https://fundraiseforwelshwomensaid.raisely.com/en/
Today has reminded me that action isn’t just about the big moments, it’s about the small, everyday choices that lead to change. The conversations, the learning, the climb. All of it has left me inspired to keep pushing and to keep accelerating action. From all the team at Cricket Wales, Happy International Women’s day.