Magazine issue11

89
August 2014 1 The Pro Sports Magazine August 2014 Sophie Christensen SIM Unsung Hero, Brazil Rugby, Australian Rugby 7’s Recipe, top tips and more... Ladies European Tour, Alex Scott, Charlotte Edwards, Carla Hohepa, Liz McTernan, Man City Womens Football Exclusive Interviews & Articles Photo: Papaya Photography

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Featuring Sophie Christensen MBE OBE, Alex Scott, Charlotte Edwards, Carla Hohepa, Liz McTernan, Man City Womens Football, Brazil Rugby, Australian Rugby 7’s, Ladies European Tour,

Transcript of Magazine issue11

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August 2014 1

The Pro SportsMagazine

August 2014

Sophie Christensen

SIM Unsung Hero, Brazil Rugby, Australian Rugby 7’sRecipe, top tips and more...

Ladies European Tour, Alex Scott, Charlotte Edwards, Carla Hohepa, Liz McTernan, Man City Womens FootballExclusive Interviews & Articles

Photo: Papaya Photography

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This is truly becoming a consistent change in how women’s sport is perceived and the crowd support it has, exciting times.

The stories in this issue are due to the amazing access we have been given by athletes as well as governing bodies but even so it is the openness of the athletes in sharing their lives that makes the stories. It wouldn’t be the same without them. It is a privilege to listen to, share and showcase their amazing lives.

Enjoy this issue, tell your friends and visit an event near you supporting women’s sport!

Till the next issue, enjoy!

Myak-Paul Homberger - Editor

History was made in Paris as Le Tour saw women race the famous Champs Elysees at the end of the men’s Tour De France. The even better news is that it was well received, talked about around the world and full of excitement and drama. What more could the governing body (UCI) and sponsors want? Hot on the heels of this was the Commonwealth Games, a huge success with women’s sports and stories featuring on the front pages of newspapers and lead TV stories around the world. It was exciting and great to see! Women being talked about for their success rather than not at all or a in little section on the back pages. There was an amusing story however that demonstrates that there is still some way to go. An Australian network commented on the fact that a Shooting gold medallist had “won gold and now was shooting for love” - focussing on her being single rather than her gold medal and wanting to find her a match…

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that was the story. But despite that the world of women’s sport has come on leaps and bounds.

The Rugby World Cup has electrified France with record crowds watching what has become the best World Cup yet, as well as Ireland making history by beating the Black Ferns for the first time in their history. 6,000 went to watch the world’s only all women horse racing event in Carlisle, England. This has been a fantastic time for not only women’s sport. The exposure has been vast and so positive, but not only for these reasons. Spectators have turned up in droves which pleases and attracts sponsors, who fund growth in sport.

The next two months show no signs of letting up with major Cycling, Rugby, Football, Sailing and Horse racing to name but a few events coming up including Football World Cup qualifiers.

WELCOME

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w w w . p a p a y a p h o t o g r a p h y . c o . u k

S P O RT S ● S P E C I A L I S T E V E N T S ● C O R P O R AT E E V E N T S

PapayaP h o t o g r a p h y

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Contents

Sophie Christiansen MBE, OBE 6

The Road to the Ladies European Tour 12

Alex Scott - England Footballer 20

Sports International Magazine’s Outstanding Athlete 30

Carla Hohepa 36

Brazil Rugby 46

Liz McTernan 57

Sports International Magazine’s Unsung Hero 64

Manchester City Womens Football 67

Behind the scenes with the Australian Rugby 7’s team 72

The U.S. and European Women’s Open sectional qualifier 81

Recipes and Tips 86

Thankyou’s 88

Contact 89

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Christiansen

Photo: Papaya Photography

MBE, OBE

Sophie Photo: Papaya Photography

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Interview and article by Myak Homberger

Christiansen

I have the privilege of meeting and seeing many world class athletes, listening to their stories and showcasing their extraordinary feats. It is such a joy - and once in a while you meet someone who has a particularly profound effect on you.

Sophie is a Para-equestrian Dressage rider competing for Great Britain. Born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, she is in the most disabled category for Para Dressage, Grade 1a. In this she has won 19 Gold medals, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals. She is Britain’s first triple gold medalist at the Paralympic games, x5 Paralympic champion and current Supreme British Champion. Spending time with her as she trained and on our photo-shoot gave me a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes world of all things horse related as well as Sophie herself.

Sophie is an athlete of the best order, world class. (She also is a phenomenal athlete with a shared love of poor jokes!) Sophie is successful because of what she does and how she does it - but there is far more to it than that. For her it’s about a connection with the horse: “...you have to feel it. You have to feel what the horse is wanting you to do,” she says of the relationship with her horse Rio. As I watch her interact with Rio you can sense the affection and bond they have. As she rides around the arena, as she gets off, as she strokes and talks to Rio the connection is tangible and, surprisingly, an emotional one.

One of the many things I liked about Sophie was that she was very clear about her skills and happy to talk about them and acknowledge them. “I’m unique, it’s a gift,” she says of her ability to ride so many

“I wouldn’t have sat on a horse if I wasn’t disabled,” ... “It has given me a freedom to forget all the challenges in life”

MBE, OBE

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different horses and to connect with them. She isn’t coy about all her success nor talks herself down.

The interesting fact about this is that she is very aware of what horse riding has given her. “I wouldn’t have sat on a horse if I wasn’t disabled,” she says. “It has given me a freedom to forget all the challenges in life”. The confidence and acknowledgement of her talent is one thing, but it doesn’t come at the cost of gratitude and humility.

Where therapy can often be simply being placed on a mat on the floor in front of a video, her experience at school was, however, different. “It wasn’t a video on a mat on a floor. It didn’t feel like therapy,” Sophie recounts of her first experiences of horse riding which began as therapy via her local Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) group.

Riding is what completes Sophie, connecting her not only to the horse but to the world. You can visibly see the energy that it gives her as she talks. There is a fire, and yet it brings a peace to her; it allows her to fulfil that huge competitive streak on the world stage as well

Photo: Papaya Photography

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as being good for her physically. Sophie says, “I am less disabled when I’m riding. When I haven’t ridden for a while my coordination is worse.” Riding gives to Sophie and she in turn gives to riding. It’s a perfect match.

A keen intellect and a healthy dose of competitiveness has helped Sophie along the way - gaining a MSc in Maths and being the youngest athlete both to attend a Paralympics and win a medal is part of the list of her achievements. However, a ‘by the way’ comment she made spoke volumes to me: “...at secondary school I would compete in sports even though I was not good, I took part, I did

“The instant I had a smile on my face again my performance shot up,” 

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them all and they let me,” she explained about her competitive nature.

It says more about the person, the determination to get on with things and never to allow anything to get in your way, to never use excuses, to push. Not once did I hear a complaint about a reason for things not going right. The closest we came was when we spoke about the lead up to the Paralympics in London and the pressure she was under and of her losing sight of why she was doing it: “....for fun and I wasn’t having any”.

“The instant I had a smile on my face again my performance shot up,” she says of her mentor who got her through. This wasn’t moaning but an acknowledgement that she needs to keep in focus the reason why she does what she does. For me this was a major part of the inspiration in the day with Sophie. There was no ‘I can’t, no, I’m disabled’, but instead a desire to try - and more importantly to succeed.

Sophie is a world-class athlete who is totally connected to her horse/horses, who is aware of her talent as well as being proud of it. She isn’t arrogant, she is humble - or as the stable

hands said, “she is just Soph to us.” Sophie is in the category of most disabled Grade 1a, but she doesn’t allow this in anyway to control her mentally or physically. There is a drive inside that is remarkable but balanced, with an awareness of what it has given her. This makes her a gentle, funny and inspirational person to be around. She says, “...when I ride I’m less disabled.” The riding frees her and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. I feel humbled to have spent the time with Sophie.

Sophie Christiansen OBE is Managed by Siu-Anne Marie Gill at 11th Hour Global Management - London.

Photo: Papaya Photography

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“We become what we

think about”- Earl Nightingale

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The Road to the

L a d i e s European T o u r

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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By Bethan CutlerThe LET Access Series was founded by the LET in 2010 to support young talent and create a clear pathway to becoming a successful professional golfer. Former LET chief executive officer Alexandra Armas was the visionary behind the introduction of the developmental series. The idea was to give talented female golfers a platform on which they could forward their careers. By testing themselves against their peers from around the world, talented elite amateurs could assess their performance level and make a decision on whether to turn professional, while pro golfers with no or little exemption category on a main tour could stay competitive by competing on a regular basis.

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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“It is a great opportunity for

the players to be recognised on the

global golf stage.”

In its first year, the LET Access Series featured five tournaments in France and Spain and the top three players qualified for the top flight Ladies European Tour. Now, in 2014, there are 16 tournaments in 12 different countries from the UK to Greece and the top five players on the order of merit earn their place on next year’s Ladies European Tour. Not only that, but the other 10 players finishing in the top 15 can skip pre-qualifying and go straight to LET Final Qualifying School.

This and the fact that last year the LET Access Series became integrated into the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings provides graphic proof that it is an attractive proposition for both players and sponsors. Three new tournaments were added for 2014 in Switzerland, Belgium and the Czech Republic and the event in Spain has just signed for another two years until 2016 – the year of golf’s return to the Olympics.

Since the LET Access Series was incorporated into the Rolex World Rankings in March 2013, LETAS golfers now have the opportunity to qualify for Rio. LETAS Tour Director Di Barnard said: “It is a great opportunity for the players to be recognised on the global

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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golf stage, which could set them on the path to the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.” LETAS is now one of 10 organisations whose events accrue points towards the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings along with the LPGA; LET; JLPGA; KLPGA; ALPG; CLPGA, USGA, Symetra Tour and LGU.

According to the proposed qualification system for Olympic golf, a field of 60 players, including up to four players from a given country in the top 15 and then a maximum of two from each country outside the top 15, will qualify. At the time of writing, Olympic qualification was going to 535th position, with Belgium’s Chloe Leurquin, Fabienne In-Albon of Switzerland and Mia Piccio of the Philippines all qualifying directly from LETAS. Piccio moved into that position after winning her first title in Galicia.

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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In total, there are 83 members of LETAS from 24 different countries who are all passionate and marketable athletes with interesting stories. This year, for the first time there are new golfing representatives from Poland, Iceland, Ivory Coast, and Hungary playing on LETAS: Martyna Mierzwa, Valdis Thora Jonsdottir, Natou Soro and Csilla Lajtai-Rozsa, respectively.

Player development is at the heart of the LET’s new vision and its CEO Ivan Khodabakhsh commented: “The Ladies European Tour is fully committed to the development of golf and we have a new strategy to offer talented golfers who want to develop their potential the opportunity to do so. Through the LET Access Series, PING Junior Solheim Cup and working closely with national federations and our members, we will enable more young people to become involved with the sport and support their progression throughout their careers.

The Ladies European Tour is one of the world’s leading professional golf tours and with golf’s inclusion in the Olympic programme, it is important that we take a leadership role in the sport.”

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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“The Ladies European

Tour is one of the world’s leading

professional golf tours”

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

Photo: courtesy Ladies European Tour

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6617S Press Ad FA.indd 1 2014/08/22 2:41 PM

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“You miss 100%

of the shots you don’t

take.”- Wayne Gretzky

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“This is my reason, not my

There is a story often told of two brothers, one a drug addict on the street and the other a well regarded surgeon with a wife and children. On being asked why his life was the way it was the first brother said “..it was my father, he beat me and made our lives hell, that’s why”. The second brother was asked the same question and he replied “...it was my father, he beat me and made our lives hell, that’s why”. One had a reason and one had an excuse for the way their lives had turned out.

John Lennon said that “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. There are people who march to the beat of a different drum, those who see adversity as their friend, who embrace their past and use it for good - and one of the people leading that march is Alex Scott.

Born on the notorious Tower Hamlets council estate in the East End of London, Alex lived in a single parent flat, in a crime ridden area and with little but a football cage on a concrete surface to entertain. To many this is an excuse - but to Alex this was and is a reason: a reason to appreciate what she has, a reason to acknowledge where she has come from and a reason to live the way she does.

Interview and article by Myak Homberger

Alex Scott, England Footballer

excuse...”

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No matter which way the conversation went it always came back to the same fundamentals: appreciation, remembering her roots and the opportunities given to her.

For Alex her formative years are priceless - the shared community spirt along with the challenges that have made her who she is. It is so easy for those in the limelight to try and hide or diminish their past, but her approach is the opposite. For her it is about acknowledging that she is who she is because of her experiences. This is such a positive way to approach life and these experiences

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- and Alex has not only embraced it but has an ability to make it contagious to those listening. She makes you want to look at things in a different way to the way we are so often conditioned to looking at things.

She speaks of each story and experience with enthusiasm and looks at it in such a refreshing way. This is summed up when she talks about “...the contrast between going into a shop to buy Puma Kings and now being sponsored by them and getting boots for the Cup final with my name and the date on them. It’s not lost

Photo: credit Myroslava Terlecky

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on me.” This is a humble athlete who is sponsored by a major brand, who can have what she wants and yet she has maintained that connection to where she has come from and doesn’t push the boundaries and demand all sorts of things. As she said, “I feel cheeky asking for things.” What a great and refreshing thing to hear in a world that so often wants to take.

This is someone incredibly aware of what her status has brought her but so, so grounded. It’s a pleasure to observe and listen to. This is the fascinating thing for me about Alex: it’s about everything other than her. She acknowledges that she can play

well, but she will straight away say, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the opportunities people gave me,” or “Football has given me so many opportunities.” It’s difficult to put into words the feeling that comes across when she speaks to you, but it is one of a person who is completely comfortable with themselves and their history and completely earthed in the knowledge of their past, yet grateful for what it has given them.

“My mum struggled to buy me the boots I needed,” Alex said of the early days playing football - and yet she is clear she wouldn’t change it for the world. “I’m proud of where I come from, it makes me who I am,” she says. It is this that has driven her to want to connect and give back to the next generation, to girls who, as she puts it “….aren’t at elite level but still want to be on the ball and get an education.” Alex set up an academy (The Alex Scott Academy) in partnership with Kingston college because she wanted to give back, to give people an opportunity just like she’d had.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the opportunities people gave me,”

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The thing that is so interesting is that Alex has a desire to encourage, support and provide opportunities for girls who may never be elite level athletes. It seems that Alex is very aware of all the girls who fall outside of elite level sport. It doesn’t make them any less passionate and this is a mark of Alex’ character as a person, that she sees the big picture and wants to encourage everyone, connecting and supporting wherever she can. As she says “…the academy gave me focus and I want to give them that opportunity.” The easy road to travel is working with elite players, but she has always walked the road less travelled so why change now?

It’s no different to her work with Street Child World Cup. She explained of her trip to Brazil that “...we connected via the universal language of football.” She didn’t go as a hotshot football player, she went into the favela’s and got onto the pitch and just played with the kids.

Nothing sums Alex up better than her own words: “I’m just the girl from Tower Hamlets”, and her mantra that she lives by: “...never forget, never take for granted because you never know when the journey will end”.

“I’m proud of where I come from, it makes

me who I am,”

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Photo: Papaya Photography

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Editor’s note: a short while after spending time with Alex on

location for the photo-shoot and the interview she was involved

in a major car crash that she was told she was lucky to have come

out of alive. It once again shows how fragile life can be and Alex’s

mantra of “don’t look too far into the future, appreciate now,” is

truer than ever. In the same way, those of us on the other side of

the fence can celebrate these remarkable athletes and enjoy what

they give us now.

See:http://www.kingston-college.ac.uk/legal/women-s-football-academy/49-women-s-football-academyhttp://streetchildworldcup.org/

Street Child World Cup is a global platform for street children to receive the protection and opportunities that all children are entitled to.

Through sports, the arts and international conferences for street children’s rights our aim is to challenge the negative perceptions and treatment of street children.

No child should have to live on the streets.

Join our Supporters Club now.

Join us at the #BigCitySleep, a sponsored sleep out supporting street children | 24.10.14 | Spitalfields Market | London Visit website for more details.

streetchildworldcup.org

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OUTSTANDINGA T H L E T E

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Charlotte Edwards CBE, MBE – England Cricket Captain By Myak Homberger

Photo: Papaya Photography

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Listing Charlotte’s achievements should alone explain why we have chosen her as our ‘Outstanding athlete’ for this issue - but there is much more to her than that. Let’s start with a few of her achievements though:

• In 1995, aged 16, Charlotte was youngest player ever to have played for England

• In 1997, she scored 12 centuries • She scored a then-record ODI score of 173 not out the day

before her 18th birthday• In March 2006 she was appointed as England Captain when

Clare Connor retired• She has played in over 180 One Day Internationals (ODI) • Charlotte holds the record number of ODI appearances, beating

Australian Karen Rolton’s previous record of 141• She won the ICC Woman’s Player of the year in 2008• She has led the England team in winning every format of the

game• Charlotte was appointed Member of the Order of the British

Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours• In 2014, she was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers

of the Year, only the second English women’s cricketer to be so honoured

• She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to cricket

• She has made over 280 appearances for England in various Cricket formats

This list is a phenomenal one and one that even her male counterparts would be jealous of - not something you can often say.

To spend time with athletes like this is always interesting, listening, learning and gaining insight. For me the thing that stood out was Charlotte’s determination to be herself at all times and as their captain be straight and honest with the team. In all we talked about she would always come back to these points as her guiding

Photo: Papaya Photography

“...a steely focus on what needs doing, combined with very high standards that are balanced with an incredible ability to connect with every player as an individual.”

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Photo: Papaya PhotographyPhoto: courtesy ECB

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principles. It all started with some advice she was given on taking the captaincy: “ ‘be yourself’, was the advice I was first given - and I have gone about things in a way that feels right for me,” Charlotte says of her foundation. It is one she has kept to.

Over the years Charlotte has built on this and as a result is not only a world-class player but also a world-class captain who has the full backing of her team: no matter who you speak to in the team, they all speak highly and well of her. This stems in part from her desire to build relationships with each player as an individual as well as with the team as a whole. For Charlotte it’s important to build those personal relationships as she sees it bringing out the best in the individual players and believes that they will always perform

Photo: courtesy ECB

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better as a result. As well as this, when a player has issues, being able to help and resolve them is much quicker and more effective when there is relationship.

The thing that sets Charlotte apart for me is that overlaid on all of the above, she has very high standards (by her own admission) - and she expects without compromise the same of herself as of the team, but that she leads from the front. She is adamant that she won’t ask any of them to do something that she hasn’t done before or wouldn’t do herself.

Charlotte is a Captain among Captains, male or female, on the world stage. She has a steely focus on what needs doing, combined with very high standards that are balanced with an incredible ability to connect with every player as an individual. Add to this her mantra of ‘being yourself’ and

Visit a Spur Restaurant and try our mouth-watering steaks, perfectly basted ribs, crisp salads,

delicious burgers and flame-grilled chicken!

Congratulations to ... Charlotte Edwards CBE, our outstanding sportswoman! We’re proud supporters of women’s sport around the world!It was great to have Charlotte as our special guest to celebrate her award at Spur!

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CHARLOTTE

EDWARDS

CBE

enjoying playing the game, and this is what makes her such a talent, an interesting person to spend time with, a world-class cricketer and legendary Captain. Clare Connor, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Head of Women’s Cricket summed her up by saying that “she is a credit to women’s cricket globally, a superb role model for girls who aspire to play for their country”. You can’t really add more than that.

Visit a Spur Restaurant and try our mouth-watering steaks, perfectly basted ribs, crisp salads,

delicious burgers and flame-grilled chicken!

Congratulations to ... Charlotte Edwards CBE, our outstanding sportswoman! We’re proud supporters of women’s sport around the world!It was great to have Charlotte as our special guest to celebrate her award at Spur!

Check out our awesome weekday specials and our store locator at:

CHARLOTTE

EDWARDS

CBE

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Photo: courtesy ECB

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Since bursting onto the scene in 2007 Carla has been a wing of vision and speed both in the 15’s and 7’s format of Rugby. Taking time out from Rugby to start a family Carla was back playing four months after the birth of her son. Since 2010 I have watched Carla’s career and gotten to know her. We caught up again recently and I spent some time with her chatting about family and motherhood.

The stand out thing for me was that despite awards and trophies (Player of the Year, World Cup winner, etc.), Carla is very focused on family - both hers and her ‘sistas’ in the team. The conversation always came back to family and to the values it upholds. Wearing the black jersey and representing New Zealand is a huge honour but to her it is the family support behind her - not just

Carla HohepaNew Zealand Rugby player

Interview and article by Myak Homberger

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Photo: Papaya Photography

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at home, but practically as well when she is away that she values, because it allows her to do what she loves so dearly. “I have a great family, they are so supportive, I couldn’t do it without them,” she says.

To Carla motherhood has enhanced both her and her game. She wants to make her boy proud - and to the observer she is, if anything, a better player now than she was five years ago. She sees it as a natural thing to have played at such a high level, stepped out to start a family and then to step back in again and be better for it. This is so refreshing to hear from a world class athlete - first, because there is zero drama attached

to her. There is no ‘I have had to change this and sacrifice that, if only people knew’. To her it’s no different to any other job or any other mother around the world.

The second thing is that she is a great advert for women being able to get back to playing at an international level after having children. That’s one of the things that makes her so lovely to spend time with - she doesn’t see it as something to shout about or advertise; she had a child, trained and

“I have a great family, they are so supportive, I couldn’t do it

without them,”

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got back to where she was, end of: it’s what you do as an athlete and as a woman. Carla has everything you would want in a mother with the extreme talent of an international athlete who is completely grounded in both life and family. For Carla women don’t need to give up sport to become mothers, they can do both - and as such she is a shining example. Her advice to athletes wanting to balance family and sport is “...if you love it and it’s a passion, anything is possible.”

Just listening to Carla you can tell the passion for her country, family and her ‘sistas’. They are so intertwined and it’s hard to separate

them. When I try to get her to explain the difference to these three strands of her life she says, “..when I talk about the black jersey and my family and sistas it makes me emotional....oh...you are making me cry!” We never really get to the bottom of the difference, it’s all too close. Her family are everything, her son is her world, playing for her country and wearing the black jersey is the result of hard work and is very dear to

“...if you love it and it’s a passion, anything is

possible.”

Photo: Papaya Photography

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her. All of this clearly has a depth of emotion for her. “The girls I play with are my family away from home”, she explains.

The thing that I like and that is hard not to warm to, is Carla’s openness in sharing about

herself and her feelings about motherhood and family in the broadest sense. Passion and emotion are blended for her and so despite being a remarkable athlete she is also

“..when I talk about the black jersey and my family and ‘sistas‘

it makes me emotional....”

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humble, family focused and truly grateful to be doing what she loves surrounded by her ‘family’.

Carla’s lack of fuss, value of family and ability to step out, have a family and step back into the most successful international team says a lot about her but also of the example it sets for other women in sport. To show that careers don’t need to be given up or desires for having a family shelved in order to be an international athlete. A great advertisement for motherhood and sport!

Photo: courtesy Carla Hohepa

Photo: Papaya Photography

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Brazil Rugby:

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Brazil Development with a difference

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Brazil may have hosted the Football World Cup and will be hosting

the Olympics in 2016, but as a developing Rugby nation they are

one of the most exciting to observe. With no history or heritage of

Rugby they are able to think out of the box without constraints, and

have very supportive governing bodies working together across the

country.

Rugby as a whole for women may have started with a group of girls

paying their own way in 2008 to travel and play in the Amsterdam

7’s International Tournament, but six years later they have a multi-

level program in the country. I am very privileged to have known

and worked with the team for three years and to have watched the

development and growth of Rugby within Brazil.

The senior team is well developed having in the main played

together for ten years but they are now a transition phase, bringing

in new players to bolster and improve the team. It’s very interesting

to listen to the management talk about the transition and inclusion

of young new players to the senior squad as well as the introduction

of an allowance system. As of August twenty players are now getting

an allowance to help them with their Rugby, whether this be gym,

physio etc. They talk about the cost and price paid by the senior

team that started things and that they work with the new girls to

ensure they understand and “don’t take for granted” the support

and infrastructure that is in now place. This is both important but

also shows the holistic approach the management are taking to

ensure that they build on their roots and also look to improve and

grow on the world stage.

Brasil Rugby Union (BRU) recognised that key to the ongoing success

“six years later they have a multi-level program in

the country.”

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Photo: Papaya Photography

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of Rugby in Brazil is that they needed to create a development

program like most other countries do. However this is where

similarities end. They set up a two strand approach: first, a ‘heritage

program’ was set up to encourage non-resident players with

biological links to Brazil to apply for trails. With so many Brazilians

living abroad the potential for people being exposed to Rugby in

other nations is high and has already gained a major talent from the

USA who has been playing regular 15’s Rugby for some time.

The second part of their strategy in the programme that feeds into

the senior team and one that is particularly interesting, is that the

BRU are working with various social projects in Brazil to find gifted

people who can be trained to play Rugby. “We aren’t looking for

the complete player, we are looking for people with an X factor, size,

speed etc.” says Majorie Enya Brasil, the development manager, of

this new strategy they are employing.

At the Amsterdam International tournament 60% of the development

team were from the Favelas and social projects, with most of the

them being only 16 years old. The players and their families see

it as an opportunity for a future and to better themselves. These

are young people who have never travelled and who are suddenly

travelling abroad representing their great country. “It’s not about

“We aren’t looking for the complete player, we are looking for people with an X factor, size, speed etc.”

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the sport, it’s about the opportunity,” they say. This is a win win

situation where BRU work with the social projects to give hope

and introduce a new sport - but especially to girls. The flipside is

that they are finding some truly exciting people with potential who

have never seen an egg shaped ball let alone travelled or played

sport at an international level: 70% of this team had not played an

international game until Amsterdam.

For the management team they have taken on a lot more than the

usual challenges involved in running an international team, but they

do it with such enthusiasm and they don’t see it as a challenge -

they see it as part of building something bigger and more exciting.

Something that will become a legacy and part of what makes

Brazilians a great people and fan base. They are working with

Photo: Papaya Photography

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54 August 2014

what is around them and thinking completely out of the box. It’s

so exciting to see and a model for developing countries - blending

sport, the social and heritage to create a team that represents the

whole nation.

Photo: Papaya Photography

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Photo: Papaya Photography

Photo: Papaya Photography

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56 August 2014

Jess Fishlock

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Jess Fishlock

Liz McTernan – Training through all sorts

Photo: Papaya Photography

World ranked Para-cyclist; Para-triathlon Bronze Medalist 2012

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Photo: Papaya Photography

Photos: credit Markus brechbuhl

Photos: credit Markus brechbuhl

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By Myak Homberger

I love how Liz talks about training, she talks how I talk about training when I do it and with such funny anecdotes, it doesn’t sound like the conversation of an athlete ranked 5th in the World and a former bronze World Championship winner.

It started whilst discussing the photo-shoot for this article on the phone with her asking me whether she should clean the

cow poo off her bike first; laughing and explaining that she is based in the country with all the joys it brings. Once we got into the conversations about training though, it became clear that this is one serious athlete who under the surface trains and pushes her body to the limit. She has

to overcome cars splashing her in the wet, the mud, the usual countryside surprises animals leave as well as ensuring that she is visible and safe for the day and night training she does on the roads, especially whilst being so low to the ground on her handcycle.

Liz spends six days a week on the bike training on the road for 1.5 – 3 hours at a stretch, depending on the weather - as well as two sessions on the ‘turbo’ indoors, which she says is very much for speed training. The most amusing description of her gym sessions is the two that she has each week with her PT, an ex-Marine. She says (whilst laughing) that she dreads the sessions, as she puts it “he pushes me till I physically can’t do another thing.” But she keeps going back for more and this along with her newly formulated gym work is paying dividends with her winning numerous road races. As a side-line, it is sobering to know that Liz will only receive anything between £150-£300 prize money for winning a race. She needs to pay for her living, training and travel to races around the world and yet she does it all with a smile and a joke, a testament to her grit and determination.

“...he pushes me till I physically can’t do another thing.”

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Photo: Papaya Photography

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The gym sessions for Liz focus very much on upper body strength, using heavy free weights till exhaustion, this being supplemented with some core work. Once out of the gym Liz

does three cross training sessions a week of around 10km each, and these are balanced with three further swimming sessions as well. Due to funding constraints Liz has to do all her own nutrition as well as buy and cook everything herself. As she says of her nutritional/diet challenge, “I need to be as light as possible but maintain my strength so it’s about cutting fat really.”

Aside from the above ‘regular weekly’ training, Liz takes on races outside of her normal ones and trains for them very separately. This year she travelled to South Africa to do a staged training event covering 557km in preparation for the Cape Argus, a 110km race that includes a 1350m climbing assent. This is not training for the faint hearted - or for that matter, events for the faint hearted - but this is what Liz thrives on. As she says, “I would like to do an Ironman”. Is it possible to train any more for an event like that? If anyone can then Liz can and will find a way to train and achieve in such a gruelling event.

Liz’s training regime is full on, especially if you include nutrition etc., but on top of this she is her own roadie, PR and sponsorship agent. I have no idea how she does it all but somehow she does do it all and does so with a smile, a joke and with grace. It crossed my mind to do a training session with her for the article, just crossed…..there is no way I would keep up with her!

“I need to be as light as possible but maintain my strength...”

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“There is only one way to

avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be

nothing” - Aristotle

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UNSUNGH E R O

Unsung heroes are chosen so for many different reasons and deciding on who should be our ‘Unsung Hero’ in each issue is a challenge, as so many people do so much that goes unnoticed from grass roots all the way through to elite level. There is always someone who is doing something that sets them apart though - and this issue it’s Tanushree Pillay, ‘Tanu’ of the South African Rugby program.

Tanu is the manager for not only for the 7’s set-up on world tour each year, but also for the 15’s squad as well, having just finished the World Cup in Paris. This is a big job in itself, but she is also the physio for both teams. In nearly every case there are two people per team to do these jobs. When I asked her why she did it her response was that “the product of women’s Rugby is worth investing in.” What a way of phrasing things and looking at it. Yes, she loves the job, but it’s about more than love for her - it’s about believing in woman’s sport as a product: she is in it for the long haul and sees the dividends now compared to when she started. But it’s about more too; it’s about creating a legacy in South Africa.

Tanu has covered all the major sporting events from World Cup to WSWS to Commonwealth games and Olympics: she is a veteran, but more passionate now than ever. Aside from all this she is more than happy to get into the nuts and bolts of what the two roles

Tanushree PillayManager and Physio Springbok Rugby 7’s – 15’s

By Myak Homberger

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Photo: Papaya Photography

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require. As manager she has to do all the usual flights, logistics, facilities and schedules as well as using her dual role to get the best out of players. As she says of her vision of care and support of the girls in her charge,“I am striving for better and better for the girls”.

Add to this the role of physio that requires on-field and off-field injury support alongside previous rehab care and post event medicals, there is never a dull moment for her. How does one person do all of this? “A lot of planning and very good understanding between the three person management team that goes everywhere with the girls,” she says. As well as, this she further explained that “...the girls understand that things may take a bit longer in the doing.” This is a family, a community that works with what they have got - and Tanu is right there in the thick of it, loving it by pioneering so the next generation can stand on their shoulders.

Tanu brings a great deal of experience of women and their sport to the Springbok Women’s rugby teams, and an understanding that women’s sport is very different to men’s and needs to be managed differently. Tanu is our ‘Unsung Hero’ for this issue in the truest sense of the word as she dedicates her life to Women’s Rugby, seeing the big picture rather than herself or her world.

Photo: Papaya Photography

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Manchester City Women’s Football

Photos: courtesy Manchester City football club

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Photo: Myroslava TerleckyPhotos: courtesy Manchester City football club

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By Myak Homberger

Women’s Football has been growing for years, with this year seeing a major jump in the stakes and participation around the world with England leading the charge at club level. Not only were there major player moves around clubs that levelled the field and has created an exciting season, but many players and clubs are going to full-time contracts. Given that women’s Football was the first women’s sport I was introduced to more than fifteen years ago it holds a special place for me.

One of the key stories from last season was the announcement that Manchester City would be playing in the FAWSL 1 this season. As a result a significant amount was written about it and a great deal of social media taken up with people voicing various opinions about it. Given that we cover a lot of Football I wanted to find out straight away what their plans were, what their vision was for the women’s team and what their motivation for doing it was. As a result, I can now provide something of an insight into Manchester City and their vision for Women’s Football.

Manchester City Football Club has always been committed to sharing its football resources and coaching capabilities across a wide range of ages and abilities. In keeping with this, they are building on the hard work of MCLFC and helping them to develop. Running alongside this the award-winning City in the Community programme will be expanded. Listening to people talk about MCFC’s foundation City in the Community, it’s very obvious that this is more than a ‘kick about’ or an after school club. They are passionate about providing as many opportunities for young girls in the local community as they can and are pushing to get many more girls active. City in the Community are committed to creating pathways for girls and the programme is now vast with the following:

Women and Girls Football Programme:This programme started in September 2013 and runs for 30 weeks of the year. It was funded by the Premier League and the FA. The programme involved reaching out to 180 girls in Manchester through 11 satellite sessions with clubs per week. In total 330 sessions were delivered by CITC.

Photo: Myroslava Terlecky

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FA Girls’ Player Development CentreThis programme started in September 2013 and ran for 30 weeks. This involves working with three teams: u11s, u13s and u15s.

Play the Game: Girls’ sessionThis programme was launched in April and takes places every Wednesday from 4.30 – 6pm. The programme aims to engage more girls in football allowing them to experience the sport. The programme will run for 36 weeks.

Soccer SchoolsCITC run free Girls Only Soccer Schools during every half term holiday, again with the aim of engaging more girls in football, providing them with a fun and supportive environment. Aside from this they have partnered with the leading women’s charity,

Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation.So take a deep breath....a complete and successful community project, a shiny new stadium and facilities but is that enough to make a team great and for them to create a legacy of youth development? One of the things that I find exciting about what City are doing is that it goes far beyond that - and more importantly, it seems to be coming from the top down and everyone from the ‘suits’ to the players is engaged with it. Hearing how passionate they are about the vision for Women’s football is great to see and very refreshing. There is no feeling that they are marking time waiting for a ‘real job’ with the men’s division - they are truly excited and feel that they are on the edge of a new world and that they can define it by what they are doing.

City want to provide a professional environment for Women’s football, on a par with, and mirroring the men’s team and benefiting from its association with the men’s team. The club also benefits from the resources of the wider organisation: from community programmes, to youth development, scouting, coaching, sports science and digital coverage.

Wow, now if there ever was a game changer then that’s it! They don’t want to just run a women’s team, they don’t want to just run a community project - they want to create something that mirrors the men’s team BUT that will also benefit from the association. That’s a very bold move and the only one so far that we are aware of in the world, certainly in English clubs. This is about seeing women’s football for what it will be, not what it is now, and building for that.

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There are no excuses, only opportunities and City are grasping it with both hands, creating something unique.

There are a number of initiatives in the planning but one that is already out there is the male and female players being photographed together for the new kit launch in the match day programs. Let’s not forget that City aren’t a mid-table team, this is a silverware winning team!

So many boxes have been ticked here - from community through to strong links with the men’s side, but as so often has been reported, how are the players themselves viewed? City see MCWFC players as healthy, powerful and successful women: and they want to promote this view of female athletes as the norm. In this, City believe that female athletes can be role models. This for me is the final piece of the puzzle: positive affirmation of women and athletes, and to follow one of our themes, to be role models.

What City have put in place and the passion demonstrated by the team has been remarkable; the excitement that they talk with is contagious. They are bringing so much more than another Women’s Football team to the party, they are pioneers of what the next generation will see as the norm and this is very exciting to observe. The final words are best left to City who show their complete vision and lack of elitism in their aim to demonstrate that all girls, regardless of ability can play and more importantly, enjoy football.

Photos: courtesy Manchester City football club

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Behind the scenes with the Australian Rugby 7’s team

Photo: Papaya Photography

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By Myak Homberger

Going behind the scenes with any team or athlete is always a challenge. There are so many things to balance in terms of discretion, confidentiality, ‘stories’; as well as not getting in the way or being seen as a hindrance! The magazine has however had a good working relationship with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) for a couple

of years now. We have been given complete access to management at all levels, met at their Headquarters, talked about their ‘Pathway to Gold’ program, seen the youth squad in action at the Youth Olympics, as well as spending time

“...We have been given complete access to management at all levels...”

Photo: Papaya Photography

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74 August 2014Photos courtesy Lexie Sport

Photo: Papaya Photography

Photo: Papaya Photography

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Photo: Papaya Photography

Photo: Papaya Photography

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“...to be able to train and play with the girls every day is great, it’s so different.”

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behind the scenes the last two seasons on the Women’s Sevens World Series (WSWS) circuit with the senior team.

The Australians have got their train in order: they set up a feeder/talent program called ‘Pathway to Gold’ and have been bringing athletes into the senior team through this program. As well as this, a centralised contract and training regime have been put in place with new coaching staff in the last year. This has born obvious benefits and has done so very quickly. Given the scale of the country alone, centralized training in Sydney has had a significant impact, as Charlotte Caslick said “...to be able to train and play with the girls every day is great, it’s so different.”

The view from the ARU management down through the ranks has always been welcoming and wanting to enable me being around. I was given unfettered access to the senior team, which has been great - and so this is a view from inside the inner sanctum of the Australian 7’s Rugby team.

I wrote nearly 3 years ago that this is a team with huge potential and one that would make significant impact on the world stage, so I find it very exciting to have observed this journey so closely.

I would like to think that over the course of two seasons and with the complete access I have had it would have been hard to pretend or keep up a pretences in the midst of the pressure of international matches. Therefore what I have seen is what is real, ‘warts and all’; I experienced their genuinness, transparency and openness.

Team manager Scott and the team could not have been more welcoming, with Scott including me as part of the team (‘one of us’) for the week-end. Not only that though, it was their relaxed attitude and the authorisation to come and go

Photo: Papaya Photography

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as I pleased without having to be edited along the way that made such a difference. I appreciate both the access they gave me and their attitude: it says a great deal about the team and their culture, and also speaks volumes about the ARU. This is a governing body that wants to promote women’s Rugby and is proud of what has been achieved and acknowledges the media partnerships.

There is more to the team than just this though. The atmosphere is very relaxed and informal, there is music playing and joking going on amongst the players - but the moment Tim Walsh starts talking they are attentive and straight away get on with the tasks at hand. There is a focus and desire to do everything they can to be the best they can for themselves, but also for each other and - very interestingly - also for team manager Scott and Coach Tim Walsh. As Emily Cherry summed it up when explaining this, “Walshy and Scotty have a knowledge and passion that make us want to be better people on and off the field.” And there it is, that ‘something’ people talk about, that secret ingredient. These are two seasoned professionals - and yes, they can do a good job, but actually what they bring to the team and what makes this team great is the culture and ethos Scott and Tim have brought. They have enabled the girls to be great by showing them how to be better people both on and off the pitch. Not just on but off too - and that is the critical part for me. They are concerned about the total person as well as the team. Captain Sharni Williams says, “Tim has brought an X factor to the team.” They all see it and acknowledge the value of being part of it.

Spending a couple of days with them was good fun and at every point you could see that the values they upheld were very much in evidence on the field as well as off. On winning the IRB Player of the Year award, Emily Cherry’s comment was that “...it’s great to win such a prestigious award, but it’s down to the team.” She is right: if you look at their stats as a team, there are

Photo: Papaya Photography

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numerous try scores with five of them being in the top twenty try scores for the series. It shows the teamwork and lack of self importance that they have cultured. They love to throw the ball around and score. It’s about the team winning, it’s not about personal success.

The team make the most of being on tour so far from friends and family, connecting with each other. Once again the management do all they can to mitigate these challenges and it’s great to see the younger ones being looked out for by the older ones and the team as a whole allowing each person to be. There is a real sense of unity in the team that was so nice to be a part of for that period of time.

My final comment would be that in all of my requests for interviews, in taking pictures of them relaxing, training etc., there was never a hand to the camera, an attitude, a refusal to co-operate or even being asked to leave a team brief. I was a part of the team for that weekend and so I was welcomed and part of it. If they did that for me, how much more do they do that for the ‘newbies’ who arrive and need to settle into an elite team and embrace a team culture. They have made it easy to be part of a team, embrace the culture and be prepared to ‘throw their bodies on the line’ and make it count. So they talk about a ‘pathway to gold’ - but I think that Tim, Scott and the team have gold already and I look forward to see how this develops further over time.

Photo: Papaya Photography

Photo: Papaya Photography

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“The most common way people give

up their power is by thinking

they don’t have any ” - Alice Walker

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The U.S. and European

Women’s Open sectional qualifier

Golf

By Myak Homberger

The LET hosted the inaugural U.S. Women’s

Open sectional qualifier in Europe held at the

Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England. Four

simultaneous events took place in China, Japan,

Korea and the UK to offer places for the coveted

US Women’s Open. Speaking with Senior Director

of Competitions Mark Hill, his view of the field in

Europe was that the level of response to the event

and the quality of players confirms why the USGA

(United States Golf Association) offered more

places here than anywhere else. “Strength of field

is key and given the players here today tells you

Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

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Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

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“Strength of field is key and given the players here today tells you how strong Europe is”

how strong Europe is”. He went on to say that

the primary reason for the USGA is international

reach. “We have achieved that today with the

result, we are very pleased with the event, the

qualifiers and how the LET have organised and

run the event,” Mark commented. His view is that

this event is here to stay and is one

that could even grow.

Ladies European Tour rookie Amy

Boulden won the inaugural U.S.

Women’s Open sectional qualifier

(Europe) at Buckinghamshire Golf

Club. From LET access to winning in

Switzerland and now here, it’s been a whirlwind

for the 20-year-old from Wales. Appearing for the

first time in the championship and with her dad

as her caddy is was the icing on what has been

a great year for her so far. Commenting on her

win Amy said, “I’m very happy. I played very well

Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

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84 August 2014

“...The US Open is one of the biggest

majors so I’m looking forward to going to

the States and playing against the best

players in the world.”

today so I’m very pleased. This is what I have been

planning for so I very pleased that the hard work

and planning is paying off. I knew there were a

lot of good players but I still felt quite confident.

The US Open is one of the biggest majors so I’m

looking forward to going to the

States and playing against the

best players in the world.”

The seven other spots were

filled by Kelsey MacDonald

of Scotland and Nicole Garcia

from South Africa, who tied

on one-under-par 143, with

Australians Nikki Campbell and Stephanie Na

and English trio Holly Clyburn, Lucy Williams and

Rebecca Hudson all on 144, level par.

Nicole Garcia, a 23-year-old Ladies European Tour

rookie, commented: “It is my first year on tour so

Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

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I didn’t expect to make it. It’s quite exciting.” Kelsey MacDonald,

23, from Inverness, another rookie said: “This is the first time I’ve

played the Buckinghamshire Golf Club. It’s amazing. I went out in

a tough field and there were a lot of spots which was great - but

you know you’re competing against the best of Europe so it’s just

a fantastic feeling. It’s great that Amy and I both qualified because

we’re good friends.”

Photos courtesy Ladies European Tour

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Recipes and TipsIngredients

140g/5oz softened butter

85g/3oz honey

85g/3oz golden castor sugar

85g/3oz ground almonds

200g/8oz plain flour

1t baking powder

1t bicarbonate of soda

Photo: Zac Peatling

Honey, ginger and lemon cake

“The classic combination of honey, lemon and ginger makes for a deliciously moist cake.”

100ml/3½fl.oz natural yogurt

3 large eggs

rind of 1 lemon

2t ground ginger (optional)

3-4T honey for the drizzle, and extra if you’d like

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Method• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas4

• Grease a 2lb/900g loaf tin and line with

baking parchment, leaving the long sides a

little higher than the tin to help lift the cake

out later

• Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl

and stir to mix

• Add the butter, honey and yogurt to the dry

ingredients

• Lightly whisk the eggs then add to the rest

of the ingredients

• Whisk the everything together with a hand-

held mixer until just mixed

• Spoon into the prepared tin, level the top

and bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer

inserted into the middle comes out clean

• Immediately drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of

honey over the top

• Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack

• Slice and serve as is or with more honey

drizzled over if you’d like

HintsSave the lemon juice for another time - squeeze juice out and freeze in ice cube trays

Omit the ginger in the mixture, then serve the cake slices with extra honey, strawberries and vanilla ice-cream for an easy desert

Good-for-you ingredientsAlmondsAlmonds are an excellent source of calcium, necessary for healthy bones and teeth.

They also contain protein and other minerals such as magnesium and zinc, as well as being a good source of fibre.

Almonds are a good source of Vitamin E which acts as an anti-oxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E is also needed for a healthy immune system and helps to widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting in them.

HoneyHoney provides a natural energy boost and as such is useful for athletes before an event.Honey is used to soothe sore throats and can relieve irritating coughs, especially when combined with lemon.

Lemon rindThe skin of lemons contains phenolic compounds which are found mainly in the peel. Many of these compounds are anti-oxidants which promote health and help prevent degenerative diseases. Some of the antioxidants found in lemon pigments are even more effective than Vitamin C.

GingerGinger is a warming spice that warms the body and aids circulation. It aids digestion, has a calming effect on the digestive system; helps ease nausea and is traditionally used to treat both morning sickness and motion sickness.Ginger is useful in treating colds and flu, especially when combined with lemon and honey.

By Isa du Toit

Recipes and Tips sponsored by

The haricot bread companyHand-crafted Artisan Bread

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will find anywhere! Without all these supporters the magazine would not be the same.Finally and most importantly to all the readers for supporting and growing the magazine, these are exciting times and I am very happy to be part of the journey.

Thank you’sIt is with huge thanks to so many that this issue has come out alongside so many sporting events around the world and holidays for so many in the team. So first, thank you to the amazing team that watch, report, Tweet, travel, interview, film, edit and do lots of far from glamorous things in pursuit showcasing women’s sport and sharing their enthusiasm and passion. The magazine would resemble babbelings if it were not for my trusty proof reader! So thanks to proofy and the rest of the team: Adam Barlow (Senior Football correspondent), Rachael Stack (International Soccer correspondent), Myroslava Terlecky (photographer and video wiz), Isa Du Toit (baking/nutrition), Roger the design Guru at Digital Forest and all our International athletes who contribute as they can, thank you all, it’s an honour to work with such passionate people.

A big thank you to Sophie, our cover star this issue, for a fantastic afternoon chatting and shooting photos; Carla for being so open and honest and sharing personal photos; Siu-Anne for arranging so much, Elliot for your time and shared vision, Liz for your humour, time, but certainly not your chocolate :-) To my friends at the Brasil Rugby Union, such wonderful passionate people; Scott, Steve and all the Aussie crew for always making me so welcome.

To David and the team at Spur UK for their amazing support of the magazine and Women’s sport in general, John at Armourbite for their generosity in supporting up and coming female athletes as well as so many athletes for us; Biltongman and all of the guys there who are as passionate as any you

The views and opinions expressed by the writers in this magazine are their own and not necessarily those of

Sports International Magazine. © Copyright 2014 Sports International Magazine. All Rights Reserved

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The Pro SportsMagazine

August 2013

Pathway to GoldAustralian Rugby 7s

Jenny Tinmouth, Anita North , Esther Tang, Nigel Francis...Sports nutrtion, top tips and more...

Women in SportThe current state of affairs - By Katie Halliday

SPORTS International

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SPORTS International

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The Pro SportsMagazine

October 2013

The South African Hockey Teama calling - not a job...

Irish Rugby 7s, The Ashes, Isha Johansen, The Solheim Cup...Sports nutrtion, top tips and more...

German Women of the Modern PentathlonExclusive Interviews

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The Pro SportsMagazine

December 2013

Australian Womens Cricket Team

Ibiza Rugby 10s, What’s the real problem with doping?, SA Netball...Sports nutrtion, top tips and more...

Easkey Britton, Claire Bennet, Jane Claxton, Laura Davies CBE, Exclusive Interviews

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Anniversary Issue1st

The Pro SportsMagazine

February 2014

Nikki Symmons

2014 FASWL Review Transfers, Women’s Surfing Roots...Sports nutrtion, top tips and more...

Beverly Goebel, Lydia Hall, Sindy Huyer, Sarah Outen, Buchanan Next Gen – BMX teamExclusive Interviews & Articles

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Anniversary party photos

1st

The Pro SportsMagazine

April 2014

Amanda Davies

2014 FASWL Review Transfers, Women’s Surfing Roots...Sports nutrition, top tips and more...

Beverly Goebel, Lydia Hall, Sindy Huyer, Sarah Outen, Buchanan Next Gen – BMX teamExclusive Interviews & Articles

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The Pro SportsMagazine

June 2014

Kelly Holmes

SIM Unsung Hero, Dragons 7’s, Womens Football, Cricket: Twenty20, Sports explained, top tips and more...

Bianca Walkden; Lara Prior-Palmer, Salley Conway, Marcelle Manson, Anna Turney, Lydia Hall, Méabh De BúrcaExclusive Interviews & Articles

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The Pro SportsMagazine

August 2014

Sophie Christensen

SIM Unsung Hero, Brazil Rugby, Australian Rugby 7’sRecipe, top tips and more...

Ladies European Tour, Alex Scott, Charlotte Edwards, Carla Hohepa, Liz McTernan, Man City Womens FootballExclusive Interviews & Articles

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