Welcome back to Level The Field: Missing Perspectives’ dedicated women’s sports newsletter!

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Guys. We’re seriously considering making this email weekly because THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING. We add to a running list during the week of news items to include in our newsletter - but so much keeps happening in the women’s sports space, that waiting two weeks to share it with you just doesn't seem fair. Think this should become weekly? Let us know by flicking us an email over at [email protected]!

From an opinion piece from Australia’s youngest ever Track and Field Paralympian, to an interview with the first ever female Muslim boxer to represent Australia, do we have a newsletter edition for you! We’re also writing this Editor’s Letter off the back of an exciting sports weekend here in Australia: the National Women’s Rugby League Grand Final - where we saw the Newcastle Knights beat the Gold Coast Titans. We’re just a little obsessed with Tamika Upton who absolutely nailed the game and completed one of the greatest individual seasons in NRLW history. Did you tune into the game? Let us know your thoughts!

Legendary soccer coach Sarina Wiegman also hit the news again (can we love this woman more?), this time for being named the coach of Team Great Britain for the Paris 2024 Olympics. "The Olympic Games is such a special sporting event and, for women's football, one of the biggest stages to play," Wiegman said. The countdown for the Olympics is officially on! In case you missed it though: the UN slammed France’s decision to ban French athletes’ hijabs at the Olympics. What on earth? We’re really hoping this decision is reversed ASAP.

Seriously though, this Editor’s Letter could go on and on, and on. We had Tigist Assefa shatter the women’s marathon record over in Berlin (2 hours, 11 mins and 53 seconds…). We saw Jess Fox win gold at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in London. We watched the Koori Knockout take place in Tuggerah - showcasing incrediible Indigenous rugby talent. We saw Sam Kerr named by the Australian Financial Review as one of Australia’s most culturally powerful people in 2023 (although we’re not surprised).

One final item before we sign off though. You may have seen our call-out on Instagram for female athletes who feel as though their sport/league doesn’t get the media attention it deserves. Turns out this REALLY resonated with our followers and female athletes who found their way to our post, and we were inundated with DMs and emails from absolute trailblazers. TLDR: we are now in touch with some pretty incredible female athletes, and cannot wait to amplify their stories, careers, perspectives and sports.

It’s time the dial started shifting.

The Missing Perspectives Squad xx

The Exclusive: Tamsin Colley on being Australia’s youngest ever Track and Field Paralympian

“I believe that the Paralympics should have equal funding, advertising, and broadcasting as the Olympics, and we should receive the same opportunities in terms of recognition of our achievements.”

Tamsin is an athlete with Cerebral Palsy. She’s 21 years old and studying Exercise Physiology at UNSW. Her mission? To help other people with disabilities get equal opportunities to live their lives to the best of their abilities and experience the health and wellbeing benefits of sport. She’s also (casually) Australia’s youngest ever Track and Field Paralympian and now plays Cerebral Palsy Football as well - heading to nationals early this month!

In 2016, I found out two weeks before getting on the plane that I was going to the Paralympics. I had done one qualifying time but had not been selected, however Australia got allocated an extra spot due to the Russians getting excluded because of a doping scandal. I was 13 years old, and it was the year I was turning 14, the minimum age you must be to get an international classification and be able to compete in the relevant category.

This made me the youngest competitor in the Paralympics, so I got to meet the Governor General and have an interview with the oldest Australian Paralympian! Due to being selected late, I was unable to attend the pre-departure camp with the Athletics team and was booked on the latest possible flight with the wheelchair basketball team and some other competitors who weren’t competing until later. It was a bit intimidating, but I got to make friends with other successful Paralympians from different sports, which was cool!

The immensity of the Paralympic Village amazed me, and it was great seeing everyone from other countries and of all different disabilities. This was especially apparent in the dining hall where everyone is busy fuelling for competition, but you can’t help being amazed at all the cool adaptations other athletes have to be able to complete daily tasks like eating that a lot of able-bodied people take for granted. I turned 14 two days before my event, and the Australian Athletics team threw me a surprise party, which was a nice way of making me feel welcome!

When it finally got to my 200m event, I was so excited and nervous to compete against people over three times my age, which was in the T36 classification for ambulant people with Cerebral Palsy. I had a great start and was coming 4th in my heat, on track to make the final when I unfortunately fell over about 20 metres before the line. I managed to pick myself up and finish the race and feel so accomplished when people tell me I’ve inspired them with my resilience. Overall, the Paralympics was an amazing experience that I hope to have again!

I view the Paralympics as a fantastic celebration of sport for people with a disability, to show the world what people with disabilities are capable of. It’s also a great way to bring people together and make friends and is special because it allows you to meet like-minded people who are experiencing similar challenges to you but are determined to not let that stop them from achieving their goals! I personally am so grateful for the Paralympics, as it has not only given me a goal to strive towards, but also enabled me to be confident in who I am and to not let my disability define me or what I can achieve.

When they were postponed last year, I was disappointed but grateful for the extra year to train for Tokyo. However, I unfortunately didn’t qualify due to developing a few minor health issues and injuries but am determined to come back stronger and am focusing on qualifying for World Championships next year after finishing year 12. I’ve enjoyed watching the Olympics recently and can’t wait to support my teammates in the Paralympics, with the hope of joining them in Paris 2024!

Not many people know that the word “Paralympics” derives from the word “parallel”, which represents how the movement runs alongside the Olympics. That’s exactly how it should be seen, as an equal counterpart to the Olympics that people train just as hard to compete at. People often forget the Paralympics when talking about the Olympics and think of it as less important, but it is the highest level of competition where the best athletes from around the world compete every four years.

People sometimes call me an Olympian, and whilst this is meant as a compliment, it is not the same thing and runs two weeks after the Olympics. Due to the Paralympics having over 30 different classifications for different disabilities, not every event is run for every classification to fit into two weeks. This means there are less opportunities than at the Olympics, and it is much harder to get into as tight funding usually results in the Paralympic team being half the size of the Olympic team.

I believe that the Paralympics should have equal funding, advertising, and broadcasting as the Olympics, and we should receive the same opportunities in terms of recognition of our achievements. The same applies for all people with disabilities, and I get frustrated when people assume that just because I or someone else has a disability that they can’t do something. After all, most of us have lived with our disability our whole life so we know what we can and can’t do and it is our decision what goals we choose to pursue in life.

People with disabilities can usually do everything an able-bodied person can do, we just need more time and a little assistance (if we ask for it). People also expect just because a disability is not obvious, we are not experiencing any challenges. That is not true, there are heaps of people with relatively mild disabilities like me and everyone experiences their own challenges in life. To avoid offending someone with a hidden disability, it is best to be non-judgemental and kind because you don’t know what the other person’s challenges are.

The Interview: Tina Rahimi on being the first female Muslim boxer to represent Australia

How did you get into boxing? How long was it between your first boxing experience and your first ever competition?

I started boxing back in 2017, when I was doing it with one of my friends, at a gym. I started off doing the women’s only classes, more about getting fit and losing weight. I started from there and I noticed that I was really good at it. Then I started doing the fighter’s class to have my first fight. I was training for about 6 months before I entered by first competition. I always knew that I was strong – I loved soccer and arm wrestling in school so fighting made sense.

You were the first-ever female Muslim boxer to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games. What was that experience like?

It was an absolutely awesome experience – I just had so much support from my own Muslim community and had so much support from the broader Australian community. The Commonwealth Games also completely changed my view on amateur boxing. I wanted to turn professional and leave the amateur scene once I got back to Australia but now I really want to go and win gold at the Olympics.

How does your faith shape your boxing?

Massively. When I fight, I believe that everything is in the hands of God. I have gotten up early to pray and fit in extra prayers before I fight. Sometimes, when I really wanted to win, I lose. I’ve had full faith in believing that everything meant to be will be. If I wasn’t meant to win a fight, then I wasn’t meant to win it. And that’s just part of my faith.

For instance, in Bulgaria, I was so calm. Walking out to the ring, I was so confident – because I prayed when coming out. I ended up losing – I was upset but accepted it. So, my faith plays a massive role. Whatever God’s will, will happen. That’s my belief.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a female boxer? I listened to an interview where you mentioned that some people said you shouldn't be boxing.

Being a female in a male dominated sport is something that I don’t think is the biggest challenge. I don’t let the hate comments or trolls get to me. The biggest challenges are being outside your comfort zone. And the expectations – if you don’t win. Fans and your team are disappointed. It really puts you down. There are also the challenges associated with not attending social events and seeing other people.

Boxing can be so lonely. You have no social life. You’re constantly travelling – you might have friends, but it’s such a demanding schedule. Even with your family. Everything you do, shows in the ring. If you didn’t train as hard in the ring, you can tell.

How does it feel to participate in a combat sport - especially as a Muslim female?

At first it was quite hard as I wasn’t really a confident person. I thought people would judge me – particularly around wearing a hijab. There was so much hate around Muslims at the time I started fighting. At the time I did put on the hijab – I started wearing it around the time of the Sydney Lindt Café Siege. I did get a few hate comments in the street.

When that happened, I found it hard communicating with people as I thought they were always hating on me. That was really tough going into boxing, especially being a minority as you pretty much don’t see many boxers wearing the hijab. I was used to copping a lot of hate and discrimination because of my decision to wear the hijab. It’s been tough, but now I have grown the confidence. Knowing not everyone judges you for what you’re wearing. Doing what I love and participate in the sport. You do get hate from people around the world but have to choose to ignore it. Female boxers in general do cop a lot of hate. It’s the hardest sport in the world. There’s plenty of men saying we should be in the kitchen.

Do you feel like you’re paving the way for young women?

I feel like I’m showing young women – and young girls in particular, that you can do anything that you want and still be successful. It’s not about how you look and how you dress – as long as you’re consistent and put it in the effort and sacrifice, you can achieve it.

What boxing tip did you learn that changed your style forever?

Always go back to the jab – our main punch is our jab. When you don’t know what to throw in the ring. Always go back to throwing the jab.

The Giveaway: Win a copy of My Journey to the World Cup by Sam Kerr

Follow Sam Kerr’s incredible journey from playing Aussie rules football as a kid to becoming one of the world’s greatest athletes as she prepares to captain the Matildas in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Sam Kerr is widely considered to be one of the best female footballers of all time. She is famous worldwide for her skills on the soccer pitch – but before she was the Matildas captain and the leading goal scorer for Chelsea, she was just an average Aussie kid who wanted to play AFL. This is her incredible football journey to the FIFA World Cup, from making the switch to soccer to becoming one of the best female strikers in the world. Sam gives us insights into what keeps her motivated, how she handles the pressures of life as a professional athlete and what she believes is really important in life.

Want to grab yourself a copy? Email us with the name of the team that won the NRLW final: [email protected].

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