Women’s sports media coverage made a significant step forward in 2022. The first-ever network to focus on women’s sports, the Women’s Sports Network launched, the average share of sports media coverage across broadcasts, streaming, social media, and digital public relations rose to 15%, and surveys showed that 84% of sports fans are interested in women’s sports. However, even with the big steps forward taken in 2022, and really in the last five years, the disparities between women's and men’s coverage (especially for women who don’t conform to conventional femininity) are still undeniable, like 85% of sports coverage being men’s sports, undeniable.
Knowing that women’s sports coverage is an unmet need, for both athletes and fans, we are thrilled to announce our partnerships with Hear Her Sports podcast and Women’s Running Stories! Podcasts that prioritize female athletes and the powerful and dynamic stories they have to share.
ABOUT THE SHOWS
Hear Her Sports is a podcast for everyone who loves stories by and about women striving to improve and make a difference in their lives.
In every episode, host Elizabeth Emery introduces a female athlete or woman in the business of sport through a thoughtful conversation about who they are and the terrific work they’re doing. Episodes explore the glorious and frustrating issues in sports, history, equity, training, nutrition, and so much more.
Women’s Running Stories (formerly Strides Forward) explores the intersection of running and life, through thoughtfully produced and edited story-telling and original music.
The key focus of this storytelling format is to both highlight the voice of the runner herself telling her own story and to provide listeners with a meaningful listening experience. Host and producer Cherie knows how much of an impact stories can make, to inspire and create change; stories are also a way to connect people. And, they are simply enjoyable to listen to. These are some of the key reasons this style of podcast is what Cherie is most passionate about creating.
Regular WRS episodes feature one woman’s story, focused around a topic central to her running story: activism, the transformational impact of running, aging, menopause and menstruation, community building, RED-s, pregnancy, the mental game–and more.
Runners featured vary widely: from world record setters to mid-life fitness seekers. And the stories are as different as the runners who share them. The one thing all featured athletes have in common is that they love to run.
MEET THE HOSTS
Elizabeth Emery, Host of Hear Her Sports - As a big fan of sports and female athletes, Elizabeth leaves every interview smiling, super excited, energized, and motivated. She loves introducing their inspiring stories to a larger audience.
Elizabeth is a former professional athlete who has been interested and involved in sports since before the passage of Title IX. In the '90s, she raced bicycles professionally, traveling all over the country and the world. She won the US Time Trial National Championship, a gold medal in the Pan American Games, the Pan American Championships, and the Tour of Japan. She raced in The Tour de France for many years when it was called The Grand Boucle and in multiple World Championships for Team USA.
Through interviews, she has access to all these incredible athletes who really serve as co-hosts and are able to speak to listeners in a range of voices.
Cherie Turner, Host of Women’s Running Stories: 54 and a lifelong athlete, in Cherie’s late teens and early 20s, she raced her bicycle on the road and track, working her way onto a professional team. Her athletic focus for the past 20+ years has been running, and she’s raced in events of many distances, on the road, trail, and track. These days she’s focused on breaking 20 minutes in the 5km.
Cherie is part of a growing number of 50+ women who are changing the narrative about what it means to age as a woman, and specifically as a woman athlete. She does this both as an athlete herself, going after new and exciting athletic challenges, and as a podcaster who highlights stories about women athletes. Cherie has also written about aging and sports.
After a long career as a writer and editor, Cherie began audio storytelling in 2018 and launched Women’s Running Stories (formerly Strides Forward) in 2020. Her aim is to highlight a wide array of powerful stories about women and running, which are commonly overlooked.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
Oiselle was founded to improve the sport and grow the sisterhood. We love celebrating the network of women creating new opportunities and experiences for our growing community, both as athletes and as leaders in the industry. In doing so, we are so excited to celebrate Cherie and Elizabeth's contributions to sports media with 6 special episodes featuring our athletes' stories. We are inspired daily by the determined, resilient women of Oiselle and we are thrilled to share their voices with you. Starting things off, an episode of Women’s Running Stories with Ari Hendrix will be released on, December 1st, and Molly Bookmyer will be on Hear Her Sports, November 30th.
Join us in supporting these women-led sports coverage podcasts by streaming on Apple Podcasts (Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories), Spotify (Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories), IHeartRADIO (Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories), or directly on their websites (Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories). We urge you to subscribe to the podcasts and tell your friends about them! You can also subscribe to Hear Her Sports' newsletter for news and more amazing content.
