Fighting the Odds in Australian Women’s Sport

Above: Lisa Ferguson, bottom left.


Lisa Ferguson tells Alicia Drew how it really is as an aspiring athlete and woman in Australian Sport today, amidst recent findings released by the Australian Commission of Sport that woman in are still being underrepresented in the Australian media leading to lower participation levels and less opportunity for woman.

Undeterred by recent findings released by the Australian Commission of Sport, that woman in sport are still being underrepresented in the Australia media, I met Lisa Ferguson, aged 26 from Aspendale at 7pm on her way home from training. It was her second session of the day at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and she had also worked two shifts. Her hair was wet and she looked visibly drained, however she answered my questions with gusto, filled with the buzz of natural endorphins. She is training in hopes to make the Australian Team for the 2011 Lifesaving World Championships to be held in India.

“You can have a natural born athlete, you can have someone who is talented who can be trained to play a sport or you have the third group of people who just won’t take no for an answer. I have to work very hard on being athletic.” Lisa states proudly. She participates in international lifesaving events which cover both pool and surf. “I get to do crazy stuff, mainly paddling into massive walls of water.”

Many other young women in sport fail to reach this elite level. Recent findings show that the achievements of women in sport continue to be under-represented in the Australian media, recognising the fact that one of the major barriers facing women’s participation is getting women seen, heard and supported in the media. In response to the findings, Australian Sport: the pathway to success, has been released which outlines the new direction for Australian sport, backed by $195.2 million in new funding — the biggest funding injection to sport in our nation's history.

“Ideally I would like to get an Australian record which I’m not far off now in the rope throw, it’s one of the more obscure events. Making Australian teams is also right up there.” Lisa states matter of factly. Lisa trains more than twenty five hours a week. “I do all events, it’s good to be an all-rounder,” She says. She breaks her dream, up into manageable milestones like, “getting a placing on a team or a P.B. Or on a large scale being noticed as someone whose reached the top.”

However aspirational, she has concerns about her future. “I’ll never get sponsored. I am in a too obscure sport. Look at those who do get sponsored, they get sponsored by nutri-grain really... not a name associated with women.” When Lisa is not training you can find her lifeguarding at Waves Leisure Centre, in Highett to help pay her way to India if need be, an experience she refuses to miss out on at any length.

“I have a few friends who are in the same boat as me with regards to the training and sporting goals, although it took a whole lot longer for some of my closer friends to come to terms with my choice of lifestyle. They will now organise get-togethers that suit me more, like going out to dinners rather that going out late at night. I’m a bit of a Cinderella story; I’ll turn into pumpkin if I stay out too late!” She says with a giggle.

Lisa claims more female role models would not make much of a difference, “They are already out there,” she says. “It still comes back to the stereotype that women are supposed to pretty, clean and together. I guess also that people aren’t overly glamorised playing sport. There are only a few women that are seen as being glamorous and it seems that it’s those few are getting air time. You look at the few women shown, they are amazing people. Though you only see the end product: posed, made-up women with gorgeous bodies in fancy clothes. What you don’t see the active shots. The blood, sweat and tears.” Sarah Windsor, Australian representative 21 times in Lifesaving events across the world, is Lisa’s role model. “She has had setbacks and massive injuries and illnesses but has come back from each set back and reinvented herself in order to gain World records and is a damned nice person in doing it too!”

So how do you, the ‘non-athlete’ find inspiration to get into, or back into sport? “Find something you’re going to enjoy. Make it about having fun. Make it a positive, rather than just to lose weight. Have a giggle.” That advice along with supportive networks and self discipline is how Lisa has gotten herself to this elite level.

With the new funding to help make women seen and heard in all stages of sport, from rousing interest in the vast amounts of sports out there, to training, competition and victory, and also portraying women’s sport as it really is, it is certain that we will see more of Lisa’s kind in the future, paving the way for our sisters and daughters. Lisa has trials for the Australian Squad to go to India in January of 2011.