97. Shining a Spotlight on Women’s Sports with Cyclist and Podcaster Elizabeth Emery

97. Shining a Spotlight on Women’s Sports with Cyclist and Podcaster Elizabeth Emery

Introducing Elizabeth Emery

Today I’m talking to cyclist and podcaster Elizabeth Emery about shining a spotlight on women’s sports.

Her Career Journey

Elizabeth earned her BA in art history from the University of Pennsylvania. After college, she became a professional cyclist, representing Team USA, becoming a national champion, and competing in the Grande Boucle, which was the women’s Tour de France at the time. After cycling, she earned her MFA in ceramic sculpture from Alfred University and has shown her sculptures, audio installations, and public commissions across the country. A few years ago, Elizabeth launched the podcast Hear Her Sports, where she interviews woman athletes and tells their stories.

Shining a Spotlight on Women’s Sports

Growing up, Elizabeth was constantly on the move but would have never imagined that she’d be a professional athlete because she never saw one who looked like her. Fast forward past her successful cycling and art careers, a few years ago, Elizabeth realized that coverage of women’s sports and female athletes was still appallingly low. She took one small step to fix that herself and launched Hear Her Sports, providing role models and expanding the definition of athlete in the process.

Inside this episode:

  • Elizabeth grew up what she calls “Pre-Title IX,” meaning that she spent her childhood and adolescence not just without opportunities to play organized sports but without relatable female athlete role models.
  • She got into cycling when she realized her favorite time of day was bike commuting in NYC. She created a community and a team with a group of other female cyclists. 
  • Elizabeth has seen the coverage and resources towards women’s sports wax and wane over the years, including a version of the Tour de France in the 80s where men and women shared a finish line, to the Grande Boucle that she competed in, to nothing, to the return of the Women’s Tour de France this summer.
  • Elizabeth knows firsthand that female athletes demand better pay, they’re doing so to have the resources to perform better in their sports.
  • After retiring from professional cycling, Elizabeth returned to her art roots and got her MFA, exploring another part of her personality more deeply and creating multiple identities for herself.
  • She reflects on how her post-cycling career may have turned out differently if she had seen women with careers in sports.
  • When Elizabeth realized the true inadequacy of women’s sports coverage, she knew that she had to be the one to fill in the gap and began her podcast.
  • Shocked by the number of her early guest who shied away from calling themselves athletes, Elizabeth has come to embrace the term and the power it provides.
  • Both with cycling and her podcast, Elizabeth jumped into new worlds at levels that were right in front of her. She encourages others to do the same.

Resources

Related Posts