The ambition of 15 women to get behind the microphone has been given a boost, after being selected to take part in the second round of the 2021-22 Change Our Game Women in Sports Broadcasting Program.

The program aims to address a lack of gender diversity in sports broadcasting, with the course focused on enhancing and refining broadcasting skills including research and preparation, play-by-plays, presenting opinion pieces, and delivering courtside and ground updates.

The Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Sarah Styles, said, “This program is helping get more women on air and their voices respected, and opening up the many career paths behind the camera for women in sports broadcasting as well.”

Participants will learn hands-on from experts in the broadcasting industry, led by Emma Race and Lucy Race of Making the Call, who are also hosts of the award-winning radio show and podcast The Outer Sanctum.

“The success of the previous cohorts of this program demonstrates that the sports media industry is eager to diversify their broadcasts. We are thrilled to add these new voices to the landscape,” said Lucy Race.

Emma Race said, “This cohort of graduates are skilled in a diverse range of roles in sport. Their voices and experience in sport broadcasting is an incredibly exciting prospect. We cannot wait to support them in this endeavour.”

We’re proud to be part of levelling the playing field for women in sports broadcasting - you can’t be what you can’t see, which is why having diversity on our screens is so important #ChangeOurGame�� https://t.co/xHq1hiAYbI

— ChangeOurGame (@ChangeOurGame) April 24, 2022

Successful applicants include four-time Olympian and 2017 World Champion Mogul Skier Britt Cox, and Track and Field athlete Nana Owusu-Afriyie who has competed at six international competitions including the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The women come from diverse backgrounds, but all share the same goal of becoming a sports broadcaster. The program will include sessions before and after the course to help participants identify their areas of interest and set clear and concise goals to progress their broadcasting career.

One successful recipient of the program, Jenny Taing, said she was looking forward to meeting like-minded women with similar interests and goals, and to hear from experts in the sports media field.

“I’m excited to explore ways in which we can all contribute and shape the future of sports media for women and those from diverse backgrounds. Sport is such an integral part of Australian culture and it’s important that what we see on our screens and in sports media reflects the diversity of the community and fan base of sport.

This program plays an important role in addressing this issue and hopefully by having greater diversity in sports media, we get greater diversity on sports reporting and storytelling.”

The full list of successful applicants are listed below:

• Alana Baldi
• Megan Brewer
• Britteny Cox
• Danielle Croci
• Hannah Davies
• Pokuah Frimpong
• Tina (Bobby) Macumber
• Nana Owusu-Afriyie
• Natasya Rallios
• Aish Ravi
• Kate Robinson
• Nikkita Ross
• Kelly Rowe
• Jenny Taing
• Paige Zotti

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Sunday 24th April, 2022