Manage episode 522231386 series 2548138
“We’re at an inflection point - fans, sponsors and the next generation are demanding better. Sport has to decide what future it wants.”
Human rights lawyer and Athlead CEO Kat Craig joins Sue with a perceptive take on how sport can change the world, yet why it too often simply replicates its worst injustices.
From an “allergic reaction to injustice” to frontline legal work and a decade in sport, Kat explains why she built Athlead to turn athlete voice, sport-for-good strategy and rights-based governance into real, lasting culture change.
Kat breaks down the hard truths: sport’s centralised power and insularity create blind spots that exclude those harmed by discrimination and abuse. The fix isn’t a workshop or a press release - it’s leadership with lived experience, transparency and the courage to embed safeguarding and human rights across everything an organisation does.
Kat unpacks athlete activism in a polarised era, where authenticity matters, scope matters and small, smart acts of allyship can move mountains.
At grassroots level, Kat shares how clear values at her community-owned club empowered young men to stand with women and reject misogyny - even when the backlash came. And she’s clear about the moment we’re in - fans and sponsors now expect accountability, the next generation is demanding better and sport sits at an inflection point where brave decisions will define its future.
A compelling blueprint from a pioneering voice on how to swap statements for structure and build safer, fairer sport for everyone.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Chapters
1. Setting The Stakes On Equality (00:00:00)
2. Meet Kat Craig And Her Mission (00:00:25)
3. Early Roots In Justice And Sport (00:01:29)
4. Why Sport As A Platform For Change (00:03:16)
5. Sport As Mirror And Power System (00:06:47)
6. Founding Athlete: The Gap And Vision (00:09:12)
7. From Athlete Voice To Systems Change (00:12:25)
8. Micro To Macro: Measuring Impact (00:15:08)
9. The Realities Of Athlete Activism (00:16:21)
10. The Big Human Rights Agenda In Sport (00:19:26)
11. Accountability: Leaders, Sponsors, Fans (00:22:05)
12. Culture Change Over One-Off Fixes (00:25:07)
13. Traits Of Organizations That Progress (00:27:01)
14. Backlash, Boycotts, And Allyship (00:31:14)
15. Caring For Advocates And Trauma-Informed Work (00:36:02)
16. Turning Anger Into Constructive Action (00:40:33)
17. The Inflection Point And Next Decade (00:44:58)
18. Why Autonomous Movements Matter (00:48:15)
245 episodes