“It was absolutely insane; I put in so much work!”
The moment Kate O’Connor won a world silver medal in heptathlon meant everything to her after all her hard work and training.
“Wow. What a cool place that my sport has taken me!” Effie O’Neill on whitewater kayaking in the Durance Gorge of the French Alps.
“When I signed my first professional contract, I got to see all that hard work pay off.”
The American-born Cleveland Rocket’s star Alyssa Jimenez on her basketball journey that led her to Belfast.
“You should always turn up and feel that you belong, and that you should be there.”
Paula Wallace shared what it meant to participate in the Masters Cross-Country Internationals and put on a Northern Ireland vest.
Women and girls across Northern Ireland are sharing their proudest sporting moments as part of Sport NI’s Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong campaign which focuses on levelling the playing field and ensuring women and girls have the same opportunities as men and boys to take part in sport and physical activity.
“It made me happy and made me feel proud of myself” shared Ruby, who is a member of Newhill FC Girls U8 team. Scoring her first ever goal on her debut for the U10’s made her feel amazing, and that moment inspired her to work hard and claim her place in sport.
Since launching, women and girls across more than 15 different sports have shared their stories, highlighting those moments that are not just defined by medals, but the journey that sport takes them on and the memories, friendships and progress made along the way.
Former Northern Ireland international Marissa Callaghan spoke of how scoring against Ukraine and qualifying for the Euros had an impact on girls across the country.
“The impact that us qualifying had on our wee country was immense, and so many young girls wanted to get involved in sport from then.”
From elite athletes and coaches to volunteers and young girls at the beginning of their sporting journeys, the campaign showcases the power of sport and the incredible sporting female talent across NI.
By sharing these stories, Sport NI aims to increase the visibility of women and girls in sport, challenge perceptions and reinforce that sport is a space where every woman and girl can Be Seen, Be Heard and Belong.
This International Women’s Day Sport NI is encouraging women and girls of all ages and abilities to share their proudest sporting moments. To get involved, share your proudest sporting moment on social media using #ProudestSportingMoment and #BeSeenBeHeardBelong
About Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong
The Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong campaign focuses on levelling the playing field and ensuring women and girls have the same opportunities as men and boys to take part in sport and physical activity.
Proudest Sporting Moment initiative is a digital campaign designed to flood social media with positive stories of women and girls in sport; empowering women of all ages and abilities to reflect on and share the sporting moments that mean the most to them.
You can find out more about the campaign and watch the Proudest Sporting Moment videos on our YouTube channel:
Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong – YouTube