Michal Glowacki’s Post

Gender equality in sports is not only about fairness but also about integrity and giving equal opportunities to the other half of humanity…. It is essential for the growth of sports.

Working and writing about women and cycling is both a passion and a responsibility. Cycling has long been a male-dominated sport, but women have always been a vital part of its history. Today, more than ever, women cyclists are breaking barriers, pushing limits, and creating space for others to join. As a writer, capturing these stories feels like a way to give voice to a community that is often underrepresented, whether it’s highlighting professional athletes, advocating for safer urban cycling spaces, or celebrating women who cycle for fun or fitness. The world of women’s cycling is incredibly diverse—riders come from all walks of life and ride for different reasons, yet they face common challenges like inequity in sponsorships, media coverage, and race opportunities. Writing about these issues isn’t just about chronicling the sport; it's about pushing for change, ensuring that more women feel encouraged to get on bikes and see themselves reflected in the cycling community. Through stories of triumph, struggle, and advocacy, we can inspire the next generation of female cyclists and help build a future where women are equally represented on and off the bike. 🚴 #tourism #journalism #cycling #cycletourism

In 2017, my wife, then Australia's highest-ranked and most successful female cyclist, challenged a team selection decision made by the governing body of cycling in Australia. The appeal, widely covered in the national media, highlighted clear elements of gender discrimination in the selection. Despite being ranked #3 in the world, the selectors did not field a full women's team, severely undermining their chances of success. They had selected for the lower ranked men a full compliment of riders. Chloe was successful in her appeal and the selectors were instructed to revise their decision. Ultimately selecting a full team of women. The women went on to win silver at the World Championship, while the men took bronze. Fast forward to 2024, and AusCycling is again disadvantaging our female cyclists. For the upcoming Junior World Championships, they have chosen to send no junior women as part of the ARA Australian Cycling Team, despite selecting three men. This decision is particularly egregious given that the event is funded by the athletes' families, not by AusCycling. There were qualified junior women who expressed interest, demonstrated their capability at selection events, and met the defined requirements to be selected, yet they have been denied the opportunity to compete on the international stage. It is indefensible that AusCycling would not provide junior women the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Gender equality in sports is not just a matter of fairness; it is essential for the growth and integrity of the sport. It will possibly be lost in the wash of Olympic selections and appeals, but this is yet another chapter in Australian cycling's history of discriminating against women and denying them access to opportunities they rightly deserve. You can find a link to the article in the comments below. It is worth addressing the comment made at the bottom of the press release which states, "Following considered review, no junior women were endorsed by the AusCycling National Selection Panel. An alternative international race experience has been offered to assist their development pathway towards selection in 2025." This is in line with the same development opportunity provided to the U19 men earlier this year, which no women were invited to participate in, that provided the international experience referenced being possessed by the junior men that were selected. ARA Group Edward Federman Simon Jones Alison McCormack Allison McCann Marne Fechner Craig Bingham GWM Australia & New Zealand Steve Maciver Kieran Pender Stephen Drill Katherine Bates OLY Gus McCubbing Rik Fulcher Jesse Korf Anika Wells Bridie O'Donnell Gracie Elvin OLY Jessica Allen Chloe Hosking OLY Kate Palmer

Having gone through a similar theme, the following advice is so important....

There is still a huge diversity gap in cycling. In the UK women are 12% less likely to commute by bike than men. This is only an estimation based on Strava statistics and could actually be much lower. Also, women make up 49% of the UK's workforce but within the cycling industry, only make up just 8% of workshop-based roles, and 19% of customer-facing roles, are occupied by women. So as a women in the cycling industry, we are definitely a minority. We need to keep being visible and present and i try to inspire other women to get involved in the cycling industry where possible. If you are a woman looking to get into the cycling industry, you can r

I've been reflecting this International Women's Day about how unusual Cycle Sprog is in the cycling industry. Our core team is myself, Saskia Heijltjes Mildred Locke and Emily Wormald. However, we are NOT a female cycling brand. Our audience is parents and grandparents who want to pass on the joy of cycling to the next generation. We also have a male co-founder and a number of amazing men contributing to our business. But what does having powerful female voices at the heart of our business mean? Well, Google tells us that our audience in 2023 was 54% male and 46% female. This is is a stat I'm very proud of as parenting websites in general tend to be female focused, and cycling websites and magazines usually reach a predominantly male audience. I strongly believe that Cycle Sprog has managed to hit that sweet spot by having a diverse range of voices sharing their experiences and knowledge. We use imagery and wording that makes women feel that family cycling is something they can do, and that kids bikes, cargo bikes and family cycling equipment is something they can understand and care about. I've heard people in the cycling industry saying they only get suitably qualified men applying for roles they advertise, so if you're keen to improve diversity in your workforce I really recommend using the Bicycle Association's Guide to Inclusive Recruitment when you write your next job advertisement. Perhaps it may just help reach new customer groups - something the cycling industry desperately needs at the moment. https://lnkd.in/e5art_HS #cycling #iwd2024 #femalefounders #parenting #internationalwomensday

Thanks to Cycling Industry News and Danielle Reiff-Jongerius for giving Karla Sommer of VELOKIN and me the opportunity to shed light on the topic of diversity and equality in the Cycling Industry from our personal perspective. It is in the nature of my work to be active in the background. Our customers' messages are relevant, not our own opinions. But on some issues we are obliged to come to the fore and speak up — on behalf of all those who don't have the opportunity to do so but are confronted with similar circumstances. Disclaimer: There is a possibility that some people may feel provoked or find the content polarizing. If so, why do you feel that way? Opinions are never 100% objective, just like the experience and knowledge on which they are formed and based. But it is certainly not the aim to spare the feelings of those who are responsible for the experiences described, or to gloss over things that are not nice. At the same time, it is a great privilege to be able to work with customers and partners for whom these topics are no longer an issue, because respect is something that goes without saying. We look forward to a lively discussion. #cyclingindustry #equality #diversity #opinion #womenincycling

Some important messages here - if you couldn't make the webinar there is a good summary article attached.

If you have any interest in women's sports, I invite you to learn more about ultra running. The world of ultra running is small but growing. I'm not an ultra runner (by any means!) but I follow the stories of races. Why? Lots of reasons. The race locations are often jaw droppingly beautiful. The resolve and dedication of the runners is awe inspiring. And the growing success of women - who compete directly with men - is inspiring and growing. Spend a few minutes reading about recent races and records and you'll see women's names everywhere. They're setting records. Finishing races that are practically impossible, even for men. And they keep getting better. It's a sport where even the experts are unsure where the upper limits are. They don't know how far, fast, or hard people can go yet. And they aren't sure if women or men are better at it because the women are showing up in bigger numbers, setting faster and further records, and winning more races. These races are not just long. They're harrowing. They cover incredibly challenging and technical terrain. They require navigation skills. They're in the dark, in the rain, in the snow, and in the sun. Often all in the same race. It's not enough to be fast. It's not enough to be strong. It's not enough to be well supported. It requires almost an incalculable dedication to the sport and yourself to achieve success. And apparently it's absolutely addictive. I'll close out by sharing to articles that I think anyone with any interest in emerging sports or women's sports should read. These articles left me inspired enough to say, I have to share this. I have to tell people what this amazing sport and incredible athletes are doing. First article is about the first women to ever finish the Barkley Marathon. If you're not familiar with Barkley, it's worth your time to read about it and watch the documentary. https://lnkd.in/g9iBhDNy And if you want to know more about just a few of the women lighting the sport on fire, check out this article. It will blow your mind what these women are achieving. https://lnkd.in/gV2JKTeZ #womenssports #ultrarunning #barkelymarathon #dedication #women

Today marks one year since the launch of our Diversity in the Cycling Industry report. This was just the start of a comprehensive programme of activities and outputs during 2023 that now provide a comprehensive toolkit for our sector. Following the publication of the now widely-cited report we have: 🖊 Inspired over 60 members and Investors in Cycling to sign the Diversity pledge. 📝 Engaged 1,123 individuals working in the industry to produce a powerful perception report. 🤝 Collaborated with Women in Transport and WORK180 to launch a cross-sectoral Employers Equity Audit. 💻 Delivered a downloadable and editable 10-step DEI plan for businesses, big or small. 💷 Delivered 16 downloadable guides and templates to help you unlock the value of Diversity in your business.  📚 Compiled a comprehensive library of reports and a hub of information covering mentoring, networking, and mutual support. ✅ Established an experienced and powerful Diversity Advisory Board to track progress to clearly defined industry goals. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eDnY-SYW