National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2025

Although National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is a movement founded in the United States, its message resonates far beyond borders. This annual celebration highlights the achievements of women in sport, honors the ongoing fight for gender equity, and recognizes the power of sports to unlock confidence, strength, and limitless potential in girls and women everywhere.

Since its inception in 1987, NGWSD has grown into a vibrant movement, inspiring athletes, coaches, and advocates worldwide. It shines a spotlight on the vital role sports play in empowering women to lead, break barriers, and thrive both in and out of sport.

In 2025, we’re celebrating the 39th annual NGWSD, a day that honors not just the champions and record-breakers, but also the grassroots efforts of communities, schools, and organizations that ensure sports are accessible for all girls and women.

We’re proud to amplify the voices of women athletes, and celebrate the boundless opportunities that sports create. Together, let’s keep working to inspire the next generation of athletes.

Why do sports matter? Hear directly from some of The Boat Race athletes who inspire us to dream big and break boundaries.

JL Racing: What does being a woman in sport mean to you?

Carys: It's a really empowering place to be. You get to be alongside a lot of incredible women from all walks of life, with all kinds of experience, all working together to the same goal. It also means you make incredible friends. They're lifelong friends you have all the way through the sport and beyond. Getting to do what you love every single day with an amazing group of women is really incredible.

JL Racing: As a female athlete, have you faced any unique challenges and how have you overcome them?

Polly: Well, I've got a younger brother who also rows, and so I think that with that, it's been particularly obvious the differences between him and me and the kind of support that we've received. [There are] a lot more kind of boys or men around who are encouraged to do sport. I was the only girl within about three age categories for most of my time in the junior, so I was just out in a single and didn't get much attention. You just have to go through it and get to a point where you're surrounded by lots of amazing women like I am now.

JL Racing: How do you feel about being a female athlete and role model for girls entering sports?

Sian: I think it's really exciting and is a privilege. It's not really something I thought I would be when I was younger myself. I was never huge on sports. I liked to play sports at school, but just with my friends. I never really thought about doing things more seriously. But now that I'm here, it's really, really exciting, and if I think about my younger self, maybe looking at where I am now, I would feel really proud.

JL Racing: What advice do you have for young girls interested in going into rowing?

Beanie: I think definitely just give it a go. Find a team that you love and people that support you and can help you grow and just enjoy the process. Think long term, build the foundation now, and then you can develop through it. Don't give up when it gets hard. It will be hard, but it's so fun and it's so worth it.

JL Racing: Are there any role models who have inspired your sporting career?

Tara: I would say all the other women who have been rowing in The Boat Race at the Oxford Boat Club before me, watching those races, growing up, seeing how strong and gritty they are, have really motivated my training journey.

JL Racing: In what ways has participating in sports empowered you as an individual?

Jessica: I think participating in sports really helps you build confidence and makes you do things that you didn't think you would be able to; which then you can take into other experiences in your life where you first don't think you can do that, but then it turns out you will be able to do it.