Initiative is searching for the newest female voice to join the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships live stream commentary team
Women in World Athletics (WIWA), an initiative launched by UK Athletics in 2013, has launched a competition searching for the newest female voice to join the official live stream commentary team at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships next February (9-10).
This opportunity links to the annual WIWA conference, which has grown as a project over the last six years with the ambition of bringing together women from across the world of the sport. It is an off-shoot project from the wider initiative, to increase the involvement of women in athletics at all levels and in all functions and roles.
WIWA is inviting women who are looking to develop a career in sports media to send in their commentary over the top of one key moment from the 2018 SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships series. A choice of seven options can be found and downloaded via this link.
Entrants have until 22:00 on January 18, 2019, to submit commentary pieces via this Dropbox folder, with a shortlist then being decided by an expert judging panel of WIWA founder Cherry Alexander, former British international marathoner turned British Athletics regular in-stadium lead commentator Geoff Wightman and former British 100m star and 2008 Olympic finalist Jeanette Kwakye, before a winner is announced at the beginning of February.
Alongside the experienced commentary team and guests from the athletics world, the winner will have the opportunity to get behind the mic and commentate on performances as athletes battle for British titles and places at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow a few weeks later.
Later in the summer, they will also be invited to a special sports media session as part of the 7th WIWA conference.
“This is an incredible opportunity and I am delighted WIWA and British Athletics will be supporting this project alongside Women in Sport,” said Alexander. “Never before has the idea of gender equity and equality been so high up the agenda in every walk of life, but we still need more female voices to be reflected in the coverage of our sport.
“I look forward to listening to all the talented entries and finding our leading female voice for the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships next year.”
Now an established sports broadcaster herself following retirement from the sport of athletics in 2012, Kwakye added her thoughts on the initiative: “This is a great competition – which will provide an opportunity for someone to really show off their skills.
“I am excited to judge the entries and will be looking for great knowledge, passion and energy coming through the microphone. Athletics is a sport that people love to feel part of, and having a great commentator helps.
“More female voices are definitely what we need in this space and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Further questions related to the competition can be submitted to [email protected]