'Girls are powerful. We're competitive, we're strong'

Presenter Sam Quek tells us about using her experiences as an Olympian to level the playing field for young women

- JANINE YAQOOB

Sam Quek is a powerhouse. She made history winning an Olympic gold medal for hockey before becoming a telly favourite when she took part in I'm A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing.

An inspiration to young girls and women throughout the country, Sam has paved the way for the next generation of strong, determined females with her sporting success and go-getting attitude.

However, the mum-of-two says her work isn’t done yet as she continues to fight for girls in sport so they can have the same opportunities men have.

“As a woman, you have to prove yourself,” says Sam. “You have to prove that you are good enough or that you do have just as much skill as a man.

“I’ve found that a lot in broadcasting, especially in football. Gabby Logan and Clare Balding have spoken about it in the past that, as a woman, you feel like you have to prove your worth going into a job.”

The Liverpool-born athlete has been fighting for equality in sport since she was a youngster. She took up hockey at high school and excelled as a defender. She then went on to represent England and Great Britain and, in 2016, she was part of the first Team GB squad to win the women’s hockey gold medal in the Olympics.

But Sam says she’s had to fight her way to the top because of her gender. She believes women are treated differently to men across all sports — and she’s says it’s time for change.

“As a woman you feel like you just can’t win,” she sighs. “Boys would either tackle you too hard because they didn’t want a girl to get past them, or they wouldn’t tackle a girl at all because they didn’t want to hurt a girl. That was when I was 10 years old. I’m 36 now, and it does still exist.”

While she says things are improving, Sam feels there is still a lot of work to be done.