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Interview with Lilly Pinchin – 25 Year Old Rising Jockey Super Star — WE ARE GIRLS IN SPORT

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Interview with Lilly Pinchin – 25 Year Old Rising Jockey Super Star — WE ARE GIRLS IN SPORT

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6. How did you keep yourself occupied and motivate yourself during your serious injury in April 2021?

I was off for six months, I don’t know what I would have done without all my animals and chickens, they kept me busy, I even hatched some turkeys. I also did an online midwifery course; I am not fully qualified, but it is something that I am really interested in and a career I would love to explore when I stop racing.

7. Pros and cons of horse racing? 

Winners are great, but not winning can be very disappointing. It is also risky, and injuries do happen which can set you back for a while. Sometimes it can be hard work and my schedule is busy, but I enjoy keeping busy and active.

8. What does racing give you, mentally and physically? And what fitness and what qualities do you need specifically?

I love the adrenaline buzz when you ride a winner, there really is no feeling like it. It is also mentally stimulating because you are so busy and always on the move. Being a jockey is a way of life, you have to keep fit and keep your head straight to be the best you can be. My fitness consists of a lot of running and riding out (exercising the horses), and race riding also keeps you very fit too. It is important to be doing one or the other, so if I am not racing, I am running or in the gym. I go to the gym as much as possible at one of the Injured Jockey Fund centers which is a gym for jockeys, but I work this around my racing schedule. You definitely need to have dedication as racing can be up to seven days a week, so you need your body to be at peak fitness all the time.

9. To anyone thinking about it, or curious, why give horse racing a go?

Racing is an amazing sport, and it is very pleasing, you have some really good days. You honestly don’t feel like you are working, you get up in the morning to do a job you love.

10. A day in the life?

I wake up 5:30am, and I am out the door at 6am, I ride out at racing yard (where horses are cared for and trained) and go racing from there. I will leave the racing yard mid-morning to drive the racecourse. Depending on how many rides I have and where I am, I’m usually home by 5pm.

11. You’ve spoken up about the disadvantage some female jockeys may find, not having separate changing rooms was a factor to begin with. Can you explain this a little more for us?

Racing is a unique sport as men and women compete against each other on a level playing field and in recent years there has been more success stories of women riders. In the sport they have improved the changing facilities for women, this was necessary as it is now a growing sport for women. Hopefully improved facilities can bring out the best in us female riders. Some of the changes aren’t quite adaptable yet, but the sport is always working to make it all fair.

12. Best career moment to date and why?

Riding out my claim (75 winners) in November last year and riding my Cheltenham winners. Riding out my claim has been a goal of mine for a long time, so I was really happy to achieve this. Cheltenham is also my local track, so not only is it an amazing achievement to win there, but it holds personal value too.

Lilly Pinchin will be riding during one of Britian’s Premier Raceday fixtures, The Cheltenham Festival (12-15 March) . To find out more visit www.greatbritishracing.com/premier-racedays/

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Where to Watch Katie Ledecky

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The US Olympic Swimming Trials begin this weekend, running from June 15th through June 23rd in Indianapolis, with Katie Ledecky eyeing her fourth-straight Summer Games.

While traditionally held in Omaha, Indiana’s Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, has been fitted with a 50-meter pool to host the meet that will determine the 2024 Paris Olympics roster.

All eyes will be on seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, who will be competing in the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1500-meter freestyle — all events in which she’s been an Olympic champion. 

Rival Ariarne Titmus had her trials last week, breaking the world record in the 200-meter freestyle. Ledecky’s 200 is intended to qualify her for the Olympic relay. Meanwhile stateside, Katie Grimes stands to be a challenger in the 1500-meter freestyle has already qualified for the Paris Olympics in the 10km open water event.

Other competitors of note include 47-year-old Gabrielle Rose, who stands to become the oldest US Swimming Olympic qualifier in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke.

Additionally, Kate Douglass — an NCAA and World Champion — is a favorite to make her first Olympic team in the 200-meter IM and 200-meter breaststroke. Simone Manuel, an Olympic champion in the 100-meter freestyle, is also looking to make her third-straight Olympics.

Where to watch: The Trials will be streaming all week on Peacock, with later qualifying heats airing live on USA Network and event finals airing in primetime on NBC.



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March Madness – NCAA college basketball tournament is round again. — WE ARE GIRLS IN SPORT

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March Madness has begun which might seem strange given we’re closer to the end of the third month of the year than the beginning but what I’m referring to is USA’s NCAA college basketball tournament.

It’s such an exciting tournament. There are upsets, stars emerge, the talented wow you and it draws crowds. Women’s college basketball is arguably more popular than men’s. Read that again. Isn’t that cool?

If you’re still a little unsure, then rest assured that I was last year too. I was lucky enough to have been to see the pro men play – we follow the Sacramento Kings – and had even witnessed the great LA Lakers star Lebron James in action. But as a European, I didn’t know what was going on in this ‘March Madness’ malarky: there was talk of ‘brackets’ and upsets, and a few women’s names kept cropping up. They’re pretty famous over here now so more on them later. But for those of you not familiar with this tournament, let me explain.

March Madness Explainer

NCAA stands for National College Athletic Association and so the tournament is for college or university teams. Don’t forget that college sports are HUGE in the US – they’re regularly televised and they’re the major way into professional sport.

The tournament is like any other; it’s not complicated. It’s a knock-out tournament so every game is important. As it’s not a group or pool-based competition like, say the football/soccer World Cup, upsets are all the more exciting (or devastating, depending on your POV).

However, basketball fans are whipped into a frenzy by the talk of brackets and ‘picking your bracket’. Brackets are talked about by commentators, on sports shows and even used in advertising campaigns. Last year I thought this was some special jargon, but it just means your predictions of who’s going to win each game, leading to your prediction of who’s going to win overall. There’s an app where you can pick your winners and losers and track how your bracket is progressing.

Whilst many women have brought the game to this stage over the years, there are a few who really are the shooting stars.

Players to watch

If you know your stuff then you’ll likely pick Iowa, LSU and USC to win their games and here’s why.

Caitlin Clark – University of Iowa

In 2024, there is added excitement around the women’s March Madness because of Caitlin Clark – I mean, I could write a whole blog on her but let’s just cover the basics. They’re impressive.

Caitlin Clark is a senior at Iowa State University and a record breaker with their Hawkeyes team. Aged 22, she has broken the record of points scored by both men and women in NCAA basketball. She is fiercely competitive, growing up playing with first her brothers and then on a boys’ team, achieving MVP (most valued player) on said team. She sells out stadia. She is a role model to young girls. She has advertising contracts with brands like Nike and Gatorade. A photo of her for this blog was super expensive. She is a scoring machine and fun to watch.

There’s more on Clark here in this great podcast.

Angel Reese – Louisiana State University

Angel Reese is one to watch at LSU, especially as they won the tournament in 2023, beating Caitlin Clark’s team in the final. Angel was voted MOP – most outstanding player – of the final tour but she wasn’t without some controversy.

Angel and Caitlin took part in ‘trash talk’ on court with some ‘taunting’ hand gestures so much so that it was widely covered in the media. Angel received more criticism than Caitlin for this behaviour which led to accusations of racism. She is a fierce competitor, cheered on by LSU’s larger-than-life coach Kim Mulkey.

Kamilla Cardoso – University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina boasts Brazilian Kamilla Cardoso, although sadly not in the first game. Due to an ejection in her last game for fighting, she will have to wait before stepping onto the court with her teammate Gamecocks.

Cardoso is 6ft 7 and highly regarded, playing internationally for Brazil as well as being in demand amongst colleges in the US. Her coach at USC is legendary US Olympic basketball athlete Dawn Staley who has just been named National Coach of the Year by USBWA, was pictured with vice-president Kamala Harris and famously wears a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘People Watch Women’s Sports’ . It’s no wonder that this team has gone undefeated and is one to watch during March Madness.

These three players are amazing role models – let’s hope we see them make it into the professional arena in the WNBA.

How to watch it

If you don’t live in the US then you can stream it on YouTube or catch up there if time zones don’t work for you.

Get involved and share with us who you want to win!

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Celebrating fathers and father figures in sports

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🚙 The importance of dads in sports

Whether he’s organizing the carpool, coaching from the sidelines, or playing catch in the backyard, dads and father figures have a huge role in molding their child’s relationship with sports.

  • And from a father-daughter perspective, playing sports together is proven to help young girls develop a healthy sense of competition while teaching them to take risks.

Finally, the number one influence on a child’s sports fandom is their dad’s allegiance to a team…unless you’re this brave little NY Yankees fan in a Boston Red Sox home.

⭐ The #GirlDad effect

Source: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Following the tragic death of retired LA Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, one integral part of his off-court legacy started a global movement: celebrating Girl Dads.

Bryant had a special bond with 13-year-old Gianna, who was killed in a helicopter crash, alongside her father and seven other people, including two of her basketball teammates. Gigi, as she was known, dreamed of playing in the WNBA and becoming a professional baller like her number one supporter: her dad.

👊 Dads fighting for an equitable future

Source: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix

The legendary Dwyane Wade may be retired, but he recently moved from Florida to California in part because he felt his family, including his transgender daughter Zaya, “would not be accepted” in a state rife with anti–LGBTQIA+ legislation.

  • Wade has been a staunch supporter of Zaya since she came out in 2020 and is a proud advocate for the trans community, saying at last year’s Met Gala, “Let’s make sure our kids have an opportunity to live this life that we all get to live.”
  • The Wades also recently launched Translatable, a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth to express themselves, and a resource hub for their parents, families, and support systems. Talk about a role model.

There’s something special about gifts from your parents, but women’s sports investor (and Serena Williams’ husband) Alexis Ohanian might take the cake. After becoming a lead investor in the NWSL’s Angel City FC in 2020, he and Williams gave their daughter, Olympia, a piece of the pie, making the then-two-year-old the youngest co-owner of a professional sports team.

✨ A special message

The team at The GIST is filled with sports-obsessed women and nonbinary folk who were either athletes themselves or simply sports-curious. For the final two sections, here’s a sweet surprise for the GIST fathers and father figures in our lives. Prep the tissues.

“I grew on a cul-de-sac, the same one that my dad did, and some of my earliest memories are “playing hoola hoop” with him. He taught me how to toss and backspin the hoop so we could throw it to one another. It was cool and something that no other kids knew how to do, so I’d show off this “cool thing my Dad taught me” at recess. — Alessandra Puccio

“Growing up in an uber Latin family meant soccer was as present and important in our household as music is to most. I’m lucky that my dad would take the time to explain the who, what, and why during games. I’ll always remember the 2002 World Cup when he would wake me up so we could watch live in the middle of the night. It was the first time I really cared about sports and a big part of that was knowing it was special to him and he was sharing it with me.” — Rachel Fuenzalida



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