4 hours ago 1

Does playing sports lead to success for women? New podcast from 'L Word' star says yes

A new podcast is shining a spotlight on the connection between women playing sports and finding success later in life.

Hosted by former Irish field hockey pro Nikki Symmons and Rachel Shelley of The L Word fame, the 94% plans to explore how participation in sports from an early age helps prepare women for leadership roles across various industries.

The podcast gets its name from a surprising statistic claiming that 94% of women holding C-suite executive roles have a background in sports, with more than half competing at university level. Through conversations with guests excelling in various fields including business and entertainment, Symmons and Shelley aim to show how joining a sports team at an early age can help girls develop the skills and confidence to become successful women in their chosen fields later in life.

"Our aim: to inspire women to start or keep playing sport — by revealing the astounding personal benefits and pivotal experiences sport can generate, beyond the physical," they said in a statement promoting the podcast. "Whatever your age, however you identify, women should never settle for less."

Symmons has forged a career for herself in corporate communications and DEI advisory after more than a decade playing and coaching field hockey. In 2014, she became the first female athlete from Ireland to speak to the media about being gay, shortly before Ireland legalized marriage equality.

Shelley is best known from her time spent as Helena Peabody on The L Word, although she’s spent recent years diving headfirst into the world of podcasting, with an emphasis on creating content for the LGBTQ+ community.

It’s fitting, then, that the first guest on the 94% is fellow L Word alum Jennifer Beals, who played basketball and field hockey growing up and has taken up pickleball as an adult.