beIN SPORTS launches the beINSPIRED podcast and unveils incredible journeys of elite female athletes
In this six-part podcast series, host Carrie Brown will be in conversation with the world’s most inspiring female athletes ranging across a variety of sports
beIN SPORTS has announced the launch of a standout new beINSPIRED podcast which celebrates trailblazing female athletes, all of whom have paved the way for present and future female athletes to keep breaking barriers.
Hosted by beIN SPORTS Senior Correspondent and Football Writers’ Association Chair Carrie Brown, the beINSPIRED podcast delves into the inspiring stories of female athletes from across the world, such as Paris Saint-Germain’s Nadia Nadim; Chelsea FC captain and Olympic silver-medallist Magdalena Eriksson; and Olympic tennis gold medallist Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who address the various challenges they have encountered throughout their successful careers, while giving tips to listeners on how they have achieved exceptional sporting results against adversity.
With most live sport currently on pause, beIN SPORTS is delighted to launch this global podcast series exclusively showcasing female athletes, which is accessible anywhere in the world on all major podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic). The six-part podcast series will include inspiring interviews with Magdalena Eriksson, Pernille Harder, Lianne Sanderson, Danielle Carter, Nadia Nadim, Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Follow the conversation on social media with the #beINSPIRED20 hashtag.
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3djggGn
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/2YBGQ9C
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/35xgY0a
Anchor: https://bit.ly/2YBHROY
beIN MEDIA GROUP, the global sports and entertainment group, believes in the power and responsibility of broadcasters to inspire the next generation of athletes and fans – regardless of gender, race or background – to find new heroes and participate in sport. beIN’s beINSPIRED project does this by giving a global platform to events and talent that haven’t, historically, been given the exposure they deserve. This includes showcasing inspiring on-air talent, developing business partnerships, and creating visual content; all aimed at telling the most inspiring stories sport – all sport – has to offer.
Episode 1 – beINSPIRED podcast with Nadia Nadim – released today
In the first episode of the beINSPIRED podcast, Paris Saint-Germain’s star striker Nadia Nadim shares with host Carrie Brown her journey from Afghanistan to Denmark, where she witnessed for the first time young girls playing football just metres away from the refugee camp where Nadia’s family settled after arriving in the country. It was from this refugee camp that Nadia was inspired to make a career out of a sport that she was forbidden from playing in Afghanistan.
On discovering football and seeing girls play on a field near the refugee camp in Denmark, Nadim said:
- “Beside this refugee camp, there was this amazing football club with (…) everything you ever wanted. What separated this football and the refugee camp was (…) a mini forest with fences. We would stand behind the fences and watch the other kids play.”
- “That’s the first time I saw a girl play football, or a girls team, and I was like “Wow, that looks amazing. I want to do that. I need to do that.” And that’s when my obsession kind of started.”
In this episode, Nadim also reveals her thoughts on playing for Portland Thorns FC, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as her proudest moments while representing Denmark in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 Final. A trained doctor, Nadia also discusses her commitment to help and inspire others, whether through volunteer work, or as a UNESCO ambassador. Finally Nadia also shares her thoughts on the future of the women’s game in light of the ongoing global health crisis.
On being a part of the beINSPIRED project:
- “The reason I said yes was because I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to reach out to young girls in areas where they do not play football or play sports, to show them that (…) there are women who do this kind of stuff, and you can also do that.”
- “It’s amazing to see that in Europe and the US, we’re fighting for equality or equal-pay, but there are a lot of areas where girls are not even allowed to play the game, or even allowed to watch it.”
- “For me, to show that there’s nothing harmful by playing football, and maybe educating some people, it was a great opportunity.”
On the women’s game during the coronavirus crisis:
- “I don’t think [the women’s game] is going to fall down. The women’s game has developed hugely in the last decade, and now, we are slowly getting there. People are seeing that there are huge investment opportunities. I don’t think it’s in danger in that way, but it is going to obviously affect a lot of teams, a lot of the leagues, especially the minor leagues, and I hope that FIFA is trying to help them.”
- “A little setback is okay, just make sure that it is not going to be a devastating one.”
Commenting on the launch of the beINSPIRED podcast, Carrie Brown, Senior Correspondent at beIN SPORTS and Chair of the Football Writers’ Association, said, “I am proud and delighted to launch the beINSPIRED podcast, and over the next six weeks I’ll be sharing the amazing stories of six inspiring and world-beating athletes who have turned adversity into opportunity. The podcast series reveals the key figures and moments that have helped propel our beINSPIRED guests from aspiring athletes into the world’s elite. By sharing their journeys, we hope to shed light on narratives that have too often been ignored, and to continue our commitment to provide a platform to incredible role models across all sports.”
Andrea Ekblad, Partnerships and Lead on beINSPIRED at beIN MEDIA GROUP, who also produces the show, said, “Following the success of beINSPIRED across all our platforms last summer, we’re determined to continue our key mission of giving visibility to female athletes’ formidable stories. The talented heroes selected for Season One of our podcast series provide unique voices to inspire all generation.”