HCM PEOPLE

HCM people When women train on half-truths and crap science it’s painfully limiting

Dr Emma Ross, Baz Moffat & Dr Bella Smith Founders, The Well

Tell us about The Well We help active women and those who support them gain knowledge and know-how so they can thrive in health, in sport and in life. Even today, health data doesn’t adequately represent women. Knowledge is stuck and taboos remain. When women train on half-truths and crap science it’s painfully limiting. The Well is here to change that. This is health and training through the female filter. We’re the three founders and we come from the worlds of academia, sport and medicine. We’re physiologist, Dr Emma Ross, GB rower, Baz Moffat and GP, Dr Bella Smith and we’re able to support women throughout their life stages with an evidencebased approach that is usable in everyday situations. What’s your purpose? We established The Well, because we knew enough to start talking about solutions. We identified three main gaps in this space, the gender data gap (not enough research being carried out exclusively on females), the gender knowledge gap (not enough knowledge about being a female) and the gender communication gap (a lack of confidence on how 14

Issue 4 2021 ©Cybertrek 2021

to start talking about/to females about being female). We knew from our day-to-day work that we could help create a solution to these issues. The three of us wanted to create content and communities that provided girls, women, coaches, teachers and trainers with the knowledge they needed but also the confidence and guidance to use it in an appropriate way. When we put this information in the hands of many, the change will start to happen which is what we want to be a part of.

What are your goals? To educate girls and women and those that support them about being female and give them the confidence to use this knowledge. We’re doing this through our content and also through our work with exerciser providers, National Governing Bodies and the media. What changes are needed in the activity sector to enable women to achieve their potential? We need to start educating everyone about being female, not just those that want to specialise. At the moment there’s nothing in teacher training,