In our first recap of the 2025 Female Athlete Conference, we explored the persistent gaps in female-focused sport science and how bold new initiatives, like the Women’s Health, Sport & Performance Institute, are working to change that. (ICYMI: Read part 1 here).
As the conference continued, one message rose to the surface again and again: supporting performance isn’t just about training harder or fueling better—it’s about caring for the whole athlete. Mind and body. Physiology and identity. Recovery and resilience. Here’s part 2 of our recap👇🏻
🤝 The Power of Community
One of the most energizing parts of the conference wasn’t just the content, it was the company. Researchers, clinicians, coaches, and athletes all gathered around a shared purpose: to better support female athlete health and performance.
Being in a space where every conversation–from scientific presentations to hallway chats–centered the whole athlete was powerful. It reminded me that real progress happens when we learn from each other, challenge assumptions, and build forward together.
It’s not just about advancing science. It’s about advancing care, community, and connection. I left feeling inspired, grounded, and more committed than ever to what’s next.
🧠 Mental Health, Trauma & Identity: The Invisible Load
In a presentation on psychological safety and resilience, a startling statistic was shared: nearly 1 in 5 (Australian) athletes have experienced trauma–a significantly higher incidence than in the general population. An important stat that reframes the importance of trauma-informed, psychologically safe coaching environments.
Identity shifts related to returning to sport post-pregnancy, or transitioning out of sport altogether, are real and too often unsupported. There’s an urgent opportunity for coaches and practitioners to meet athletes with the right resources, support, and community.
A recurring theme, echoed by athletes and a panel of women’s sports writers: the mental game and the performance game aren’t separate. What fuels performance might actually hinder mental health if we fail to integrate the two.
🎯 The Athlete Belongs at the Center
One visual said it all: a multidisciplinary care model with the athlete not just surrounded by support but placed directly at the center.
From sports psych to nutrition to coaching to medical care, collaboration isn’t optional–it’s essential. The best examples (like the Women’s Tennis Association model) are already showing what’s possible when athlete care is fully integrated. And a powerful case study demonstrated how to identify and comprehensively partner across discliplines to support an athlete struggling with multiple factors impacting her health and wellbeing.
🤰 Pregnancy Isn’t the End–It’s a New Chapter
Another powerful stat: reducing training by more than 50% during pregnancy doubles the risk of postpartum injury. Translation? Staying in sport during pregnancy—safely and with support—isn’t just okay. It’s smart.
Emerging evidence supports that exercise during pregnancy can be safe and clinically meaningful for athletes, but it’s worth noting: current guidelines are not based on elite athletic populations and what’s there may be rooted in assumptions and not research.
The takeaway? There’s a clear need for more data–and for practitioners to evaluate athletes as individuals, not by outdated generalizations.
Conversations around returning to sport after childbirth are finally happening more openly–and that’s critical, because they’re often accompanied by mental health and identity challenges that deserve more attention and support.
🎾 The WTA is Setting the Bar
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) panel stood out for their leadership and innovation in athlete care:
- First-ever maternity benefits for self-employed athletes
- Evolving from sport-specific to women’s health-specific physicals
- Adopting and customizing the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport risk assessment tool (REDs CAT2) to reflect the demands of a weight-bearing sport
A panel from USA Gymnastics also shared their work to change the culture of sport by focusing on the needs and voices of the athletes.
🧠 Coaching Culture Matters
Dr. Deena Casiero, the NCAA’s first female Chief Medical Officer, shared powerful data that underscored coaching’s evolving role in athlete wellbeing:
- Female athletes express significantly more concern about body image and mental health than male athletes
- Nutrition education was rated highly by both groups
- Body image issues aren’t limited to aesthetic sports i.e. softball ranked highly along with gymnastics
- Social media’s influence on athlete body image and mental health is significant and still under-addressed
She also shared a valuable resource hub: NCAA Research
📚 Wisdom from the Writers
A panel of women authors who’ve chronicled women’s sport dropped several truth bombs in an inspiring conversation:
“What fuels performance could actually be impeding mental health.”
“Nothing happens in isolation. Collaboration is essential.”
“As women, we don’t have boundaries on what we can and cannot do.”
🧭 More to Come
There’s still more to unpack. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be reviewing recorded sessions I couldn’t attend live, including new findings on REDs, energy availability, iron status, bone health, wearables, and endurance performance. Look for an additional recap soon — because this conversation, and the work (to improve female athlete health and performance) is not finished.
