Celebrating Women in Sport: Happy International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day!

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the incredible women in the Cooke & Deaton Table Tennis team. We spoke to Nicola Deaton, Kelly Sibley, Sophie Earley, and Sandra Deaton about their experiences, role models, challenges, and hopes for the future of women in sport.

 

Memorable Moments and Achievements

Nicola, Kelly and Sophie have all had outstanding moments in their careers—defining their experiences that have shaped, and continue to shape, their journeys.

Sophie Earley, a current international player, recalls a particularly emotional moment from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham:
“I won my last 32 match against a really good player from Singapore and I remember coming out to see my family and my brothers came over and were very emotional (I started to cry too haha). It was nice because the majority of my practice growing up was with my brothers so to have them there to see me play at a major competition was really wholesome!”

For Kelly Sibley, securing a bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Danny Reed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was a defining highlight:
“It was especially significant because we had come so close to medalling in the 2010 Games, but fell just short. I remember I was the final match to go on in the bronze medal play off in the team event and I lost 3-2 which meant the team lost 3-2 and we just missed out on the bronze medal. That moment in 2010 was possibly one of the lowest moments in my career so to be able to turn it around 4 years later and finally win a commonwealth medal was such an amazing feeling.”

Nicola Deaton holds her first English Senior National Championship title closest to her heart:
“I wasn’t seeded to win, but as the rounds progressed, I grew stronger and more effective and manged to deliver a winning strategy in the final. The first title is always the hardest to win, but it’s also the most special.”

She also recalls making history at just 13 years old, winning three Commonwealth Senior medals in Nairobi and becoming the youngest ever senior international, a feat recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
With Nairobi, “I remember returning home very tired and compromised with my health from the challenging nature of the trip itself, but at the same time, being ecstatic with my performance- a very proud moment.”

Female Role Models: Who Inspired Them?

Each of these athletes has drawn inspiration from remarkable women inside and outside of sport.

For Sophie Earley, her biggest role model is close to home:
“My biggest female role model in my life, as cliche as it sounds, would definitely be my mum. She’s taught me strong values and morals which I think has helped me become a much more well-rounded individual both in my sporting and academic journey.”

Kelly Sibley was particularly inspired by Dame Kelly Holmes:
“I remember reading her autobiography and she spoke about moving away from home at a young age and that really resonated with me because I also moved away from home at a young age to go and live at the National Training Centre. I then remember watching her win double gold at the 2004 Olympics games in Athens and I just found her really inspiring”

Nicola Deaton found motivation in tennis legend Steffi Graf:
“The way she played, her persona on court, being both very calm but equally very strong technically and mentally, a delight to watch compete-an iconic and brilliant Tennis Champion. Her success and legacy definitely inspired me to want to work hard and achieve in my sport.”
She also spent hours watching Deng Yaping, one of the greatest female table tennis players:

“She was so small in height and so fast around the table. Her style of play resonated with my own style - I was nicknamed the 'Pocket Rocket' in my early years. She was the greatest female Table Tennis player of all time and was brilliant to watch and learn from.

The Future of Women in Table Tennis

While progress has been made, there is still work to be done to support and promote women in sport.

Sophie Earley believes that better media coverage could break down barriers:
“Growing up, I was often the only girl in training sessions, which can be daunting. Maybe the reason why I was the only girl there was because women in table tennis weren’t represented enough at the time so it discourages girls from taking it up. At a young age especially I think you can be drawn into doing what your friends are doing, so if the media coverage were better I think it would give girls much more confidence to try out a sport they like.”

Kelly Sibley calls for equal opportunities and fair recognition:
“I would like to see more equal opportunities for all genders and ages, providing more diversity training and ensuring fair pay and recognition for athletes/coaches of all backgrounds.”

Nicola Deaton emphasizes the need for national initiatives:
“We need more girls being introduced to our sport, inspired by our sport, choosing our sport and hopefully becoming more ambitious to achieve within our sport. National projects, campaigns and initiatives where inspiring ambassadors, players and coaches are used and recruited to help with this aspect in schools and local clubs is vital.”
The more girls and women we can give the opportunity to take up full-time playing careers “would help us compete better on a global level and potentially win medals on a higher stage, in turn, hopefully inspiring more young girls in the sport.”

As former Chairwoman of Table Tennis England, Sandra Deaton played a pivotal role in implementing positive change:
“I was honoured to be the first ever elected female chair of English Table Tennis
For my period of eight years in my time as chair I worked side by side with our female CEO. The Board also had over 50% female representation. We introduced equal prize money for female participation, gender equality representation, developmental programs for women and girls including female only coaching and competitions. Recently the association has introduced the “She Coaching” performance program.

Woman need to believe they are both necessary and effective as leaders.

The success of women’s football has inspired and enhanced girls participation. There is a ripple effect for many other sports and table tennis female only events and coaching sessions are vital as the sport moves forward.” 

Overcoming Gender-Related Challenges and Advice for Young Female Players

Despite the progress in support for women in sport, athletes still face some gender-related barriers throughout their careers.

Sophie Earley recalls being excluded from a warm-up session with male players:
“The S&C coach told me and the other girls to go and serve instead. It was frustrating so when the head coach asked why we weren’t warming up, I responded, ‘because we’re girls.’ My way of dealing with these challenges is to approach it head on and not shy away from standing up for what I believe is right.”

To young female athletes aspiring to reach the top, Sophie Earley offers simple but valuable advice:

“Prioritise your enjoyment whilst you’re playing your sport. If you find yourself at some point struggling and finding things difficult, just remember the reason why you started in the first place!” 

Looking Forward

Women’s participation and leadership in table tennis have come a long way, but there is still more to achieve. Through strong role models, national initiatives, and continued efforts toward equality, the future is bright for women in the sport.

At Cooke & Deaton Table Tennis, we’re proud to support and celebrate these incredible women who continue to inspire the next generation of female athletes.

#IWD #WomenInSport