International Women’s Day may have been and gone, but March is a month dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women throughout society while reflecting on the work that still needs to be done to reach gender equality.
Sheffield has no shortage of legendary sportswomen, some of whom deserve more recognition. From Olympians to community workers, here is just a short selection of the incredible women this city has to offer.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill
Most likely the first female athlete from Sheffield to come to mind, Ennis-Hill specialised in track and field before she retired. Her achievements span from winning gold in the heptathlon at the London 2012 Olympics to becoming a three-time world champion and former British national record holder. She didn’t stop at just one event, breaking further records in the 100-metre hurdles, the high jump, and indoor pentathlon.
Growing up in the Highfield area of the city, Ennis-Hill nurtured her natural talent in the City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletic Club from the age of 11, winning numerous junior competitions throughout her teens. She went on to study psychology at the University of Sheffield where she balanced her studies with competing in international championships.
Since her retirement from athletics in October 2016, she became the first British woman to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. She also ventures into punditry for the national broadcaster on occasion, and has launched several fitness apps focusing on women’s health.
Last month, a plaque was revealed outside the English Institute of Sport in honour of the Dame, arranged by Sheffield City Council and the MOBO Awards.
Joanne Broadhurst
The Lionesses are now represented by iconic players like Lucy Bronze and Mary Earps, but back in the 1990s Jo Broadhurst was leading the way in women’s football.
Coached by her father, she joined Sheffield FC Ladies at the age of 12 in the late 70s, spending six years at the club. This was followed by a move to the all-conquering Doncaster Belles when she was 18; she went on to play a key role in the team’s reclaiming of the League title from Arsenal and achieved a domestic double in 1994.
The next year, she was poached by Arsenal and managed to finish the season as the team’s top goalscorer despite undergoing knee surgery.
Broadhurst was the first woman from Sheffield to play for England, which she did for an impressive 14 years from 1984 to 1998. She was controversially dropped by manager Ted Copeland for the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad, but returned two years later to score a hat-trick in England’s game against Scotland.
She later moved into coaching, taking a job at Liverpool Ladies in 2012.
Amy Cooper
Amy Cooper is a co-founder of Onboard Skatepark, a welcoming space for young people to try out extreme sports such as BMX and skateboarding.
After seeing how kids’ confidence and happiness grew at the park, she realised how her business could help more vulnerable young people across the city and began to focus on community outreach. Her work led to the city council commissioning Cooper to provide alternative provision for at-risk children in Sheffield.
Onboard has grown into a supportive multi-sport hub where young people can also receive help with their GCSE studies and take part in bespoke learning programmes. Each summer, more than 300 teens join these programmes.
As a result of her community work, Cooper was nominated in the grassroots category of the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2022.
Featured Image Credit: Michael Steele via Getty Images
