The International Olympic Committee (IOC) celebrates a significant milestone in high-performance coaching with the graduation of 120 professionals from 59 countries and 22 different sports disciplines. The Women in High-Performance Sport (WISH) program represents a crucial step toward transforming female representation in sports leadership, addressing the historic inequality that has sidelined women in elite and professional coaching roles.
This initiative aims to break down the historical barriers that have limited women’s participation in high-performance coaching, where they have traditionally been underrepresented. The program not only trains but empowers female coaches to face challenges and reshape the global sports landscape, offering strategic tools, specialized mentoring, and an international support network to help these professionals reach their full potential across various sports disciplines.
IMPACT AND PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
Graduates have shared transformative experiences about their professional development, emphasizing how the program has been a turning point in their careers. Suvi Mikkonen, one of the standout coaches, successfully guided a Hungarian athlete to a gold medal in taekwondo at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showcasing the program’s transformative potential to drive athletic success and challenge traditional gender paradigms in high-performance sports.
The initiative focuses not only on technical skills but also on building networks of support and trust among female athletes, fostering an ecosystem of empowerment and professional development. As highlighted by distinguished coach Jane Figueiredo, the program represents a unique opportunity for women to lead and excel on the global sports stage, inspiring future generations of coaches to push boundaries and create new spaces for representation and influence.