Wendy Dawson carries a calm strength that is impossible to miss. She is a mum, a leader, a long time athlete and someone who has never stopped finding joy in movement and community. What makes her story inspiring is the way she brings those worlds together with heart and purpose. Whether she is in the boardroom, on the soccer pitch or helping young players grow, Wendy shows what it looks like when women lead with courage and care.
Wendy grew up surrounded by sport. She started athletics when she was four and stayed with it until she was seventeen. She found soccer a few years later and has never walked away from the game. 2026 will mark her twenty seventh consecutive year playing. Her relationship with sport has shifted through the seasons of her life, but her love for being part of a team has never faded. She says her weekly soccer game is her ninety minutes where the world stops. It is the moment she can breathe, reset and return to everything she juggles as a COO, fitness trainer and mum. Sport has grounded her and reminded her to stay connected to the people and things that matter.
Her standout memories reflect that commitment. Being named MVP int he 2024 Grand Final was a moment she had dreamed about for years. She says it was an award that had always slipped past her. Standing on the field that day as player of the match in the inaugural over thirty competition felt like a celebration of her hard work and the love she has poured into the game for decades.
Leadership has always followed Wendy wherever she goes. She has captained her soccer teams, managed her son’s side for years and stepped into coaching in 2025. Coaching with her son came with challenges, but she says it was also incredibly rewarding. When she describes what she has learned, she pauses and smiles. Patient, resilient, nurturing, strong, caring, lead from the front, led by example. These are the qualities she has carried into sport, work and family.
When the opportunity to join the Empowered to Lead program came through Classic Sportswear, Wendy wanted to understand it from a partner’s point of view. She walked in without expectations. What she found surprised her. She says the program felt completely different to any leadership training she had taken in the corporate world. The tools and frameworks were shared through sport, which made everything more relatable and easier to apply. The experience gave her new ways of thinking about leadership, and she left with a refreshed sense of confidence.
One idea stayed with her more than anything else. She says she now checks in with herself about being above or below the line. If she notices she is slipping below it, she asks what she can shift to bring herself back. She has seen how much her own mindset sets the tone for the people around her. If I lead by example my team will follow. She uses the same approach with her athletes, her colleagues and the young players she coaches. Wendy believes that real leadership starts with seeing each person’s strengths and giving them space to grow. She says sport taught her that everyone contributes something different, and her role is to bring those pieces together.
Looking ahead, Wendy hopes the world continues to open doors for women and girls in sport and leadership. Equal pay is the first thing she names. Women deserve to be empowered by actions not just words. She wants to see genuine commitment across every level of sport, so the next generation feels valued and supported.
Her own journey is still unfolding. Wendy is focused on growing in her role as COO and continues to lean on her Managing Director, someone she says she truly trusts and who wants to see her succeed. She wants to keep coaching even when it is tough because watching young players grow makes every challenge worth it. Above all, she wants to keep being a mum who leads by example, so her son learns what good leadership looks like.
When she reflects on what it means to Play Like a Girl, her voice becomes steady and full of pride. To her, it means refusing to be limited by old ideas about what girls and women can do. It means showing up with your best effort every time and letting your performance speak louder than anything else.After nearly three decades on the field and a career built on resilience and drive, Wendy knows that playing like a girl is not a barrier. It is a strength.
Her story is a reminder of why Play Like a Girl exists. When women step forward with confidence, community and belief in themselves, they change what is possible for everyone who follows.
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