Minerva Network Webinar: Personal Resilience
Bankwest Stadium Ambassadors Alicia Quirk, Ellie Carpenter and Jada Whyman will be among the leading Australian athletes who will virtually unite with business leaders from across the country to discuss the importance of resilience and leadership during this difficult time of COVID-19.
The Minerva Network is connecting elite female athletes with mentors in a ground-breaking Webinar hosted by Co-Founders Christine McLoughlin and Sam Mostyn on Wednesday 8 April.
Boasting a strong line-up of speakers and panel members, the Minerva Network Virtual Workshop aims to empower the nation’s top women in sport and inspire them to step out as leaders during this traumatic period for our nation and the world.
Journalist, TV presenter and author Jessica Rowe will headline the Minerva Network Webinar, sharing her personal journey of resilience and growth. Rowe is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, having herself experienced post-natal depression. She is an ambassador for Beyond Blue and a patron of Mental Health Australia, and in 2015 was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia for her mental health advocacy work and her contribution to Australian media.
The Webinar will also feature counsellor and psychotherapist Lisa Champion, who will share her tools and tips for navigating these anxious times, and host a live Q & A with the athletes, helping to answer any questions they may have around mental health and self-isolation.
An athlete panel hosted by Minerva Network Co-Founder, Romilly Madew, AO, will share stories on how they are surviving and thriving from home, including Hockeyroos goalkeeper Rachael Lynch, a registered nurse who has swapped her hockey stick for scrubs and is publicly urging everyone to #stayhomeaustralia.
The Minerva Network was established to help Australia’s new generation of star female athletes rise to the challenge of become leaders in their community, and to leverage their on-field success in the world of business. The Network’s Chairman is Christine McLoughlin, who is also Chairman of Venues NSW, the agency that oversees Bankwest Stadium on behalf of the NSW Government.
Professional Australian Rugby 7’s player Alicia Quirk is excited about the upcoming Webinar and is appreciative that the Minerva Network is shining a guiding light during this period of uncertainty.
“I’m really looking forward to interacting with some fellow athletes . . . a big part of being self-isolated when you come from team sports is that you are accustomed to seeing so many people every day. You miss those constant human interactions on a daily basis.
“It will also be a good time to get a reality check on those outside of my bubble and how we are all facing these challenging times. I think we’ll all benefit from learning some key lessons on how we can thrive in this space and help each other optimise this situation.”
Alicia was a Gold Medal winner with the Australian Women’s 7’s team that triumphed at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and also represented her country at the Sydney 7’s played at Bankwest Stadium in February, The Aussie women’s 7’s have qualified to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, now rescheduled to 2021.
Ellie Carpenter has become a mainstay in the Matildas Australian Women’s Football team that has also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. She has come off a highly successful W-League season with Melbourne City, winning both the W-League title with City and the team’s Player of the Year award.
Jada Whyman, a star goalkeeper for the Western Sydney Wanderers, had an injury-interrupted 2019/20 seasons but is now back in full training. Jada received the honour of being one of two young athletes to officially open Bankwest Stadium alongside NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and other dignitaries last year.
