Featuring: Amanda Wain
Sport: Field Hockey
Level Played: Collegiate
College: Lynchburg College, Division 3

Question: How strong are you? and how do stereotypical images of what the female body should look like make you feel? Do you think you would feel or act differently if those stereotypes did not exist?

Answer: I think there is definitely pressure to be thin, and I don’t think there is any girl who can say they haven’t felt that pressure before, including me. I have a more athletic build, and I think that society is starting to embrace strong over skinny more than ever. I recently have taken up weight lifting, and that has empowered me. I love being able to lift heavy and it makes me feel proud of the muscle I’ve earned.

Question: What do you think makes a strong female athlete?

Answer: A strong female athlete is someone who supports their teammates on and off the field, can control their emotions, has good sportsmanship, and sets a positive example for future competitors.

Question: How do you feel about the color pink commonly being associated with female athletic apparel?

Answer: Sometimes I wear pink, and sometimes I don’t. I don’t mind it being associated with female athletic apparel. I am honestly amazed when I walk into a Dick’s Sporting Goods or Sports Authority and see how many options for apparel we have today. You’ll never catch me wearing a bow, though.

Question: Tell us about your life now and how being involved in sports has shaped w
ho you are today.

Answer: I would say playing sports growing up and throughout college completely changed my lifFH Shote. I am a very goal oriented person, and having something to work towards each summer before heading back to school for pre-season was
such a great challenge. Growing up with sports teaches you so many important things that are translatable to real life. Rejection, success, disappointment, teamwork and persistence are all things that a person will experience in the real world. Competitive sports teach these kinds of values to people at a young age. The tools I learned on the field are tools that I use in everyday life. I also made so many great friends throughout the years, the bond you have with your teammates is unbreakable.

Anything else you would like to add.

Being an athlete will always be my identity, and I think that females in the sporting world will only continue to grow in strength and popularity.