Sweat-free Olympics Play Fair 2012

"The legal minimum wage in Sri Lanka is Rs7,900 (£45 per month). Although workers making goods for Adidas, Nike and Speedo tend to get paid Rs10,000 (£55 per month) this is still below the official UN global poverty line of $2 a day. People can't meet their basic needs with this meagre wage. A recent survey by the Sri Lankan government found that 67 per cent of women working in the garment sector are suffering from anaemia because of poor diet." 

This is an extract from a disturbing report on the Trade Unions Cogress (TUC) site on working conditions for the (mostly) women making sports-clothing for Adidas, Nike and Speedo in Sri Lanka.  Trade unionist Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage recently came to the UK to give a series of speeches on the factories and let us know what we can do to help her improve life for these workers. 

You can read this full TUC report here

It's disheartening how little things have changed. Have you read No Logo? You could think with all the attention given to sweat-shops they might disappear but it seems the bottom-line still rules.

What can we do?

Wordless Wednesday

Jennifer O Reilly

Sub-head - how to look good in a cycling helmet!


Wordless Wednesday is a group of bloggers who give words a rest once a week.

13 reasons women should box

This is an inspiring speech from one of my 'online training buddies' Lisa Bledsoe over on The Glowing Edge. Given at the Ignite event in North Carolina, USA, her slides in the background are great! If you've ever had a secret yearning to box, this might tip you over the edge.

I interviewed Lisa here if you want to know more about her boxing career. 

Got any more reasons to add to the mix?

Women athletes on the Magic Roundabout

Too high, too short, too sexy, too long, against my religious  beliefs ... the Miss Universe contestants? Nope, women athletes thinking about or being told what to think about their game-clothes. Now it's the turn of women badminton players to see what's its like to have your concentration disrupted and focused on something completely irrelevant.

But the thing is, it's not irrelevant. What you wear when playing sports can make the difference between winning and losing, getting that ball or dropping it, punching accurately or not. The decision should be based on what works for you as an athlete, not what works for the TV ratings. And yes, I know women's sports have to sell ourselves to get the ratings, to get the sponsors but why does it always come back to revealing more flesh? I feel like Dougal on The Magic Roundabout,  going round in circles without ever getting off or making any changes.

Gaza marathon

Marathon in Gaza pic Al-Jazeera

There's an unexpected headline. Over 1,000 runners took part in the first marathon held there a few days ago; a 10km, a half and a full marathon. Most did the shorter races, the marathon was run by Palestinian athletes training for the London Olympics.

The course says a lot - run from the border with Israel to the border with Egypt, exactly 42 km. Aside from hundreds of school children, the only woman running was one of the UN workers who organised the tournament. The race was run to raise funds for summer schools held every year for school children in Gaza. You can read more about how it all works here on the UNRWA site.

Apologies for the break in transmission the last few days. Can I just say two words: In-design project. I think I have established I am a words person, not design! Too much stress.

So, what is new this weekend in sport? I read about an interesting iPhone app from the Irish Sports Council. You can use it to check your medication against the WADA list of illegal medication. Very useful, as we all know how easy it is for asthma meds or cold meds to slip over that edge. I was involved with writing doping codes for a sports org a few years ago, it's very comprehensive but complicated to keep in mind when you're stuck in the middle of a nasty winter-illness.

And heard about a new photography project running in Ireland - focused on women in sport. You can see some of the photographs here on Laurence J Photography and if you're interested in taking part, or know someone who is interested, then contact Laurence through that blog. Some great shots up already and big plans for developing the idea.

Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Angela Parr MuayThai fighter and family

Wordless Wednesday is a group of bloggers who give words a rest once a week.