Fight for Peace Coach and Youth Support Mentor, Athena Bashar, is riding a triumphant win after receiving the Youth Community Champion of the Year award by the Sports and Recreation Alliance. This award is a testament to Athena’s brilliance – where she has shown courage, leadership, and a tenacious drive to create inclusive spaces in sport for women. 

Commenting on the award, Athena shared: “For far too long, women have faced barriers to accessing sport. Understanding these challenges and taking meaningful action to remove them has been one of the most important and fulfilling parts of my journey. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, and even more motivated to continue creating inclusive, empowering spaces for women in sport.”

But what do these inclusive spaces look like in practice, and how can they truly be achieved?

We sat down with Coach Athena – who leads the women’s-only boxing sessions at Fight for Peace – to get her weigh in. Beyond being an advocate for equity, she has a proven understanding of how to foster solidarity and belonging within the traditionally male-dominated world of combat sports. 

In the sessions that Athena leads, she emphasised that inclusion often starts by catering to the “minority to ensure the space is comfortable for everyone.” In combat sports, this takes the form of practical steps, such as “using blinds or frosted glass” to help individuals who may feel uncomfortable in exposed spaces.

These practical adjustments create a secure and comfortable environment that enables women to grow their confidence, before feeling ready to step into a mixed class. 

But a truly inclusive environment demands more than just practical adjustments – it requires strong communication. As Athena urged, it’s vital to “talk and create a relationship with students, because everyone has different needs, hidden needs and physical needs that you may not know without talking to them.”

By understanding what athletes need, coaches can adapt exercises and create a safe space for all to participate. In turn, an environment like this also fosters acceptance and deepens young people’s empathy for one another.

Coach Athena connected inclusion to the Fight for Peace value of Solidarity. Solidarity is about working together in unity. In a coaching session, as Athena spotlights, this means supporting each other through challenges: “If one person is struggling or needs a corrective exercise, the entire group goes through it together.”

She then moved on to discuss belonging. In comparison to inclusion, belonging is where young people feel genuinely connected, safe enough to speak freely, and empowered to be their authentic selves.

Athena describes how belonging is intentionally cultivated in each of her sessions through personal development. This can begin with a simple question like, “What’s your goal in life… why are you here?” This kind of prompt builds closeness where participants are “sharing something a bit more personal than what you’re just giving out from the session.”

Finally, Athena’s observation about universal hardships, such as the COVID pandemic, delivers a valuable lesson: “It really doesn’t matter where you are in life or your status… a rich person wasn’t different from a poor person… we need to stick together to create it [a safer space] now, which can protect us in the future.”

Athena’s words resonate throughout the entire sporting space: for young people to thrive and grow, they must feel included and like they belong. 

A huge congratulations again to Athena on her well-deserved award! We are excited to follow your future impact across the combat sport community, watching you inspire more women and girls, and continue to be the incredible community champion you’ve been recognised as.

Ready to join a class? 

Every week, we hold sessions that are specifically accessible and adaptable to diverse needs; from FUNdamentals (7-14 year olds learning basic technique), to dedicated women-only conditioning classes, and specialised SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) sessions.

Check our timetable for all session times, and if you need anything else, just drop us a line at info@fightforpeace.net.