At Fight for Peace, we believe sport should be a space where every young woman and girl feels seen, supported and powerful. Following the impact of its pilot season, we are proud to launch Season Two of LutaPod – our women-only podcast dedicated to breaking barriers and expanding access to sport for women and girls.
LutaPod is more than a podcast, it’s a platform built for women, by women, and a space where young women and girls can speak openly about their experiences in sport, challenge inequality, and shape the future of participation. Since launching in 2023, its mission has remained clear: amplify voices, strengthen representation, and prove that women and girls belong in every sporting environment.
This season is led by two inspiring members of our Youth Power team, Szilvia and Aniqa. With honesty, insight and a shared commitment to inclusion, they guide conversations that do more than tell stories, but push for change.
Each episode features women who have built transformative relationships with sport. From grassroots participation to competitive pathways, guests share their journeys with vulnerability and strength, highlighting both the barriers they have faced and the communities that helped them thrive.
Episode One: Visible Leadership and Lasting Change
Season Two opens with Matilde Montezuma, Fight for Peace Sports Development Officer and Strength & Conditioning Coach, who shares her journey into gym environments where women are still underrepresented. Reflecting on her experience, she speaks openly about the pressure to prove herself in male-dominated spaces and the resilience it takes to keep showing up.
“Being a female coach…in a lot of places I’ve worked or coached I felt like I had to prove myself a lot just because [I’m a woman]…I feel like that can change, and will change…that’s one of the challenges…people will doubt you but if you believe in yourself that’s the most important thing.”
Matilde’s leadership embodies what Fight for Peace stands for – creating safe, inclusive environments where women and girls are not only welcomed, but empowered to lead. When women occupy coaching spaces visibly and confidently, it reshapes what feels possible for the next generation and strengthens the culture of sport for everyone.
Episode Two: Breaking Barriers in the Ring
The second episode welcomes back former LutaPod host and competitive boxer Asmaa Abdalla. As a young hijabi woman, Asmaa has navigated challenges with resilience and determination. She reflects on the transformative role of inclusive coaching, the power of belonging in shaping confidence, and her journey to building trust with her male teammates.
“It took me so long for the boys to take me seriously…you always have a predisposition of people regardless of whether you know them or not. Your unconscious bias will automatically assume ‘she’s weak or she’s not good at sports’…but I ended up making friends with all of them and over time I’ve built such an amazing bond with them and I couldn’t imagine representing any other team.”
Asmaa speaks to the wider reality in sport that women are often questioned before given the opportunity to demonstrate their ability. Yet her experience also shows that culture can shift. With time, openness and shared commitment, doubt can evolve into respect. Belonging is not automatic, it is built, and when it is built intentionally, it transforms both individuals and teams.
Episode Three: From Member to Coach
In our latest episode we hear from Luna – Fight for Peace member, boxer and newly qualified Personal Trainer. Luna reflects on her unexpected journey into sport, from having no initial interest in boxing to stepping into the ring, and now stepping forward as a volunteer coach herself after completing her Level 2 Gym Instructor and Boxing Level 1 qualifications at Fight for Peace.
Luna’s journey shows that when women are given genuine opportunity within safe, empowering spaces, confidence grows – and leadership follows. Her progression from participant to role model shows how access to sport can unlock potential far beyond performance.
“One of the key things to engage more women in sport is to create spaces where they feel seen, safe and supported… A lot of girls grow up feeling like sport isn’t for them – whether that’s because of cultural barriers, lack of representation, or even pressure around how they look in a gym.
I wouldn’t have touched a boxing glove if it wasn’t for Modest Moves – the fact it was women-only and led by someone I could relate to made all the difference. Being led by a hijabi Muslim woman, it wasn’t just about fitness, it was about belonging. Representation is imperative. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Her words underline a powerful truth: representation is not an added bonus – it’s essential. When women and girls see themselves reflected in leadership, the door to participation opens wider, and the impact extends far beyond the individual stepping through it.
LutaPod Season Two champions honest dialogue, powerful storytelling and meaningful action by centering the voices of women and girls. It does more than challenge barriers in sport – it demonstrates what inclusive sport looks like in practice, and what becomes possible when women are given the platform to lead.
Our final two episodes of the podcast are coming in March and feature professional athletes from muay thai and boxing! Head to our YouTube and Spotify channels and subscribe so you don’t miss it.