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As the Winter Olympics kick off in Italy on February 6th, South Africa is entering a brand new chapter. For the first time ever, a South African woman will compete in the skeleton, one of the fastest, most brutal sports on ice. Born in Cape Town and now based in the UK, Nicole Burger has hurtled headfirst not only into Olympic history but also in to medalling history. Already a trailblazer, she’s claimed South Africa’s first international sliding medals (gold, silver and bronze), alongside multiple top-six finishes across the North American Cup and Europe Cup circuits during the 2025/2026 season.

In this episode, Nicole takes us deep into her extraordinary journey. From her competitive edge in rugby, athletics and horse riding to her transition to elite sliding. She also takes us into the sport of skeleton, (and why it’s called that!), the experience of it, the 135km twists and turn with your face an inch from the ice. We talk about shares the Royal Air Force and why she joined, how it led her to skeleton, the surreal reality of becoming an Olympian after just three years in the sport, and the almost crazy reactions she gets as a South African competing in a winter sporting discipline.

This week on She Speaks Sport, South African hockey powerhouse Tegan Fourie joins me for a conversation that goes far deeper than stats, trophies, or the number of caps on her name. Yes, she’s an African Games champion, a national indoor (81 Caps) and outdoor star (28 Caps), and a record-setting goalscorer who was named the SA indoor player of the year in 2024.. But behind the titles is a journey shaped by being part of a team and a love for hockey that found her long before she ever imagined becoming one of South Africa’s standout players.

Tegan takes us inside the story she shares with her sister Cerian — a five-year age gap erased by a shared dream of astroturf. From living together at university to stepping onto the turf as teammates, the Fourie sisters have built something rare: a bond that sharpens their game, fuels their competitiveness, and makes history every time they step onto the field together.She reflects on the national team’s recent African Cup of Nations victory! Beating Ghana in the final, was a phenomenal feat after narrowly beating them in the group stages. This is the 8th African crown the women’s team have won, and their ultimate goal was realised when they secured the qualification for the FIH hockey world cup. Tegan unpacks the shifts, the play, the mindset, and the goal of qualifying for the world cup. November is world diabetes awareness month and at the heart of this episode lies in how Tegan plays the sport she loves while managing Type 1 diabetes, a condition she has lived with for 21 years.

The 2025 U23 world rowing championships just wrapped up in Poland. The top young talent in the world of rowing showed up with thrilling races and surprising finishes, with the South African rowers leaving their mark on the world champs. Chloe Cresswell led the charge in the lightweight women’s single sculls, and her technical precision and fight, meant she walked away with a silver medal.

We celebrate the win together on the podcast, as Chloe joins me to talk about the race, the German fighting in the last row and the fire she needed to carry to get across the line. Exhausted, she didn’t know she had won the silver until she looked up at the board. Reflecting on her journey into rowing, she shares with us her objectives at the world champs and how winning wasn’t the key goal. As rowing continues to grow in popularity with the public, we share about the incredible community spirit in the sport, and the public interest that is growing prolifically.

I also quiz Chloe on the most googled questions around the sport of rowing, including the inquisitive question of why is rowing so posh? Her knowledge of the sport and its history is impressive as she answers the worlds questions about the sport. What is in store for Chloe Cresswell and her future in the sport? How does she feel after her silver medal win? Join us for this celebratory conversation.

The countdown is on! This July, 38 teams from around the globe will lace up their skates and head to Austria for the highly anticipated Roller Derby World Cup. With a history spanning over 90 years, roller derby has made its way around the world and is a sport that empowers women and breaks down patriarchal barriers. Joining me on the podcast this week, is Zelri van der Schyff, who will be representing Team South Africa along with her team mates at the world cup. Zelri is also a coach and part of the management for the Cape Town Roller Girls.

We dive into what it takes to get to the roller derby World Cup, the top teams to watch, and the incredible journey of the South African team. Zelri breaks down how roller derby actually works (yes, we answer the “is there a ball?” question), what the penalty box is really like, and why this full-contact sport is making waves for body positivity and inclusivity — no matter your age. Zelri also shares with us some of the misconceptions and remarks made about roller derby, that are belittling to the power of the game. Is there a ball involved in roller derby? How long does the game last? And am I too old to play? We answer these questions and more on this episode. 

Whether you’re a die-hard derby fan or a curious newcomer, this episode brings the hype, the heart, and the hard hits. Let’s roll!

Having begun her sporting journey as a paraswimmer, Charlotte Henshaw represented Great Britain for over a decade across three Paralympic Games, bagging silver and bronze medals for swimming. Until she found her way into paracanoe and won the paracanoe world championship ten times. Winning gold at Tokyo 2020, was followed by Charlottes incredible double gold win at Paris 2024 where she competed in the inaugural VL3 event (watch here). For her services to canoeing she was awarded an MB in the 2021 New Years Honours List.

In this episode, Charlotte and I dive deep into her incredible journey to Paris, where she made history by winning double gold at the World Championships and then repeating that triumph at the Paris Games. But this wasn’t just about victory—it was about the whispered dreams of an athlete, the intense pressure of competition, and the courage it took to break barriers as a woman and as the first-ever double gold para athlete in canoeing. We explore the highs, and the profound sense of grief that accompanies standing on the podium, only to return home 24 hours later to face the post-Paris blues—a reality many athletes know all too well.

Charlotte’s mantra for Paris was simple yet powerful: “Be Courageous.” We unpack how this mindset, shaped by her partnership with a new sports psychologist just 10 weeks before Pairs, helped her navigate pressure, and inner fear. Her journey holds invaluable lessons for all of us, offering practical tools to confront our own challenges and fears.

But Charlotte’s story doesn’t end there. She opens up about her personal battle with endometriosis—a condition affecting millions of women worldwide—and the eight long years it took to receive her diagnosis.

Kate Christowitz is a retired Olympic rower with a passion for building equity in rowing, for women. As the chair of the athletes Commission for RowSA, Kate is also a dedicated coach who loves sharing her knowledge for rowing with young athletes. She is also the director of rowing at St. Stithians College where she maintains and develops the rowing fleet.

In this episode, Kate shares her journey from discovering rowing as a young girl at St Mary’s to becoming an Olympian, highlighting the transformative power of sport and community. We dive into the Women in Rowing initiative, a movement uniting women across South Africa to tackle key issues in the sport and celebrate their shared passion. From the first event in Joburg, to exciting plans for provincial gatherings, we discuss how this vibrant community is growing and making waves. Discover the camaraderie, resilience, and connection that define rowing, as Kate shares stories from her career and her work with young athletes, and the joy we felt at seeing Paige compete in the 2024 Olympics.

Whether you’re a seasoned rower, a coach, a supporter, or just curious about the sport, Kate Christowitz also provides all the details on how to join and become a part of this growing community for women in rowing.

This year Red Bull King of the Air has created its first ever Women’s Division in this premier kitesurfing competition which always features the best athletes from around the world. We will get to witness a unique showcase of female talent and athleticism in this historic event that is sure to be a game changer for women’s big air. Joining me to talk about the upcoming competition and her journey as one of the participants is Jasmine Cho. Born in Korea, raised in the U.S and now considering Blouberg as her home base, Jasmine has been a big air kitesurfer for a number of years, with prestigious events behind her name. 

On the podcast we talk about her journey from being a film director in New York City, to fully dedicating herself and her time, to the sport of kitesurfing. Having applied for King of the Air three times in the past, Jasmine Cho always believed in the need for women’s inclusion in Big Air and with this year’s competition, she talks about the meaning of this inclusion for women, and the effect this will have on other competitions. We talk about her recent crash in Brazil, and dealing with the process of the fear factor following her fall, and how she is embracing this as part of the journey. We unpack the wind factor in Cape Town and how she is acclimatising to the denser wind conditions that Cape Town offers. Among the female competitors, Jasmine lets us in on the support for one another and the unique sisterhood and friendships that have formed through competition, and how being on the big air circuit has created a unique energy among the women.