Well, I think it's largely a gender equity issue to have more women and girls in sport and especially in a male dominated sport like football, the world game.
It's even more important to enable women and girls to have opportunities to play the game, to referee, to coach, to be at the board table where decisions are made about women and women's involvement in sport.
I've used my voice wherever possible to advocate for equitable rights for women and girls, for programmes to be developed for women and girls, to have things such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games come in and be available for women.
Whether it's lobbying for a National League, whether it's somehow keeping Canberra United afloat for the nine seasons that I was CEO there and Capital Football, I would like to think that my own journey has inspired many others to speak not just for themselves, but for all the others that are part of this great world game. It's no secret that it's been a tough road at times.
I've been subjected to some of the worst discrimination, to some of the worst name calling, the sexism, the misogyny, the homophobia.
But the rewards outnumber that. There was an article in a local paper about women's soccer in the ACT, a success story. It was about the 25th anniversary of women's soccer in the ACT.
And I'm quoted as saying that women's football will be the number one sport for women and girls in this country and a world around the world in 20 years.
And I'm proud to say that 20 years later, women's soccer, women's football is the number one sport for girls and women in this country and around the world.
There's an expression that's often used about you can't be what you can't see. I flip that around and say you can be what you can see.
And the World Cup in 2023 highlighted the importance of visibility. So many goosebump moments, so many, you know, spine tingling moments where we saw 10s of thousands of new supporters, boys, girls, men, women, all ages coming to support the Matildas.
It was phenomenal to be at Sydney Stadium, for example, where there was a sea of green and gold. It's mainstreamed.
It's a game that has arrived, but we still have a long way to go.
Heather Reid has made it possible for thousands of women to play football, both in the Australian Capital Territory and around Australia.
Heather was instrumental in establishing the Australian National University Women’s Soccer Club in 1978 and the Australian Capital Territory Women’s Soccer Association a year later. As the first female CEO of Capital Football in 2004, she brought together four associations into a single peak body and secured Canberra United’s inclusion in the national W-League, helping to promote the game to a wider audience.
Heather has continued to support and mentor players, coaches and administrators, both locally and internationally. She set up the Heather Reid AM Bursary to help pay the registration fees of players in need of assistance, ensuring that financial hardship is not a barrier to participation.
Heather’s vision and dedication to inclusion and equality have opened pathways for thousands of women to take part in sport.
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