As part of our series of 'Get to know' interviews for Women's History Month, we spoke to Darcy Hare, a Royal Holloway alumna who now works for Sport England. In her interview, Darcy reminisces on her time as a student and her achievements. Darcy also shares some advice for women considering pursuing a career in the sports industry.
1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your current role within the sports industry.
I'm the Strategic Lead for Evaluation at Sport England. This means that I lead a team that works to collect and use evidence to understand and improve the effectiveness of public investment to help people to be more active.
2. What did you enjoy most about studying at Royal Holloway?
I studied Psychology and really enjoyed the multi-disciplinary nature of the course. I have used many of the skills I learned at university in my subsequent career. I also enjoyed the social aspects of my time at RH, building friendships that are still flourishing now, decades after I left.
3. What has been your proudest achievement?
I'm proud of contributing to some really important work during my time at Sport England. I was part of the team that developed the This Girl Can campaign, which has had a huge impact by presenting and celebrating a realistic portrayal of women and girls getting active.
4. Are there any women who have inspired you throughout your career?
I've been most inspired by women close to me, including my mother and female colleagues who have shown me what's possible by being brilliant at what they do.
5. What is the most important advice you would like to give women thinking about working within the sports industry?
I'd encourage anyone who's interested to have the confidence to give it a go. I work in a sport organisation that has more female staff than male staff, so I know first hand that sport is just as much a place for women as it is for men.
6. Do you think hearing more stories about women in sports would help women feel confident accessing and pursuing a career in sports?
Yes, I think women just starting out can take confidence from knowing that there are more and more women doing great work in all sorts of different roles in sports, right up to the highest levels of seniority.