Broadcaster and former amateur jockey Clare Balding was in Dublin this week to help launch the Liberty Insurance 'Wise Up' study which addresses various myths and perceptions that people have about sport - including women in sport.
Off The Ball's Adrian Barry popped down to meet her and Balding opened up about some of the career pitfalls she faced early on in comparison to her male counterparts.
"I'm not sure I was ever stopped from doing anything - not by anyone within the BBC because they invested heavily in me as a trainee. But when I started, I was the first sports trainee they'd had, male or female, and there were only two of us as female voices on 5Live which was just starting when I started. Now that has changed dramatically in the 20 years since then and so has television," she said, explaining that the greater availability of jobs has had a knock-on effect in creating more opportunities for women over the past two decades.
Balding also spoke about the realisation she has come to in terms of the role she can play.
"I don't just have a job and a career that I love. I also have a level of responsibility because I have a voice and people, luckily, for the time being will listen if I'm careful with what I say and if I can support causes where I know I can be a difference. And women in sport is one that I have wholeheartedly thrown my effort behind for the last four years and now I'm really feeling the tide of change," he said.
Listen to the full interview via the podcast in which she also discussed why she chose the Women's Boat Race over the Grand National:
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