Podcast
Sport, Social Justice & Development Podcast
Hosted by Lyndsay Hayhurst, Mitch McSweeney, Julia Ferreira Gomes, and Jessica Nachman · EN
Exploratory and in-depth conversations with practitioners, researchers, organizational staff, and participants involved with sport, social justice and development programs. Listen in as we critically explore the utility of sport and other forms of physical activity, recreation, and leisure used around the world for developmental pursuits. Hosted by Lyndsay Hayhurst, Mitch McSweeney, Julia Ferreira Gomes, and Jessica Nachman.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Symposium Series: Exploring Climate Justice and Sport (for Development)
Mar 2500:54:20Tap to summarizeIn our latest episode, we feature another recorded panel from the Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, and Climate Action through Sport Symposium. This episode, called 'Exploring Climate Justice and Sport (for Development),' brings together leading scholars working to critically explore and unravel the assumptions that underpin ‘sustainability;’ while also considering what happens when sustainability is mobilized without justice.Other key tensions explored in this conversation include:How climate action in sport for development is often fragmented The persistence of global North-South power dynamics in through SDP and environmental politicsWhy we need to move beyond technical fixes toward more ecological and relationship understandings of sport Importantly, this episode challenges us to rethink sport not simply as a tool for change, but as part of the material and environmental systems we are trying to transform. For those working across sport, development, climate and policy - this is an invitation to ask: 1) What are we sustaining, and at what cost? 2) Whose knowledge and priorities are shaping climate agendas? What is the role of the education sector in all this? 3) What might more justice-oriented approaches actually look like?Panelists featured in this panel include: Dr. Brad Millington, Associate Professor of Sport Management at Brock University; Dr. Brian Wilson, a Professor and the Director of the Centre for Sport and Sustainability in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia; Dr. Simon Darnell, a Professor and Director of the Centre for Sport Policy Studies at the University of Toronto. Dr. Christina Kwauk, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Unbounded Associates. Ultimately, this conversation invites us to see sport not simply as an ‘intervention’ - but as a site of struggle, responsibility, and possibility in the face of the climate crisis. Dr. Brad Millington's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-millington-a0312149/Dr. Simon Darnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-darnell-569abbb9/Dr. Christina Kwauk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-kwauk/Featured in this podcast: Dr. Brian Wilson, Dr. Brad Millington, Dr. Simon Darnell, Dr. Christina Kwauk, and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'Album artwork: Keiron Cobban
Transcribe →
Symposium Series: Climate Action and Leisure: Grassroots Perspectives
Mar 801:01:22Tap to summarizeIn honour of International Women’s Day, we are sharing one of the most moving conversations from our 'Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, and Climate Action through Sport Symposium.’ In this powerful dialogue on 'Climate Action and Leisure: Grassroots Perspectives,’ four remarkable women share lived and deeply personal experiences that remind us sport and movement can be more than programming - it can serve as an infrastructure for dignity, survival, and community building - especially for girls, women, and gender-diverse people whose opportunities and mobilities are too often constrained.This panel through together activist, practitioners, and scholars working across diverse contexts, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kenya. This was a really profound, relational exchange that is grounded in a feminist ethics of care about what activism look like when it simply exiting in a public space and how that space itself becomes active resistance. First, we hear from Sana Mahmud, the Program Director for Free to Run in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Sana is an athlete and development practitioner with a Master’s in International Development from Ohio University. She has managed and facilitated sport-for-development projects, workshops, and events across Pakistan, Ecuador, Russia, and Qatar, while partnering with organizations such as UN Women and Oxfam. A former captain of Pakistan’s national women’s football and basketball teams, Sana is passionate about advancing gender equity, youth development, and social change through sport.Next, we have Alison Carney, a Gender Inclusion in Sport Consultant. Alison is an independent consultant, facilitator, and researcher who supports community sport organizations to build inclusive, just practices that contribute to social change. Her research explores gender equity in sport, LGBTQI+ experiences in Sport for Development, and pathways to gender inclusion. She is currently collaborating with the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) Sport for Climate Action team to develop and deliver virtual courses on sport for climate action, including a course for grassroots sport organizations to learn about and discuss taking climate action. Finally, we hear from Cyprine Odada is an Urban Planner and passionate champion for livable, inclusive cities. She is the Founder & CEO of Women Shaping Cities, an organization advancing gender-inclusive urban planning and mobility, and holds an Executive MSc in Cities from the London School of Economics.This session is beautifully moderated by the brilliant Dr. Holly Thorpe, a Professor in the University of Waikato Te Huataki Waiora School of Health and a leading scholar in the sociology of sport, gender, and youth culture. Holly's research examines action sports, gender and embodiment, feminist approaches to sport and physical culture, and the relationships between sport, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Holly has authored and edited numerous influential books and articles and is internationally recognized for her work on feminist methodologies, youth cultures, and sport for social change.Sana Mahmud's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sana-mahmud-02432482/Alison Carney's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-carney-5a170413/Cyprine Odada's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyprine-odada-8524a530/Dr. Holly Thorpe's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-thorpe-52024a8/Featured in this podcast: Sana Mahmud, Alison Carney, Cyprine Odada, Dr. Holly Thorpe, and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'Album artwork: Keiron Cobban
Transcribe →
Symposium Series: E-Bikes: Policy Considerations and Environmental Costs
Feb 1800:46:38Tap to summarizeToday, we are sharing another powerful recording from the 'Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, and Climate Action through Sport Symposium,' held at York University from October 15–17, 2025.Today’s featured panel - “E-Bikes: Policy Considerations and Environmental Costs” - delves into one of the more challenging mobility debates of our time. This is because e-bikes are often celebrated as a cleaner, ‘greener' alternative to car dependence - an accessible pathway toward low-carbon mobility. But what happens when we look more closely at the environmental and social assumptions embedded in these sustainability claims?This episode presents two distinct yet interconnected perspectives.First, we hear from Darnel Harris, Executive Director of Our Greenway, a Toronto-based not-for-profit working to build sustainable, green, and equitable communities through low-carbon micromobility solutions. Drawing on over 15 years of work at the intersection of affordable housing, food justice, and local mobility, Darnel shares applied research on barriers and opportunities to e-bike adoption. He explores how infrastructure, socio-demographics, and lived realities shape whether e-bikes are truly viable mobility tools.Next, we hear from Dr. Courtney Szto, an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University. Building on her documentary Revolutions, Dr. Szto challenges us to consider the environmental footprint of bicycles at their end-of-life stage. To do this, she examines issues of bike waste, lithium batteries, limited repairability, and how contemporary e-bike production may reproduce extractive logics and waste-intensive systems.Darnel Harris' LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darnel-harris-072296127/Dr. Courtney Szto LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-szto-128aa222/Featured in this episode: Darnel Harris, Dr. Courtney Szto, and Dr. Lyndsay HayhurstMusic by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive.' Album artwork: Keiron Cobban
Transcribe →
Symposium Series: Innovative Approaches to Mobilizing Knowledge: Advancing Gender Equity and Health Rights through Movement
Feb 500:46:01Tap to summarizeDelivering another panel-as-podcast to your ears! Get ready to tune-in to another panel recording from the 'Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, Climate Action, and Sustainable Development through Sport Symposium,' an event hosted by the DREAMING in Sport Collaboratory held at York University from October 15-17, 2025.This episode is titled, 'Innovative Approaches to Mobilizing Knowledge: Advancing Gender Equity and Health Rights through Movement.' This panel featured contributions from some brilliant colleagues leading creative, diverse and alternative modes of knowledge translation in through gender, food justice and health research. Dr. Francine Darroch, Dr. Courtney Szto, and Dr. Cathy van Ingen explore how digital methods, community-led knowledge, and forms of movement knowledge travel, policies are influenced, and gender equity and health rights are advanced in practice.First, we hear from Dr. Francine Darroch, who’s an associate professor in the department of Health Sciences at Carlton University. Dr. Darroch is an interdisciplinary scholar specializing in qualitative research on public health and equity in physical activity, with particular attention to the intersections of gender, trauma and structural violence.Next, we have Dr. Courtney Szto. Dr. Szto, who is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University. Her research explores the relationship between physical cultures and intersectional justice, asking how systems such a racism, sexism, and ableism are compounded by climate catastrophe. Her doctoral research was published as Changing on the Fly: Hockey through the Voices of South Asian Canadians (Rutgers University Press, 2020), for which she received the Outstanding Book Award from the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport in 2021. She also is the executive producer of the award-winning short documentary Revolutions - focused on bicycles waste. And finally, we have Dr. Cathy van Ingen, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University. Her work bridges academic research and community activism, examining trauma-informed approaches to sport and physical activity and gender-based violence at the intersections of sport, inequality, and social change through a feminist and critical race studies framework. In 2024, she completed an MFA in documentary media and launched Catchweight Films, a production company that expands her research practice to include film as both a methodology. Dr. Francine Darroch's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francine-darroch-phd-74482a123?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appDr. Courtney Szto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-szto-128aa222?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appDr. Cathy van Ingen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-van-ingen-7570b576?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appFeatured in this episode: Dr. Francine Darroch, Dr. Courtney Szto, Dr. Cathy van Ingen, and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'. Album artwork: Keiron Cobban.
Transcribe →
Symposium Series: Carly Gilbert-Patrick's Keynote Session
Jan 2900:42:24Tap to summarizeFirst in the Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, and Climate Action through Sport Symposium Series, we hear from Carly Gilbert-Patrick, the Global Leader for Share the Road at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In this role, she works closely with governments and partners worldwide to encourage them to prioritize investment in safe, inclusive infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. In her keynote session, Carly invites us to rethink walking and cycling as among the most fundamental yet often overlooked forms of mobility. She situates active mobility within the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, highlighting how mobility justice intersects with gender equity, health, and sustainable development across Africa and the Global South. Drawing key links to sport and physical culture, she shows how reclaiming streets and enabling active mobility can empower women, youth, and marginalized communities while creating healthier, safer, and more sustainable futures.We hope you enjoy this episode and the rest of the series.Carly’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlygilbyp?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appFeatured in this episode: Carly Gilbert-Patrick and Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst.Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive. Album artwork by: Keiron Cobban
Transcribe →Trailer: Symposium Series
Jan 2600:01:09Tap to summarizeWe're excited to share the trailer for our Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity & Climate Action through Sport series, a special series of The Sport, Social Justice & Development Podcast.This series is inspired by the inaugural international symposium held October 15-17, 2025, at York University, where leaders, advocates, and scholars came together to explore how movement and sport can drive transformative change for a more just and sustainable world.In this podcast series, we deliver critical insights, lived experiences, and practical ideas for advancing equity and sustainability through sport, physical activity, and movement.Trailer out now. Full episodes coming soon!
Transcribe →"Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes" featuring Harrison & Rachel Browne
Jul 201:01:24Tap to summarizeThis episode features Harrison Browne and Rachel Browne, who discuss their recent book, "Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes". The discussion focuses on transgender inclusion in sport amidst rising anti-trans sentiment and policy in North America.Harrison Browne (he/him) is the first transgender athlete in professional hockey. He was part of the National Women's Hockey League and played for the Metropolitan Riveters and the Buffalo Beauts. Rachel Browne (she/her) is an award-winning investigative journalist and documentary producer. Rachel’s work appears in The Walrus, Texas Monthly, Maclean's magazine, Global News, Politico, VICE News, Thomson Reuters, and other outlets.Links:Let Us Play - Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/780979/let-us-play-by-harrison-browne-and-rachel-browne/Harrison Browne:https://www.harrison-browne.com/ (website)@Hbrowne24 (X account)@hbrowne24 (Instagram account)Rachel Browne:https://www.rachelbrowne.ca/ (website)@rp_browne (X account)@rachelpbrowne (Instagram account)Featured in this episode: Harrison Browne, Rachel Browne, Julia Ferreira Gomes, and Lyndsay Hayhurst. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'. Album artwork by: Shawn Forde.
Transcribe →“From Ferguson to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime!” Sport and Black/African-Palestinian Transnational Solidarity: A Black History Month Panel
Mar 20, 202501:21:09Tap to summarizeThis episode features a recorded online panel, from Feb 11, 2025, titled “From Ferguson to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime!” Sport and Black/African-Palestinian Transnational Solidarity: A Black History Month Panel. In this session, the speakers reflect on the historical and contemporary examples and challenges in building Black/African-Palestinian solidarity in sport, and discuss why it should matter for scholars and practitioners worldwide interested in sport and social justice. The moderators are: Chen Chen, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut); Yasmin Elgoharry, MS (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Connecticut); and Jess Nachman, MA (Ph.D. Candidate, York University).The speakers are: Sean Jacobs, Ph.D. (Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs, The New School); Joezer Antoine, MEd (High School Educator and Basketball Coach); and Munene Mwaniki, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Director of the Global Black Studies Program, Western Carolina University).Sport Scholars for Justice in Palestine: https://sportscholarsforjusticeinpalestine.org/Music by: Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'. Album artwork by Shawn Forde.
Transcribe →Imperialism and sport: Featuring Chen Chen
Oct 23, 202301:13:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Jess (she/they) and Natan (he/they) chat with Dr. Chen Chen (he/him) about the ways in which imperialism and settler colonialism manifest in sport. Chen is an assistant professor of sport management at the Neag School of Education. Chen takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore the intersection of sport with colonialism as well as social, racial, and environmental justice. He is particularly interested in how non-dominant epistemologies can mobilize sport, education, and movement spaces to be more just and equitable, facilitating more meaningful community-building towards decolonization and collective liberation. Chen's institutional profile: https://education.uconn.edu/person/chen-chen/ Chen's Twitter: @cchenDr Links to Chen's articles Imperialism and sport: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2023.2214522 Settler colonialism and sport management: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsm/33/5/article-p379.xml Featured in this episode: Chen Chen, Jess Nachman, Natan Levi. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'. Album artwork by: Shawn Forde.
Transcribe →Making space for cycling: Paola Castañeda and Sergio Montero Munoz on cycling spaces in Latin American cities
Jun 22, 202301:08:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Isra chats with Paola Castañeda and Sergio Montero Munoz about addressing unequal cycling spaces in Latin American cities. Paola is an Assistant Professor in the History and Geography department at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. Sergio Montero is an associate professor of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. Links to Paola and Sergio's chapter: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360768303_Making_Space_for_Cycling [open access] https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003142041-31/making-space-cycling-paola-casta%C3%B1eda-sergio-montero-munoz Sergio's Twitter: @sergemont Featured in this episode: Paola Castañeda, Sergio Montero Munoz, Isra Iqbal. Music by: Kevin McLeod and Broke for Free via the 'Free Music Archive'. Album artwork by: Shawn Forde.
Transcribe →