For women athletes, it can sometimes feel like the playing field is so tilted, they're constantly running uphill to reach their goals. (Seriously, could this analogy BE any better?) There's been progress, say our guests for this episode, OL Reign players Lu Barnes and Nikki Stanton, but parity is still a long ways off.

The way women are (mis)treated in sports is a microcosm for the way women are often treated generally. So even for the non-sporty among us, the stories Lu, Nikki, Ruby, and Anne share will probably feel familiar – and the life lessons to be gained relate to us all!

In this episode, we hear the realities of being an athlete in a female body: not just the realities of dealing with a cycle or having a more limited window for having a family, but also the cultural limitations (just wait until you hear Nikki's story about the "shared" ice/hot baths in Chicago, oooof). The biggest battles often aren't against an opposing team.

Players in women's sports generally make considerably less money than their male counterparts, they may not get the sponsorship offers men get, and their access to the best resources in terms of arenas, gear, coaches, medical support, health insurance, etc., is much more limited, generally.

It's important to understand how the barriers and inequities impact performance on the field; when you have to work year-round to pay the bills, you simply don't get the time to recover. This episode is rich in great advice from players who've been around a while — how to stand up for yourself, how to have a life outside soccer, how to forge ahead while still protecting your health mentally, emotionally, and physically.

It's time to take gender out of the equation when it comes to paying ALL people fairly and treating people fairly, and we thank women athletes for helping bring attention to this issue!

Learn more about Lu and Nikki and the OL Reign:

olreign.com

Nikki Stanton bio

Lu Barnes bio

Hear more from Ruby and Anne and listen to all the episodes of The Whole Pineapple at thewholepineapple.com.