Shara Romer has been a boxing coach for 14 years, and has always been aware of how unique she is.
"I came through boxing when there were no female coaches," Romer said.
"I've kind of lead the path in where I'm heading, so it's definitely made a change in boxing and it's going to make more future changes."
Romer is participating in a program aimed at improving diversity among high-performance career coaches in Australia.
It's an area in which progress has been frustratingly slow.
Female coaches are one of the key demographics the National Generation 2032 Coach Program (NG32CP) focuses on, who have historically been few and far between in high-level sports.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, only 18 per cent of coaches were female, while at the 2020 Paralympics, that figure rose to just 23 per cent.
Those involved in the program — which is being run out of the Australian Institute of Sport — are examining what barriers are holding that cohort back from reaching the same heights as their male counterparts.
Romer has two children, a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter.
She said throughout her coaching career she had struggled with feelings of guilt about leaving her children behind for her work.
"I did go through a stage many years ago where I felt guilty in leaving my children behind and having to do the overseas trips to gain the experience I needed," she said.
"But now, with the support that's happening, there's better ways and means of doing it.
"I hope we can move forward and not have those feelings of guilt — as mothers [who] are doing something that potentially fulfils our life and our children's lives — in the future."
Romer said she thought the thing holding female coaches back was opportunity and a mistaken belief that women were not capable of doing the job.
"But I think we're starting to prove that we can … in a different way than the males do," she said.
'Taking a massive step forward'
Soccer coach Leah Blayney, another participant in the program, said she had big plans for her future as a career coach.
"I wouldn't be a part of a Gen32 program if my ultimate goal wasn't to one day lead our senior national team to a World Cup or an Olympics," she said.
Blayney said being part of the program had been both rewarding and empowering for her as a coach, and as a woman.
"I've really liked the human connection with other females across the country in different sports," she said.
"Just hearing about what works for them, what I can bring into my environment, sharing some of my experiences with the other female coaches as well.
"It's just really empowering to have a lot of female coaches in the one space, as well as males who champion the sport as well."
Diversity progress in sport 'very glacial': Sports Commission CEO
In light of the program's positive reception, the Australian Sports Commission announced it will boost the Gen32 program's funding by $3.9 million.
The commission's chief executive Kieren Perkins said making progress toward greater diversity in sport had been slow.
"Sport's pretty slow at doing most things other than evolving on the field of play," he said.
"Everything else that happens behind the scenes tends to be very, very glacial.
"It's a complex system that requires a lot of engagement to be able to influence and move people through, but really programs like this – and our continued focus on shining a light on where there are challenges – I hope will encourage sports to take a far more proactive engagement."
Perkins said the new funding would guarantee childcare support and flexible working arrangements for coaches with children, on top of their paid coaching apprenticeships.
"It's crucial we attract, support and retain the incredible coaching talent that exists in Australia," he said.
"I am proud that the AIS is leading the way in creating a sport system that is reflective of society and providing ways for women with children to keep progressing their coaching careers."
Blayney said the new funding was a big step toward having high-performance coaches of all genders be the standard.
"Any time we're investing in women involved in sport, I think we're taking a massive step forward," she said.
"I think the opportunity to financially support women in sport is one that is on the table right now and one — as we can see — the sports commission [is] taking with two hands with this initiative.
"Moving forward, this kind of stuff just becomes the norm. So, it's not an investment, it's just every day that female coaches can go to work and know that they're going to earn enough to pay a mortgage and whatever else in life that comes up for them."
