adidas immortalised their commitment to grow and support women’s sport by unveiling a series of statues representing several trailblazers in football, basketball and rugby. One of those ‘sheroes’ is Goals4Girls’ Founder & CEO Francesca Brown.
Alongside Arsenal and Netherlands’ striker Vivianne Miedema and former Lioness and current Angel City Technical Director Eniola Aluko, Francesca Brown explained how incredible it was to ‘stand’ alongside such star-studded company.
“If you were to tell me growing up, or even a few years ago there’d be a statue of me in Central London, I wouldn’t have believed you!”, she said.
“This is a powerful statement and a reminder to the next generation of young women and girls to step into their light and be counted”, Francesca Brown continued.
“Above all the accolades and achievements in my life, I would never have thought I would be immortalised into a statue! This is the most amazing campaign I’ve ever been a part of.”
The statues were erected to celebrate adidas’ latest Bra Collection launch, in light of recent research carried out by the brand.
Their findings highlighted how few women were ‘awarded’ statues in London. According to their research, the Capital has more monuments of men (21%) and animals (8%) than it does of women (4%).
To help rectify those worryingly low numbers, adidas honoured some of the UK’s most inspiring, influential and iconic talent across sport, fashion and culture. The 3D printed statues – made entirely from recycled marine farmed waste plastics – aim to increase representation of women in London.
Such representation will only inspire the next generation of change-makers, and help to create a better, more equal future for women and girls in sport.
adidas’ latest Bra Collection offers a range of sports bras that deliver added comfort and better fit for dozens of different activities, enabling more female athletes to participate in sport. And with over 90% of women reportedly wearing the wrong size sports bra, it’s important women have adequate support to prevent long-term discomfort and damage.
Removing barriers to girls and young women accessing the beautiful game is something Francesca Brown has spent her life campaigning for on and off the pitch.
As a Black female business owner and mother of two – shown clearly in her statue – Francesca Brown is showing future generations of women there really are no limits to what you can achieve if you’re passionate and determined to work hard.
“This whole initiative – from the statues to the bras – just shows girls and young women that they are valued and shouldn’t be scared to go for their dreams. Football isn’t just a game for men, it’s a game for everyone. This is why representation is so important. I hope this serves as a reminder to our participants and graduates that impossible really is nothing.”
The statues will be placed on the South Bank, under Tower Bridge until March 9th before being placed permanently elsewhere.
Check out the statues below.
