We need to be brave enough to challenge the status quo, to kick ‘the way we have always done things’ into touch and forge a new, hopeful future where women can thrive

Dr Emma Ross

A little about me

Emma Ross - The Well Co-Founder

A science communicator at heart, I spent the first part of my career teaching physiology to sports science, physiotherapy and medical students.

In 2013 I joined the English Institute of Sport as Head of Physiology to lead the sports scientists supporting our Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

After Rio 2016, Great Britain was described as a ‘sporting superpower’. We won more medals than ever and finished second in the table. It was exceptional, but how could we continue to improve?

I realised the answer wasn’t in marginal gains but by tapping into something more fundamental: the female part of the female athlete.

And with that, I developed and led ground-breaking new programmes to ensure coaches, athletes and sports practitioners could better understand exercising females, their physiology and psychology.

I’m still on that mission. I want to tackle the taboos that exist within sport, and within wider society, when it comes to women’s health; topics such as periods and the menstrual cycle, breast health, pelvic floor health and mental health.

What has been so rewarding working with Emma Ross is how she was able to prepare any audience to think differently when it came to the development and support of the female athlete. Whether it was physical, physiological, psychological or social, Emma provided insight and knowledge that would influence coach and practitioner behaviour and approach towards the female athlete.

David Faulkner OLY – Head of Performance, The FA, Women’s Professional Game, Para and Futsal Team Leader GB Women’s Football

My journey

Sport and exercise have always been part of my life. I never had a great deal of natural sporting talent, but I always got an A for effort and it turns out that’s an important component of success! I was even part of the winning team in the British Universities final on the hallowed turf at Twickenham.

After my rugby career at University, I caught the running bug. I ran my first marathon in her memory of my sister, who died in 2005, to raise much-needed funds for her rare neurodegenerative disease charity. I went from marathons to ultra-endurance races and triathlons.

In 2008, I completed my debut Ironman in New Zealand. I chose that race as I was in the country working on a project with The University of Otago, preparing for a research trip to Everest. We spent days trekking through the Himalayas, yaks laden with our research equipment to study the effects of high altitude on the brain and body.

Marathons, Ironmans, triathlons – enduring pain was my MO. When I got pregnant, I figured labour would be a breeze. Unfortunately, when it comes to pregnancy, labour, recovery and parenting nobody gets to ride for free, and achievement in sports or jobs don’t mean a thing to babies. For a year I had post-natal depression that went undiagnosed and unacknowledged.

Later, my menstrual cycle symptoms became debilitating, and I was sent to a tropical medicine clinic before my GP even checked out the basics.

My personal experience – as much as my professional – has put a fire in my belly to ensure that, in future, women are fully educated in what to expect from mind and body through these complex life-stages.

In sport and in society in general, this requires more openness and frankness than I was ever exposed to. There’s work to do.

Highlights

  • Published over 30 scientific publications in sport and exercise science
  • Named Sunday Times SWOTY Award ‘Changemaker’ in 2021
  • Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Brighton
  • Honorary Lecturer at The University of Kent
  • Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science
  • Ph.D. Exercise Physiology, Brunel University
  • PG.Cert. Teaching in Higher Education, Brunel University
  • M.Sc. (Distinction) Sports Science, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
  • Co-authored The Female Body Bible in 2023, an instant Sunday Times top 10 bestseller
  • B.Sc. (First Class) Sports Science, Exeter University
  • The first person in the world to take a brain stimulator via Yak to Everest base camp (for research purposes, not just for fun!)

Highlights

  • Published over 30 scientific publications in sport and exercise science
  • Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Brighton
  • Honorary Lecturer at The University of Kent
  • Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science
  • Ph.D. Exercise Physiology, Brunel University
  • PG.Cert. Teaching in Higher Education, Brunel University
  • M.Sc. (Distinction) Sports Science, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
  • B.Sc. (First Class) Sports Science, Exeter University
  • The first person in the world to take a brain stimulator via Yak to Everest base camp (for research purposes, not just for fun!)

Why The Well?

I’ve come to realise that our country’s most successful athletes don’t have sufficient body literacy. They don’t fully understand how female-specific factors affect performance. If elite athletes don’t have this knowledge there’s something fundamentally wrong.

Girls and women everywhere desperately need a greater understanding of what’s going on in their body. Once we conquer awareness, I know we can empower females to pursue high performance, whether it’s in sport and exercise, or work and family.

Myself, Baz and Bella are absolutely committed to righting this wrong; to handing females the knowledge and understanding they need to be architects of their own health. Change now means we can ensure parents, partners and professionals can do more and better when supporting women in future.

Say Hi!

If you have a question or an enquiry, just drop a line and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as we can.