Female Empowerment through Sports

Athletics are a pivotal platform for young girls to experience accomplishment, inspiring them to carry dedication, discipline, leadership, communication, teamwork, and confidence into other parts of their day-to-day lives. 

Female empowerment through sports is a cause that resident badass Hydrow Athlete, Sera Moon holds near and dear. As a lifelong athlete, many of the traits that make Sera so powerful are those she learned through sports. Before taking up rowing, Sera Moon began her athletic career as a rock climber at the age of six… and sports have been a crucial part of her identity ever since.

We checked in with Sera Moon to talk about her relationship with sports and competition, just in time for International Women’s Day. 

Can you talk about what sports meant to you as a young girl?

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, climbing was giving me both physical and mental strength as a kid. I had experienced failure and heartbreak in competition by the time I was just eight years old. Because of that, I wasn’t afraid to try new things, and give every chance my all. I knew how great it felt to win, but I also learned how to pick myself up again when I failed. Today, I carry those lessons with me every single day.

What are your highest hopes for the next generation of female athletes who are just starting out today?

I hope to see increased viewership, awareness, equal compensation, and above all, respect for our female athletes in the future. SO much has changed for the better in the past few decades and years, but we still have a ways to go. 

As a young girl I was embarrassed to have the body I had -- a strong body. I was the subject of body-shaming and internalized a lot of those negative sentiments throughout my adolescence. I worked hard to push the noise away and learn to feel proud of my body and the amazing things it could do! I want young female athletes to feel empowered and proud of their strength, never embarrassed by it. 

What advice do you have for young girls in sports?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and do what you need to do to reach your full potential. If you truly want something, then you should go for it. As women and girls, we’re given many ideas about what we “should” be doing with our time or pursuing in life. It’s up to us to create new norms, to show our strength, and keep showing the world what’s possible.

Follow Sera Moon on Instagram at @seramoonbusse.

Sera Moon preparing for a row.[/caption]