The 20th April MUAY Thai Gala in Debrecen, Hungary saw the 18-year-old Harber square off against experienced Czech fighter Veronika Matzkeova over five fierce two-minute rounds.

From the opening bell, the Watford warrior seized control with her confident, aggressive style. Harber dictated the pace and action, raining down a blistering array of pinpoint punches, crippling kicks and knees. Though her Czech opponent proved durable, Harber’s relentless offense and stellar preparation earned her a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

“I’m extremely pleased to capture this inaugural GEWISS title belt,” said an elated Harber. “Veronika was a game opponent, but I stuck to the perfect gameplan devised by my world-class coaches Christian and Lyndon Knowles. Their experience and guidance gives me the confidence to implement our strategy flawlessly.”

Harber’s triumph adds another glittering achievement to her soaring résumé representing England at major international Muay Thai tournaments worldwide. Previously having amateur success, she now takes aim at professional glory with her sights set on claiming more championship belts.

“Ellie is just beginning her journey into the pro ranks, but she’s already displaying world-class potential,” beamed coach Lyndon Knowles. “Her work ethic, skills and mental toughness are truly special. We’re immensely proud of this outstanding win for Ellie on the international stage against an experienced fighter.”

The humble Thai boxing champ actively seeks corporate sponsors and partners to support her blossoming professional career and her pursuit of Muay Thai dominance on the global stage. Local and international businesses interested in endorsing Ellie can contact Callum at The Athlete Media Group (on IG athletemediagroup or www.atheletemediagroup.uk  for sponsorship inquiries and opportunities.

Why give up medical studies for windsurfing?

 What’s been the hardest part of your journey?

What’s been the best part about your sporting journey?

The best part of this journey is almost everything, it’s impossible to choose! Getting to exercise the sport I love the most every single day in locations that are warm and gorgeous, having met incredible people in this community who have helped me immensely, pushing my physical and mental skills to their limit and so much more. I truly feel so blessed to be able to do this!

What’s your goal for 2024?

Henry is your coach.  How has he improved your windsurfing?

Tell us about your current sponsors.  How did you find them?  How do you work with them?

How sustainable is your sport?

Tell us about any important sustainable lifestyle habits? Eg: van vs air / food / beach cleans / clothing?

What’s the worst thing you’ve seen in the ocean? Eg: Sarah Jackson said a fridge|!

Favourite female sportswoman? 

The event—from June 23 to 30—will spotlight the 5,000-plus female wildlife rangers involved in everything from arresting poachers to seizing snares that trap animals to educating local communities about conservation.

As well as celebrating the vital roles this global community of women plays, the week hopes to inspire others to consider becoming rangers as a career—currently, only 11 percent of rangers are female.

The week was created by adventurer and conservationist, Holly Budge, who has been supporting the work of female rangers for almost a decade.

Holly—who, among her many achievements, was the first woman to skydive over Everest—is also the founder of the UK Charity How Many Elephants, which draws attention to the shocking plight of African elephants due to the illegal ivory trade.

Holly Budge With The Black Mambas

Photo credit: How Many Elephants

Holly promotes World Female Ranger Week through How Many Elephants, which this year will include live and online events and a fundraising platform to support rangers worldwide.

“Having patrolled with multiple ranger teams across Africa, I’ve seen first-hand how these bold women are impacting lives,” she said.

“They are protecting wildlife, uplifting communities and empowering other women.”

Holly is passionate about redressing the gender imbalance in conservation. Currently, less than 11% of the global ranger workforce is female.

Holly is gathering data on these statistics “to identify their needs, find tangible solutions, and help build effective policies towards positive outcomes for female rangers and conservation as a whole.” So far, she has identified over 5,500 rangers working worldwide in countries as diverse as Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Guyana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Tasmania, and Scotland.

Their roles differ, and many are under additional pressure—some because it’s not considered acceptable for them to work in a man’s world, while others may have to support their entire families.

However, becoming a ranger has had a very positive effect and improved their lives.

“Becoming a ranger has empowered them, turned them into breadwinners and property owners and has allowed them access to higher education and much-needed healthcare,” said Holly.

Akashinga

Photo Credit: Brent Stirton

World Female Ranger Week has been internationally applauded for the work it does.

Ugandan Dr Glady Kalema-Zikusoka, WFRW Ambassador, said she was delighted to support the event.

“Gender equality in the conservation area is such an important and prevalent topic,” she said.

“There is still work to do but World Female Ranger Week plays a key role in raising awareness of the work of female rangers and women in conservation more broadly.”

Further information is available at www.worldfemalerangerweek.org and www.howmanyelephants.org

For further information/interviews with Holly and case studies of women rangers please contact Bernice Saltzer at Sorted PR on 07977 860183 or email bernice@sortedpr.com

About Holly Budge, Founder of How Many Elephants & World Female Ranger Week.

Holly Budge is an adventurer, Everest summiteer and the first woman to skydive Everest. She is an advocate for building mental toughness and has been described as “down-to-earth, funny and incredibly inspiring” by HRH Prince Edward. Holly is the founder of UK Charity, ‘How Many Elephants’ and World Female Ranger Week. Her impactful work has been celebrated worldwide, including by Sir David Attenborough. She was recently voted ‘Woman of the Year in Non-Profit’ through the Stevie Awards, listed in the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise and is an official UN Women UK Delegate.

About How Many Elephants

UK registered charity, How Many Elephants (1186238), is a powerful design-led awareness campaign and innovative in its 100% non-gory approach. It showcases the annual poaching rate of 35,000 elephants in Africa in a visual exhibition to inspire and educate a global audience about the devastating impacts of the ivory trade. How Many Elephants collaborates with and supports female rangers on the front line. Read more at www.howmanyelephants.org

Styrkr [stir-kuh], meaning strength in Old Norse, are an innovative nutrition brand aiming to improve athlete performance through specifically designed supplements to give athletes more energy whilst combating fatigue.

With amateur athletes not being that amateur anymore, the Styrkr product range caters for the everyday athlete, as well as the professionals at the top of their game.

Declan Brooks OLY commented on the partnership – “Really stoked to be working with Styrkr for 2024. With Styrkr branching into a new avenue and the professionalism of BMX Freestyle, now being an Olympic sport, BMX riders are looking to be fuelling their bodies with the right nutrition – I think this partnership is key. I’ve been using Styrkr products for a few weeks now and I already have some favourites. The BAR50 dark chocolate chip is a dream for long riding sessions”.

Founder of Styrkr, Christian  Sanderson shared “we are more than thrilled to have Declan Brooks on board with Styrkr and can’t wait to fuel his journey to Paris 2024 and beyond”.

https://styrkr.com

The partnership will see the parties collaborate on new business opportunities & current client projects involving inspiring speakers, expert panels, leadership workshops, mentoring programs and annual programs designed to grow employee engagement & leadership potential.

Mojo Leadership is a boutique Leadership Development Consultancy which believes leadership is a state of mind, not a job title. That to truly lead, inspire and influence those around you, you have to be able to lead yourself first. They believe leadership is fundmentally an inside/out job, with coaching and workshops designed around this philosophy. Clients include Denstu, WPP, Smartly.io and Talon Outdoor.

The Athlete Media Group is an full-service sports marketing agency championing the UN’s Global Goals harnessing the power of sport & elite athlets.  It works with almost 100 elite athletes, adventurers & military veterans across 42 sports from around the world including World Cup winners, Olympic & Paralympic champions, world champions, world record holders & rising stars.

Historically, AMG has introduced elite athletes, adventurers & military veterans to tell their inspiring human stories to the popular Mojo Podcast which Stokes hosts.  Marlie Packer, England women’s Rugby Captain, Adriana Brownlee 22 year old climber of 13 of the highest 14 8,000m peaks in the world and double amputee military veteran Duncan Slater, the first double amputee to successfully complete the gruelling 156mile ultra race, the Marathon des Sables have been among the guests.

Richard Stokes, Founder & Head Coach of Mojo Leadership said, “Since we launched our resepective businesses, there has been a natural alignment in our missions. With the power of understanding and following Purpose at the heart. We also share a passion for unearthing and sharing important stories about leadership in life, business  and sport. It’s the right time to develop this alignment further. To create more positive impact from sharing these powerful human stories with a wider community  in new ways. Mojo Leadership clients are seeking inspiration and authenticity and AMG’s stable is unrival is this respect.“

Mark Middlemas, CEO & Founder of AMG, commented, “Our high performance community is full of leaders who offer powerful & proven insight for the business world.  Working with Richard is the natural next stage in our already strong relationship and I’m excited for what’s next in helping the next generation of leaders in business.”

https://www.mojo-leadership.com

Only 11% of all rangers in the world are female. World Female Ranger Week (WFRW) runs from June 23rd to 30th and amplifies the voices of female rangers around the world to support their impactful work protecting wildlife, empowering women, and uplifting communities. Standing for gender equity, the week is designed to celebrate and support female rangers globally and protect wildlife, biodiversity, and wild spaces.

The independent sports marketing agency that champions the UN’s Global Goals through the power of sport and athletes will work closely with How Many Elephants charity founder Holly Budge to build global awareness and engagement during the week. In 2023, the week’s coverage had over 500m views across all media.

AMG’s remit will include driving awareness of and fundraising through national and international media and PR coverage, social media activity, content creation and distribution, and building relationships with corporate partners.

World Female Ranger Week founder Holly Budge said, “I am delighted to be working with AMG on this year’s World Female Ranger Week. The powerful combination of Mark and Nick brings such enthusiasm and experience to this important gender equality campaign. Our team-led approach will help us meet challenging targets this year.”

Mark Middlemas, AMG’s CEO & Founder, said of the agency’s latest account win, “It is a privilege to be working on such an important project. WFRW is all about showcasing the amazing female rangers working in global conservation, and we are excited to bring our experience, expertise and of course athlete-led solutions to the table for such a vital cause. Holly Budge is a powerhouse.”

http://www.howmanyelephants.org
http://www.worldfemalerangerweek.org
http://www.hollybudge.com 

It is great to see another leading media agency harnessing the power of elite athlete platforms.

The fantastic team at Bicycle London have partnered with 2021 Olympic BMX Freestlye medallist Declan Brooks OLY in a year long deal.

Brooks will work closely with the agency’s staff on employee engagement initiatives across 2024 sharing the assortment of skills learnt from his epic sporting journey.

Some background on BMX legend Declan…

Leading British BMX rider
Worked as a stunt performer
Appeared in Bollywood productions
Appeared in hit movie ‘Mary Poppins Returns’
Filmed Halfords & Cadbury’s TV ads
Toured with Cirque Du Soleil in 2017

Yes, &, made history by winning bronze at the first ever Olympic BMX Freestyle event.

We’re delighted to partner with Declan, he represents our values as an agency of drive, balance & freedom,” said Henry Daglish, CEO & Co-founder of the thriving London agency.

Yes, &, a huge thanks to Henry, Pedro Avery, Will Ridley & the whole agency for their support of Declan.  An exciting year lies ahead!

The Athlete Media Group: where performance meets purpose.

Hannah and Marlie will be working closely with Avanti over the next twelve months to strengthen and promote the satellite provider’s CSR and Sustainability initiatives. Avanti shares many key values with the purpose-driven athletes and will be collaborating with them on STEM advocacy, education, and HR-focused initiatives.

Elite professional sailor, Hannah Mills OBE, has been recognised for her services to sport and sustainability, having founded the Big Plastic Pledge to tackle single-use plastic in sport.  The Sail GP sailor is also an ambassador at the 1851 Trust which makes STEM learning inspirational and accessible for the next generation.

This year, Avanti will define a new sustainability strategy and draw on Hannah’s passion and experience in this area to inspire its workforce and embed this within the business.

Education will remain a key strategic pillar for Avanti, and Hannah will be supporting the business to showcase the positive impact that quality education can have on young minds. Avanti has already helped the learning of more than 180,000 children with its satellite technology and has a target to connect an additional 10,000 remote schools and villages over the next 5 years. The business will also continue to inspire young people to pursue STEM careers with its annual Apprenticeship Scheme.

Saracens and England Women’s Rugby captain, Marlie Packer, will celebrate her 100th cap for England later this spring. Renowned for her achievements in rugby and commitment to championing gender equality and mental wellbeing, Marlie will work alongside Avanti on HR initiatives to support the physical and mental health of its workforce.

Having recently received the Great Place to Work certification, Avanti will be building on its existing employee wellness programme with new initiatives to engage and support its 220 employees across 7 international office locations.

Kyle Whitehill, CEO at Avanti Communications, said: “We have been working with Hannah and Marlie for the past year and they have had a huge impact on our business. These inspiring women are not only at the top of their game within their respective fields but also have impressive credentials beyond sport. Their values seamlessly align with Avanti’s ambitions to improve access to quality education for children across the globe and to prioritise mental and physical wellbeing within the workplace.”

Hannah Mills OBE said: “I am proud to be working with such a values-driven business like Avanti. Their focus on quality education and sustainability aligns with a lot of my recent work and values. I look forward to sharing my experiences with their passionate people and make a positive impact together.”

Marlie Packer added: “I’m super excited to continue my partnership with Avanti. They are a company that care about their people and provide opportunities to be the best version of themselves. I’m excited to share my experiences and knowledge from the rugby pitch and transfer them into a business setting.”

As someone with a severe physical disability, who requires care support in daily life but also to enable her to compete, she’s made it one of her missions to raise more awareness and knowledge about the barriers that disabled people face.

She’s been the volunteer Disability Access Officer at Larne FC for 4 years now, improving accessibility and inclusivity within the club. Her main work is on the infrastructure but also on policies, technology and trying to make Larne FC as accessible, inclusive and diverse as possible.

She is also a member of the BPA Athlete Commission, making sure that the views, representation and experiences of athletes with high support needs are heard and improved upon.

We asked her about her sporting journey & ambitions.

1. Why did you choose to start boccia?

The nature of my disability (dystonia) is progressive, and I’d tried out wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby previously.

A local club was being set up, and I was encouraged to go along, and initially I wasn’t that interested, which surprises most people. It was only after I was selected to represent NI at the UK Championships in 2014, and I saw the level of intricacy and accuracy of boccia at a national and then international level that peaked my interest.

After this competition, I was selected to the World Class Programme of boccia after a 1 day trial in Sheffield, and from this moment my life was inexplicably changed for the better.

2. What do you enjoy most about the sport?

Boccia is essentially like playing a board game, or chess with the levels of tactics and decision making. I’ve always been more interested in puzzles and games rather than fast paced cardio sport, so in a way boccia is the perfect sport for me!

With boccia there’s are always new ways of looking at shots, or decisions and athletes globally are always trying to improve and find the next competitive edge. It’s always moving forward, and thinking outside the box with tactics and decisions is imperitive to be competitive.

3. Where do you see the sport in the next 5 years?

This is a great question, and not one I had considered. This is the first Paralympic cycle where the classifications are not mixed, and I think it is the right time to do it. The female classifications will develop in strength and depth over the next few years, and I look forward to seeing where they get to.

In the next 5 years, I’d like to see that there are more retired boccia athletes who are still involved in the sport globally, through coaching and committees as retired athletes will have the lived experience that is needed to make changes within our sport and within all sports who have athletes with high support needs.

4. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

An even more interesting question! Honestly I have no idea. I’m unsure if I will still be playing boccia, but I’d like to think I will still be involved in the sport in some way!

5. What would you like to do for the sport?

I am on the British Paralympic Association Athlete Commision, where myself and my fellow athletes give feedback and suggestions to improve athlete experience across all sports not just boccia.

I am always advocating for athletes with high support needs, like myself that there should be better representation in the mainstream media.

Outside of my sport, I am the Disability Access Officer at my local football club Larne FC. My role mainly involves changing infrastructure and improving accessibility at our club. I really enjoy this role and I see so many barriers as a disabled person, but if I can reduce and remove some of those so that everyone can enjoy this football, then I’m keen to do so.

6. Why are you passionate about your purpose?

As a person with a severe physical disability there are things that I wish that were better for the next generations of disabled people. Although I am just 1 person, shouting loudly within the Paralympic sphere about athletes with high support needs, I hope that one day that our needs will be considered before we even have to ask or request.

Panasonic has announced that 2x Olympic Champion and 3x World Champion Hannah Mills OBE (Order of the British Empire) has become the latest world-class athlete to join the European Team Panasonic family, alongside fellow Olympian Malaika Mihambo and Paralympian Hannah Cockroft.

With a mutual unwavering commitment to raising sustainability awareness and driving change, Hannah and Panasonic will utilise the high-profile platform of sports to encourage climate action worldwide.

Hannah Mills is hugely passionate about the environment and gender equality and equity. She is determined to harness the power of sports and sporting passion to change behaviour and influence as many individuals, businesses, and governments as possible into delivering positive impact.

Her passion has driven her to becoming a sustainability ambassador for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the ‘Global Purpose Ambassador’ for SailGP (an international sailing competition that features high-performance 50-foot foiling catamarans).

Hannah also launched the Big Plastic Pledge, with support from the IOC, a global campaign which calls on athletes and fans to reduce the use of single-use plastic in their daily lives. She is also the co-founder of Athletes of the World, an athlete group campaigning for positive impact around climate change.

On the water, Hannah has won both a silver medal for Team GB in the Olympic Games London 2012 and gold in the same event at Rio 2016. She became Olympian Champion again at Tokyo 2020.

Hannah’s accomplishments were recognised in 2021 when she was appointed OBE for her continued services to sailing and the environment.

As part of Team Panasonic, Hannah will be striving to further advance awareness for the need of everyone to take action in the fight against climate change and encourage collaboration between sport and business to drive change.

Speaking of partnering with Panasonic, Hannah comments, “We need the same passion and energy as we have for sports for sustainability – where we all back the planet as our Team.

“Working with a business the size and scale of Panasonic on sustainability is truly exciting. Panasonic’s GREEN IMPACT campaign is one of the few sustainability plans I’ve read from a company of such scale that is clear, understandable and looks at all areas of the business and the impact that can be achieved.

“Achieving net zero of its own operations by 2030 through reduction, avoidance and technological innovations is, in my opinion the responsibility which not only Panasonic should work for but for all business and industry. Seeing that from Panasonic along with a plan to back it up makes me excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Team Panasonic Athletes Campaign for Sustainability

Hannah Mills joins Malaika Mihambo and Hannah Cockroft as part of the European Team Panasonic family. Together with Panasonic they will encourage action for sustainability efforts towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Junichi Suzuki, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Europe B.V. comments, “Hannah is not only the world’s most successful female Olympic sailing athlete, but her impressive sustainability credentials mark her out as a true leader in her field.

“Shining a light on not just what we should be doing for climate action, but how it is a fundamental requirement for any business, and by working with exceptional athletes like Hannah Mills as part of Team Panasonic, we extend our opportunity to do so.”

For more information about Panasonic sustainability initiatives, visit the Panasonic GREEN IMPACT page:

https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/panasonic-green-impact.htmlFor more information about Panasonic as a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner visit: Panasonic Official Olympic & Paralympic Website | Panasonic Holdings

About the Panasonic Group

Founded in 1918, and today a global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022 with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. The Group reported consolidated net sales of 8,378.9 billion yen (ca. 59.4 billion Euro) for the year ended March 31, 2023.

To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/