94%
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Did you know that 94% of sports performance research focuses on male athletes.
Until recently.
Emerging research is pointing to a new way for women and girls to train in sport.
By tracking and understanding the power of their menstrual cycle.
By optimising their fueling, training and recovery around their hormonal fluctuations to improve performance, avoid injury and enjoy best health outcomes.
Sounds exciting doesn’t it?
We think so.
We are
Optimise Foundation
We are local athletes, sports coaches, doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists and personal trainers.
We have studied the research and pooled our resources to become a sum bigger than our parts.
Because it's important to share this.
At a grassroots level.
So that every girl and woman can understand and optimise their training around their unique physiology, hormones and life stages.
In our local sports clubs, playing fields, at the track, the pool, on the balance beam, in the local leisure centre.
Be part of this.
With us.
For our girls.
They deserve more than 6% of research.
Sponsor us.
We are looking for a visionary corporate sponsor who shares our passion and makes all this happen.
Volunteer with us.
Do you want to help girls and women to reach their potential?
We are looking for social media enthusiasts, grant writers and researchers.
Please donate today.
Help us break new ground to improve female mental and physical health in grassroots sport.
We offer
Education
Talks, workshops, and sessions to break down taboos and share latest research.
Action
Athlete led conversations to translate guidance on fueling, training and recovery into practical action for real life.
Advocacy
Contribute to academic research and educate local schools to keep more girls in sport.
Don’t take our word for it
What others say
Our trustees
Optimise Foundation is run by Leza Milligan, under the strategic direction of Billy McCulloch, Sam Gold, Jo Chisholm and Pip Barr.
As Trustees, Billy, Sam, Jo and Pip govern and oversee Optimise Foundation. Their professional acumen and expertise guides our strategic growth and programme rollout. Their lived experience keeps our values and charitable aims at the heart of what we do.
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As senior project manager with Royal Sun Alliance, Pip is experienced in planning and delivering complex IT programmes. An R.U.F.C Committee member, Pip is also a keen triathlete, open water swimmer and runner, having completed over 280 Park Runs, at least half of them pushing a buggy!
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Jo runs the hugely successful kitchen company Chisholm Design, along with her husband Rob and growing team. A former Army officer and qualified engineer, Jo is passionate about health, nutrition and wellness. A mother of two teenagers, Jo spends her free time running, cycling and training in the gym, as well as walking their dog Inca.
Somewhat ironically, Optimise was founded around Jo's kitchen table.
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Prior to retraining as a Clinical Nutritionist and Women's Health Specialist, Sam oversaw event management at Breast Cancer Now, the UK's largest breast cancer charity. An inspiring public speaker, and mother of three sporty daughters, Sam is passionate about women's health and the importance of sharing education on nutrition, gut health and how hormone fluctuations impact the female body, through all life stages from puberty to menopause.
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With decades of experience in retail operations leadership, Billy has successfully delivered multi-million pound customer and change programmes and headed up new store rollouts and projects for M&S and Co-op. Billy is a keen runner, proudly representing England Masters, a qualified England Athletics Running Coach and a Swim England Swimming Instructor. As a dedicated mother, she supports her daughter Jodie, an amazing young footballer, and her son Euan, a rugby fanatic.
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Founder
A former international aid worker, Leza’s background is in human rights and post war reconstruction in the Balkans. In the UK, she has worked with the British Red Cross, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and human rights charity Reprieve. Leza gave up competitive swimming aged 15 not realising that it would be at least 2 decades before she entered a race in any sport again. Leza started Optimise to tackle inequity in sport and empower girls and women to make informed decisions about their bodies, training and long term health. You will find her at park run with Pip, on the trails with Billy, in the pool with Becky or transporting her children around Farnham on a strange looking cargo bike.
Ambassadors
Our ambassadors guide and advise us in our mission.
Their passion and determination sets the example we aspire to follow.
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Ambassador
A campaigner, advisor and ultra-athlete famous for her endurance feats, Sophie’s passion, determination and commitment has given rise to SheRaces - a global network of race accreditation designed to increase participation, improve race experience and value female competition equally.
I support Optimise because all women and girls should be empowered to fully understand our bodies, so we can engage in sport and perform at our best throughout our lives.
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Ambassador
Pippa is an English Schools and British Universities Champion, a former GB athlete, and now a Positive Psychology Coach (MSc) and Athlete Mentor. Over a decade of competing in international athletics while studying in the UK and USA, Pippa experienced her fair share of highs and lows, including REDs. Several years after overcoming the condition, Pippa established Project RED-S with the aim of providing the resources she needed at the start of her struggle.
I support Optimise because they are giving young athletes the incredible gift of all the tools they need to thrive, both in sport and in life.”
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Ambassador
A native of Farnham Surrey, former European U23 Cross Country champion, and bronze medallist at the World Junior Athletics Championships, Emma switched to triathlon following knee injuries in 2012. Emma has since become a highly decorated multisport competitor, with world titles in both duathlon and aquathlon, and more than a dozen wins at major Ironman 70.3 events.
'As an elite athlete, I understand the importance of training around my physiology. For Optimise to champion and communicate this at a grassroots level is innovative and progressive - empowering local clubs, schools, coaches and female athletes of all ages to avoid injury, improve health and performance outcomes. All elites come from grassroots sports, so the work Optimise is doing here in our community will impact local sports performance for years to come'
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Ambassador
Dr Natalie Brown is a researcher based at Swansea University, working in collaboration with Sport Wales for the Welsh Institute of Performance Science. Her research focuses on athlete experiences of the menstrual cycle and openness of communication with coaches. Her findings have informed the creation of online resources to support coach and athlete education.
‘I support Optimise because I am passionate about translating research into practice to support coaches and athletes to understand and incorporate considerations of the menstrual cycle into training’
Our advisory council
Our Advisory Council review and endorse all reference material and public facing information prior to external delivery.
They are our quality control. And we are grateful to them for the time they dedicate to ensure that our information is robust, accessible, practical and of highest quality.
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General Practitioner
With an undergraduate degree in psychology and biology, Rebecca qualified as a doctor in 2009 and is currently a local GP with a specialist interest in women’s and child health. She has always enjoyed exercise, tennis, running, paddle boarding and cycling. She joined Leatherhead Swimming Club at the age of 9, swam competitively throughout her teens, and currently trains with Farnham Swimming Club.
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Paralympian
Possibly the most inspirational woman we know, Rachel Morris won her second Paralympic Games gold medal at Rio 2016, her first in rowing, having only taken up the sport in 2013, after a successful career as a hand-cyclist, winning time trial gold at Beijing 2008 and a bronze medal in the road race at London 2012. Rachel holds an MBE and is a passionate advocate for all young people in sport and in life.
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As Head of PE at Weydon School, Lucy is passionate about helping young girls overcome barriers to their personal and sporting potential. A graduate of University of Bath, Lucy played professionally for Southampton Football Club and was a youth level coach for several WSL Football clubs including Southampton, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur.
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Personal Trainer
Lou qualified as a personal trainer in 2013 with time spent in a chiropractor's clinic specialising in the rehabilitation of injuries and injury prevention. Louise has completed an Ironman, marathons and ultras and has dabbled in hiking, boxing and kayaking. She is a competitive runner with Farnham Runners and trains men and women to become stronger and more resilient versions of themselves.
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BA, MA, MB, BChir (Cantab), MRCP
Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University College London, Medical Advisor to Scottish Ballet, author of “Hormones, Health and Human Potential”, Nicky’s clinical endocrine work with dancers and athletes focuses on relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) and women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
Nicky actively supports Optimise by delivering talks to local sports clubs, alongside expert medical consultation and advice for our female athletes.
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Public Health Specialist
Polly is incredible. Cyclist, triathlete, physiotherapist with a Masters in Human Nutrition. As a Public Health Specialist for Camden Council, Polly is passionate about advancing health equity, enabling young people to enjoy healthier lifestyles through sport, physical activity and nutrition, whilst also picking the kids up from school.
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Sports Therapist
Holly holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports Therapy which she pursued following sustained injuries to her own high level swimming career as a teenager. She has a Level 3 PT qualification, Pilates Mat work Level 1, scoliosis training, paediatric training and is currently studying an MSc in Women's Health. She now regularly trains and competes in Cross Fit, Marathons and Hyrox races just for fun!
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An avid climber, hiker and swimmer, Eleen Craig is the design and branding expert behind the magic you see here. Eleen runs her own agency in Farnham, Surrey and channelled her time and passion into positioning Optimise to best reach and engage girls and women over the coming months. Eleen shares lived experience as a mother of two daughters to help inform our mission and values.
“We are excited to partner with Optimise Foundation to empower our swimmers to get the most out of their training and reach their personal and sporting potential”
- Fiona Lee, Chair of Farnham Swimming Club -
