Feb 25, 2025 – The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) is excited to launch the 2025 edition of its highly anticipated webinar series: Training the Female Athlete. Open to coaches and athletes worldwide, these free online seminars will provide scientific insights into female-specific challenges in sports and training performance.
Although still in its infancy, the series has developed significantly over the last year, going from Nordic-sport-specific to benefiting all FIS disciplines. It has even evolved from athletes and coaches to parents, physiotherapists, and other support staff working in the explored areas.
“We quickly realised that other sports could benefit from this initiative,” organizer Virginia de Martin told FIS.
There is a widespread knowledge gap regarding female athlete health and performance, and many stigmatised topics such as the menstrual cycle, which are challenging for athletes and coaches to discuss.
Virginia de Martin “Our goal is to make the knowledge shared by our experts available anytime, [primarily] by creating easy infographics, and by making the recording of the webinar sessions available on FIS TV or other platforms.”
The webinar is the perfect opportunity to encourage open and honest dialogue about subjects that may otherwise be taboo. It is critical to ensure that athletes train and compete in the best possible conditions for their health.
Not only is it key to providing coaches with suitable training knowledge, but it also helps encourage athletes to have complete autonomy over their training when things need adjusting.
“Having robust knowledge about female-specific challenges can make [trainers and competitors] empowered to make decisions accordingly,” Virginia added.
“For instance, knowing that menstruation days are particularly heavy in terms of training, an athlete and coach can help by planning additional recovery between training sessions.
“This is also expected to increase female athletes’ ownership over their athletic journey.”
Spanning ten sessions from February to December 2025, the program covers a wide range of critical topics including injury risk management, nutritional considerations, breast health, and female-specific responses to training. Sessions will also delve into often overlooked areas such as pelvic floor training and athlete-coach communication on stigmatised health topics.
The webinar schedule is as follows (all times in CET):
- February 27, 10:00 – Bias related to sex differences in sport and performance | Sophia Nimphius, PhD, GAICD
- March 18, 16:00 – Injury risk & individualised load management in female athletes | Dr. Anne Hecksteden, Professor
- April 10, 16:00 – Breast health and breast support | Abi Okell, MSc MCSP
- April 29, 16:00 – Pelvic floor and how to train it | Emma Brockwell, MCSP HCPC POGP
- May 27, 16:00 – Eating disorders in female athletes | Therese Fostervold Mathisen, PhD, Associate Professor
- June 24, 16:00 – Recommendations and nutritional considerations for female athletes | Dr. Kathryn E. Ackerman, MD, MPH
- September 16, 16:00 – Athlete-Coach Communication on Stigmatized Health Topics | Martina Höök, PhD candidate
- October 7, 16:00 – Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and the use of assessment tools | Judith Haudum, MSc
- November 4, 17:00 – Female physiological and performance development | Dr. Trent Stellingwerff
- December 9, 16:00 – Female-specific responses to exercise at altitude | Tom Citherlet, PhD candidate
FIS will endeavor to record and share the webinars for future reference, ensuring accessibility even for those who cannot attend live.
“The series is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge and start the discussion regarding important yet understudied and stigmatized topics,” adds Virginia.
Let us bridge this knowledge and communication gap together!
Virginia de Martin Registration is open and all interested participants can sign up via the official registration link.
For more information, contact alexandra.blum@fis-ski.com.
