‘Strive for More’ initiative brings together athletes, fans and key organizations to call for equity in women’s sports
SAN FRANCISCO – July 22, 2022 – As the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift kicks off for the first time in thirty-three years, Strava, the leading social platform for athletes and the largest sports community in the world with more than 100 million athletes, today announced the launch of ‘Strive for More,’ a new initiative that will get more women to the starting line in professional sports.
Through a new digital spot and pledge program, Strava is calling on athletes, fans and organizations to strive for more equity in women’s sports at a time when female athletes are fighting to get and stay in professional competition. Among professional athletes in the U.S., only 16.4% of them are women compared to 83.6% which are men. Many female athletes in pro sports such as cycling, are holding down regular 9-5s to fund their careers. According to The Cyclists' Alliance Rider Survey; 46% of riders work a second job or are supported financially by a family member to race in the road peloton. When broken down by the tiers of women's racing, 65% of Continental Team riders are working a second job/financially supported vs only 25% of World Tour Riders. Source: TCA's 2022 Rider Survey
As an immediate step to keep more women on the starting line of next year’s tour, Strava has made a three year financial commitment of $210,000 to develop and support operations of The Cyclists’ Alliance, a global foundation that provides holistic support to professional female cyclists during and after their careers.
"This funding isn’t just funding, it is an endorsement of our work and supports the growing coalition of the like-minded in our sport, amplifying athletes' voices to collectively raise the standards for all women in cycling.
It will revolutionise the representation we offer and provide the opportunity to make the dreams of our members a reality. Partnerships enable the TCA to continue advocating for a safe working environment with equal rights, opportunities and pay – as the only independent union representing over 220 riders"
Iris Slappendel, VIce Director of The Cyclists' Alliance
To illustrate the resilience and strength of women in the peloton, Strava released a new digital spot that is an emotional call for the industry to strive for more, just as all eyes tune in to the women’s peloton on July 24th. ‘Strive for More’ will directly impact cyclists’ careers with the ultimate goal of creating long-term change beyond this year’s race. Strava has also teamed up with athletes and The Women’s Sports Foundation to show their support for female pros across all sports with the Strive for More pledge. Each signature of the pledge shows female athletes the importance of their place in professional competition and will create an opportunity for people to stay plugged in on ways they can team up with Strava to make an impact through challenges across the platform and matching donations.
"As the largest sports community in the world we have a responsibility to remind people why it’s so important to show support for today’s female athletes. When we see more women on the starting line we see more hope that we have the power to effect lasting change that will give them the same opportunity to succeed in their professional athletic careers. It is our ambition to create a grant program that will be available to women in a number of professional sports, as well as continue to provide greater connection and community for athletes through our platform.”
Zipporah Allen, Chief Marketing Officer at Strava
To view the film and sign the Strive for More pledge to stay connected on how to support female athletes visit: Strava.com/striveformore