1.
A brainstormwith strong women
October 2015
This project was devised as a means to collect experiences and comments from women
involvedinthe strengthsports.Itisa shortquestionnaire(14questions) exploring what it was
like to be or become strong, the meaning of strength to the responder and the relationship
with their social environment (family and friends and society at large).
One questionispostedeachweekonsocial mediaandthe answersare collected. None of the
previousquestionsisdeleted,so that they are always available for more comment. If anyone
prefers to answer them all at once (and not in interactive form), they can just download the
file and do it.
1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your existence as a strong woman
(athlete, coach, neither)
2. Tell usa little aboutyourrelationship with strength in your early childhood. When do
you remember being aware of gender roles as applied to strength? Have the adults
around you attempt to deviate you to a route with less physical challenges or
confrontations because you were a girl? Did you have support from adults while
growing up strong (if you did) and who were they?
3. If you did not grow up as a strong little girl, when did the shift to a “strong
perspective” happen? How was it?
4. When you started to manifest your strength, what was the reaction from the
immediate surrounding? Were people supportive and excited or not?
5. If you had to associate strengthwith otherqualities,suchas boldness, determination,
violence, trauma, happiness, love, destiny or whatever (notice that the examples
containpositive,negative and neutral qualities on purpose), what would that be and
why?
6. If you are a coach or evenif youare not,but youare helpingpeople become stronger,
do youperceive this role as different from that of a male coach or helping person? In
which ways?
7. Scientificdatashowthere are differencesinstrengthandpoweroutput between men
and women. Should this information be discussed with women who want to get
strong? Does it make any difference?
8. Why do people in general need to recover their strength? How do you see your role
there?
9. Do women have different needs in recovering and maintaining their strength then
men?Consideringagingrelatedstrengthlosses, do we have a special role in the lives
of aging women or do you think it makes no difference the gender of the person
helping this aging woman?

2.
10. Do you feel prejudice because you are strong? If so, can you share some examples?
11. Do youfeel encouragementandadmirationforbeingstrong?If so,canyou share some
examples?
12. A man being aggressive or sarcastic is a man being a man, while a woman doing the
same is a bitch. Elaborate on the topic if you wish.
13. Sports economy and marketing: are strong female athletes becoming more valuable
for the sportsindustry?If so,didyou feel the change orhave some anecdotal evidence
you can share? How do you feel about yourself in this context (sponsorship, public
support, etc)?
14. What are your plans for the future?