Dominique Kondo

And here in Australia, AFLW play is a juggling work, study and public commentary about how they look in their uniform when all they want to do is play.

Why is this still happening?

Why are we so comfortable judging athletes on aesthetics?

And what are we going to do about it?

Now, this talk isn't just about elite athletes.

It's about what happens when performance and appearance collide, yes, in sport, but also in schools, in workplaces, and even in our own homes.

When we celebrate appearance over capability, we send that message to our daughters, our sons, and our colleagues, that how we look matters more than what we do.

And that doesn't just hold athletes back.

That holds all of us back.

So to start to make a real difference, we have to understand where the pressure and commentary comes from in the first place.

Now, let's talk about the sources of pressure.

Some are external, the uniform that feels exposing, the commentator that talks about how she looks before how she plays, the constant scrolling through social media of the perfect body.

And others are internal, the comparison of skin folds between teammates, the coach that says, you need to be leaner with very little context.

and the athlete herself chasing unattainable goals.

And then there is language, the invisible force that can fuel or fracture performance.

I once worked with an athlete who crumbled after being told, you're too heavy to compete.

That same athlete later thrived when the conversation was reframed to improving your repeat sprint ability will give you a competitive edge.

Let's get to work on a training and fueling program and make that happen.

In sport and in life, language is not just communication.

It's a performance tool.