Like many women and girls, Eleanor Cardwell had experienced difficulty in finding a sports bra that provided the necessary support she needed since she was in school.
But when Cardwell hit puberty, she found it particularly challenging as she was having to hold her chest down to avoid being in pain during PE classes.
The England netball player opened up about her struggles with sports bras and her motivation to help other women feel confident and supported on Sky Sports’ Off the Court podcast.
“I think it is a bit of a taboo subject,” Cardwell explained.
“Obviously putting it on social media, men are going to see this as well.
“And there’s going to be lots of single dads out there with daughters who also need to educate themselves and for it not to be a taboo subject so they [daughters] can ask questions.
“I think it’s about creating a little community where women can start talking and start communicating about this.
“I mean, I’ve had many women lift up their tops post-game and show me the sports bra that they’re now wearing, which is a great community to be a part of.
“It just makes you feel confident in what you’re doing, and all I want women to do is feel confident and supported.”
But this isn’t just about comfort, a poor-fitting sports bra can lead to breast tissue and ligament damage due to a lack of support.
Portsmouth University’s Research Group in Breast Health has proposed that exercise-induced breast pain is linked to the stretch of the skin and tissue.
Damaged breast tissue can also lead to the development of fat necrosis, a benign, firm, round lump that can develop after a breast injury.
With such impacts on breast health, it is surprising that just 36 per cent of 11-18-year-old girls wear a sports bra in PE at school, according to 2023 data from Women in Sport.
Recently, Cardwell partnered with MAAREE, a sports bra company, to help more women and girls find the right sports bra for them.
“I started my sports bra journey kind of asking the question of ‘I don’t know what sports bra to wear’,” Cardwell said.
“I’ve not got any education in this field, and I needed help.
“MAAREE’s ethos of wanting to make a change in the sports bra industry really fitted with me.
“I want to help young women, older women, anyone who has issues with sports bras and sports bras being a barrier to them participating in sport – I have always wanted to help those women.”
