When Olympic Bronze medalist Sofia Papadopoulou stepped onto the podium in 2008, she became more than a champion—she became a catalyst for change in Greek sailing. This vision came full circle at SailFem 2025, where her leadership brought together women sailing coaches from across Greece for three transformative days of empowerment and skill-building.
Themed “Empowering and Connecting Women Sailing Coaches in Greece“, the event took place from January 13 to 15, 2025, with the first two days held at The American College of Greece (ACG) campus. All faculty members of the Sports Management Program (SPM) and Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism & Leisure (CoEFTL) participated as presenters, contributing essential expertise in sailing coach development and sports management training. The event aimed to provide participants with valuable leadership strategies, professional development skills, and networking opportunities, all while strengthening women’s leadership roles in sailing coaching. Their comprehensive presentations covered a range of critical topics for modern sports coaching, including personal branding, sport psychology, sexual harassment prevention in sports, sports sponsorship strategies, talent identification and development, as well as Olympic education and the promotion of Olympic values. The coverage of these diverse topics created a holistic approach to women’s sailing coach empowerment.
SailFem 2025 is supported by the prestigious Anita White Catalyst Grant, a globally recognized program that promotes women’s leadership in sports worldwide. The event also benefits from the support of various national and international sailing organizations, as well as foreign universities specializing in sports management education. This collaborative initiative seeks to build a dynamic network of women coaches who are actively contributing to the recognition and advancement of women’s roles in Greek sailing.
Congratulations to CoEFTL members Tatiana Chalkidou, Stella Leivadi, Symeon Siomopoulos, Charitomeni Tsordia, and Eugenia Tzoumaka for their outstanding presentations and their significant contribution to promoting women in sports leadership. Their expertise helped establish new benchmarks for sailing coach development and women’s empowerment in Greek sports.
