Powerlist 2025: Olympian Denise Lewis says 'we don't do enough' to get girls into sport

Dame DBE opened up about her number one role model and the problem of "not doing enough" to get Black girls into after receiving a special award.

Denise Lewis just received HSBC Outstanding Achievement Award 2024 for her amazing career in sport and her commitment to charities.

Denise is an ambassador for Youth Sports Trust, International Inspirations and SCOPE - and the President of England, which will have her oversee the Victoria 2026 Games.

With her legacy in sport, she acknowledged the difficulty many and Black girls in particular face in trying to get into sports.

The retired athlete explained: "I think sport is always a tricky one, especially in team sports it’s really challenging but I do think there is a sport for everyone. I don’t think we do enough in terms of having a variety of sports on offer for our young Black women.

Denise also spoke on how puberty often deters girls from pursuing sports.

"It gets harder when you’re fourteen years of age: body, identity, our hair can be an issue and can be a barrier sometimes for people choosing certain sports. I’m hoping that changes because I’ve changed my life with sport,” she says.

Now President of UK Athletics, Denise revealed who her biggest role model is since her girlhood days; her mother.

"My mum is a great inspiration to me; her dedication, drive and tenacity are qualities that I’ve cited over the years for my own personal journeys."

Denise praised events like the Powerlist 2025 for showcasing positive role models for young Black kids to look up to.

She explained: "When you don't always see Black excellence in your orb, you think there's a ceiling, but nights like this show that we can get to the very very top in many different avenues which is very inspirational.

"I think a night like this can really show just how diversely the talent has gone on from strength to strength no matter what industry you’re in. I think it's hugely important for inspiration, aspiration and determination."

Denise also mentioned the misrepresentation of Black history in mainstream education and the importance of reclaiming stories.

"I think it's been well-documented that our history isn't always as it should be documented, especially within schools.

"Hence we’ve got organisations always trying to encourage how Black history is told through the lens of Black people and actually how it really happened and how we came to be in the UK."

She applauded Powerlist 2025 for being a vessel to highlight the successes of Africans and African Caribbeans in the UK.

"Black Powelist has been going on for a good few years now and it’s been formed because of the lack of representation in some of the mainstream honours and awards.

"Over the years I’ve just seen it grow from strength to strength where talented individuals across a whole host of industries managed to come together and get honoured for the incredible work that they do in their communities and in their work."