As the global sporting community prepared to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, three rowing coaches completed the latest edition of the Women in Sport High Performance Pathway Programme (WISH), strengthening and growing global the network.
The WISH programme, funded through Olympic Solidarity and delivered in collaboration with International Federations and National Olympic Committees, aims to increase the number of women coaching at the highest levels of sport, including World Championships and the Olympic Games. Through leadership development, mentoring and cross-sport learning, the programme equips participants with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in high-performance environments.
The Cohort 6 residential week, held from 1 – 6 March 2026 at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, brought together 26 coaches from 23 countries, representing 20 sports and 18 languages. The programme focused strongly on the theme of cultivating connections, recognizing that leadership in sport is strengthened through collaboration, mentorship and shared experience.
Building confidence and connections
Throughout the week, participants engaged in interactive sessions covering key topics relevant to developing high-performance coaches, including leadership development, communication, managing priorities, self care and building effective relationships with stakeholders.
Rowing was represented by three coaches who applied and were selected to the programme:
- Madalena Ferreira (Portugal)
- Stephanie Marchand (Canada)
- Denise Walsh (Ireland)
Reflecting on the experience, the coaches highlighted the powerful sense of connection and support created during the programme.
“It was an amazing week of connection, self growth and learning. I leave the University of Hertfordshire with new friends, more confidence and definitely more eager to go further. I’m so grateful to have my WISH family to support and cheer along all of our journeys,” Madalena Ferreira said.
Stephanie Marchand described the unique environment created by the programme: “I felt incredibly empowered. Being surrounded by so many women coaches from across the world created a safe place to share experiences, ideas and challenges. Lifelong connections were made this week.”
For Denise Walsh, the opportunity to learn alongside coaches from other sports was particularly valuable: “The value of cross-sport collaboration was huge. With a full week together we had the chance to really get to know each other and have meaningful conversations about coaching and leadership.”
Strengthening the pathway for women coaches
For World Rowing, participation in the WISH programme forms part of a broader commitment to strengthening the pathway for women in coaching and leadership roles.
Over the past six years, initiatives such as WISH and the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA HP) have played an important role in supporting women coaches across the global rowing community. These programmes help develop coaches to have the competence, confidence and leadership skills needed at the highest levels of the sport.
Growing the global network of women rowing coaches
The following rowing coaches have participated in WSLA HP and WISH programmes since 2019:
WSLA (2019 – 2021)
- Ibtissem Trimech – Tunisia
- Emma Benany – Egypt
- Soulaz Abbasiazad – Iran
- Zane Putnina – Latvia
- Clara Rohner – Argentina
WISH Cohort 2 (2022)
- Helen Brown – Great Britain
- Chryssa Biskitzi – Greece
- Pamela Weisshaupt – Switzerland
- Leticia Muziol – Brazil
WISH Cohort 3 (2023)
- Anna-Maria Gotz – Austria
- Brett Gorman – USA
- Caitlin Dace – South Africa
- Katie Bahain-Steenman – Canada
WISH Cohort 5 (2025)
- Batenga Nakisozi – Uganda
- Maria Georgiou – Cyprus
WISH Cohort 6 (2026)
- Madalena Ferreira – Portugal
- Stephanie Marchand – Canada
- Denise Walsh – Ireland
These programmes continue to strengthen the global pipeline of women coaches in rowing, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive leadership landscape within the sport.
Looking ahead
While the residential week marked a significant milestone, the WISH journey will continue through online leadership sessions, mentoring relationships and further professional development opportunities over the coming months. For the three rowing coaches in Cohort 6, the experience represents not only personal growth but also the strengthening of a global community of women leaders in sport.
As the world marked International Women’s Day, their participation highlighted a shared commitment within the rowing community to support, develop and empower the next generation of women coaches.
PHOTO CREDIT: WISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER