International Women's Day, on 8 March, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Breaking Down Prejudice" because we want a world of gender equality, a world free of prejudice and discrimination, so this month Wolves will also be launching a series of inspiring stories of female club employees, including female players, female chefs, female referees and more, and explore the challenges they face in taking on roles that are seen as "male-led".
Today brings you the story of Kai Win, the active Wolfs women's team doctor.
Kai Win came to Wolves last September after working for Birmingham and the FA. Let's hear how she came to the Wolves family from Asia:
Professional experience
"I'm from Myanmar, I completed my primary medical training in my hometown and then my postgraduate course in the UK. Initially, I wanted to be a cardiologist, but during training, I realized I didn't like it, so I turned to sports medicine. Since then, I have dabbled in many sports such as athletics, hockey, swimming, volleyball, tennis, etc., and I am proud to be part of the medical team for the London 2012 Olympic Games. ”
"But since I was a kid, I've always loved football. When I started dabbling in sports medicine, I wanted to get into football. Birmingham gave me my first chance and I am forever grateful to them. I started as a team doctor at the Academy and have been the Chief Medical Officer. I love Birmingham and they will always be in my heart. I also worked for the FA for almost 10 years. Like everyone in football, I want to work in the Premier League and when the opportunity comes knocking on the door I can't refuse so I came to Wolves and I enjoy every minute here. ”
Diversity in football
"As a doctor, I think it's easier to integrate into the team. It doesn't matter what gender I am, what matters is that I can do a very good job in my role. Still, I do have insecurities and I wonder if I'm a good fit here, if I'm going to be accepted, if I'm going to make anyone uncomfortable. But at the same time, I realized that we all come from different backgrounds, male or female, different ethnic groups, different religions, football clubs are the most diverse workplaces. And I truly believe that everyone is unique, that everyone has unique strengths, and having that diversity makes organizations and groups stronger. ”
Join Wolves
"While at the FA, I worked with Rob (Wolves' current head of athletic performance and medical) for four years. I've always wanted to work with Rob again, so when the opportunity arose, I came. I think there's a very special group of people here, and all the players and staff feel very close, like a bunch of "werewolves" together, and I'm proud to work for Wolves. To be honest, I was a little nervous when I first came here, it's a Premier League club with a lot of high profile players. I came at the beginning of the season, around mid-September. If I had come here before the start of the season, I think it would have been easier because there would have been more time to get to know everyone in the team. When you come here after the start of the season, you have to adapt faster. I feel like I've got a lot of support, at Wolves we have values of progress, firmness, humility, lightness, unity and you see all the players acting so humble, they're always learning and improving, I'm really surprised, so I'm proud to be a part of Wolves. ”
Look at people's colored glasses
"I think everyone has their own unique identity. I'm from Asia and I'm a woman, I also look like a pretty petite person, my appearance and my personality are different from other people here, it's a characteristic of everyone and we have to accept it and embrace it. We can't control what other people think of us, all we can do is be as good as we can and keep improving every day. At Wolves, I didn't have any problems because of my gender, which was absolutely surprising, from day one everyone was nice to me and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all or felt like I wasn't here because I was female. People just see me as 'a doctor' instead of 'a female doctor'. ”