Rachel Hewitt talks to Helen about women in sports and mountaineering, and how that plays into perceptions of women generally, as well as informing current gendered perceptions of who gets to use public spaces. Women are subject to a myriad network of social pressures, many of which are informed by previous perceptions of history. Sports play a large role in constructing such social pressures. As Pierre de Coubertin, the creator of the Olympic Games in their present form, once said: "Sports are not in women's nature."

To follow Dr Rachel Hewitt, follow her on twitter @drrachelhewitt or go to her website: https://rachelhewitt.org/

This was produced in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Follow their work here: https://twitter.com/ahrcpress

Producer: Peter Curry @petedoeshistory

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.