For our latest Hale Lecture at Francis Holland Regent’s Park, we were thrilled to welcome Katie Shanahan, former England hockey international and now a prominent freelance sports broadcaster working across various outlets such as ITV, BBC, Sky Sports and TalkSport. Katie brought tremendous energy, warmth and humour to a lively and engaging discussion, skilfully led by our pupil panellists.
Katie began by sharing insights from her distinguished sporting career, reflecting on the discipline, teamwork and resilience she developed during her years representing England. She explained how these traits – especially perseverance and the ability to perform under pressure – transferred seamlessly into her current career in broadcasting, where she now anchors major sporting events and interviews some of the biggest names in sport.
The girls were fascinated to hear what life is really like as a freelance broadcaster, from late-night match reports to live pitch-side analysis. Katie spoke candidly about stepping outside her comfort zone, the importance of preparation, and the thrill of telling powerful sporting stories to audiences around the world.
A strong advocate for women in sport, Katie encouraged students to follow their passions boldly, reminding them that women’s voices are needed not only on the pitch but also in the press box. She emphasised the responsibility and privilege of helping to grow women’s sport and called on the next generation to keep pushing for representation in all areas of the industry.
Her message to the pupils was clear and uplifting: commit to what you love, work hard, and never give up on a dream – even if the path takes unexpected turns.
We extend our warmest thanks to Katie for her time, honesty and inspiration, and to our exceptional pupil interviewers who led the conversation with confidence and curiosity.
It was a wonderful example of what makes the Hale Lecture Series such a distinctive and enriching part of life at Francis Holland Regent’s Park.
