Olympian Brooke Hanson is dispelling the negative myths around periods and female athletes

Brooke Hanson lost her period while competing at the elite level. But, after working hard to get it back and realising she was actually stronger with it, she achieved incredible things.

When Brooke Hanson talks to girls about their period being a superpower, she should know.

Hanson, who with health and wellness coach Kate Richardson runs “Superpower Period” workshops for community groups and sports clubs, is an Olympian, a motivational speaker, master of ceremonies, presenter and busy mother.

She’s also an Olympic gold and silver medallist, whose greatest sporting moments were achieved while she had her period, defying conventional wisdom that what is a natural part of a woman’s life is at best an inconvenience and at worst a severe impediment to performance.

Hanson said she and Richardson noticed a need for information for young athletes around their period, their cycle and tips and tools to help maintain participation and performance among a demographic that so often drops out of sport too readily.

“It all came about because we just want to normalise the conversation about periods,” Hanson said.

“There’s been a lot of high profile athletes speaking about normalising periods for girls and for women for many years but we really feel that we need to do something at our own community level.

Brooke Hanson is ensuring young athletes get the proper advice about their periods and sport. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“We saw that there was a real need for it within the community, within all sports from club level, the whole way through.”

The pair held their first workshop at the Laurie Lawrence Swim School on the Gold Coast, before another with nippers at the Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club.

The feedback from those instances has led to more bookings, with clubs keen to facilitate conversations for their young female athletes, with Hanson and Richardson set to be so busy they will expand their idea into a business “side hustle”.

“‘Superpower Period’ is a workshop where we talk about how your time in the month is your superpower, “ Hanson said.

“We take girls and athletes, from as young as eight, all the way through to Olympians that want to know more about their period and their cycle and we give tips and tools to help performance.

“We touch on understanding your cycle and your moods and nutrition and the importance of sleep.

“I’ve teamed up with Kate Richardson, who’s been a personal trainer for 15 years and she’s a health and nutrition coach and we just saw that there was a real need for the information.”

That includes putting the menstrual cycle and high performance sport in a historical context.

“That old approach was all about just trying to eliminate athletes having periods at all,” Hanson said.

Madi Wilson lost her period for a stage while competing at the elite level. Picture: Michael Klein

“For many years, that was (the goal), get really lean and you’re better off not having you period.

“But there’s been studies now that have shown that women’s (healthy) cycles actually gives you better performance.”

Hanson, like fellow Dolphins Swim Team member and Olympian Madi Wilson – who shares her story with Insight Sport this month – lost her period for a stage while competing at the elite level.

“I speak (in the workshops) about how I was one of those athletes that got so lean and didn’t have a period but then worked really hard on getting my period back and realising that I was actually stronger having my period each month,” she said.

“And then I raced at the Olympics with my period.”

She doesn’t want young girls comparing themselves to her though.

In fact, a key part of the workshops is helping girls know that everyone’s journey through puberty and their period experience is different.

“We speak about being your best self, owning who you are in your journey and not comparing yourself to someone else because we’re all different and our time of month is completely different to (say), our best friend,” Hanson said.

Brooke Hanson at the 2004 Olympics.

“But it is really important to still be your best self and not use it as an excuse.”

Talking to coaches – male and female – Hanson and Richardson were hearing that many young teens were missing practice for five to seven days while they had their periods.

“Of course, we’re seeing this a lot more in the water events like swimming and water polo and surf lifesaving,” she said.

“(So we discuss) having the confidence to have those conversations with your coach but also talking about the technology that is also supporting females now with the underwear and the swimwear that you can get.”

Sporting a positive mindset that empowers girls to believe in themselves is also explored in the context of the menstrual cycle.

“We’re trying to turn your period into your superpower – and your power to move forward to be positive, to race with a positive mindset and then when you are feeling moody or cranky, not taking it out on those people you love the most in your world,” Hanson said.