1. What inspired you to create the Discover Sport™ Foundation, and as a former elite athlete yourself, what personal experiences shaped your vision for this initiative?
My husband, Stephen Watson, the founding Director of Discover Sport™, a dedicated social media app for sports, and I were both Springbok Athletes whose parents stretched themselves financially to enable our participation in international competitions around the world. Mine is in artistic Gymnastics, and his is in Motorsport. Our international assignments didn’t come with full sponsorships, and as such, all costs associated with the various trips were privately funded and personally crippling.
This put immense pressure on our parents and on the rest of the family, who all had to make sacrifices as a result. Our parents fought tooth and nail to ensure we could accept all the opportunities that were presented to us in those once-in-a-lifetime sporting moments. Stephen and I believe that athletes should never have to decline a call-up to the National Squad because of financial constraints outside of their control.
It takes enormous dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to make a dream of competing for your country a reality, and there is nothing more soul-crushing than having to withdraw your acceptance of a national assignment due to lack of funding. This is why The Discover Sport™ Foundation was born. It was born to ensure athletes could accept their hard-earned opportunity to wear their country’s colours and represent their nation on an international stage, despite their personal financial circumstances.
We meet athletes where they are, and we bridge the funding gap to provide a platform for their successful participation on the global stage.
2. What does “access to opportunity” in sport mean to you?
Often, the most talented athletes are undiscovered through either a lack of access to proper facilities, adequate coaching, and lack of funds, or through the inability to showcase their skills to a broader audience. If the choice is between feeding a child and paying for kit, coaching, or training, the basic need will triumph. Equally, you can be the most talented player out there in a rural, backyard town in Africa or Brazil, but if nobody knows about you, your talent cannot be developed and honed for high performance.
Access to opportunity for me means the ability to train in decent facilities with the kit you need for your chosen sport, without sacrificing a basic need, and with the ability to show the world what you are capable of, so that you can attract the right coaches and mentors or access funding through partnerships, personal endorsements, and sponsorships. It also means being able to take up an opportunity for an international assignment when it’s offered to you.
Discover Sport™ is the free social media platform for sport that provides athletes of all ages and from all walks of life with the ability to showcase their skills and tell their unique story to a wider audience, while the Discover Sport™ Foundation is playing a pivotal role in enabling access to opportunity to take athletes from grassroots to great. A percentage of proceeds from advertising on the Discover Sport™ platform go to the Foundation, and in so doing, one hand washes the other. To me is the definition of access to opportunity in sport.
3. How do you define success both on and off the field?
From an athlete’s perspective, the definition of success on the field is being able to take full advantage of all opportunities presented to you and to be able to fully realise all your sporting dreams. In the business of sport we are playing in, it means the ability to help and support as many world-class athletes compete on a global stage wearing their countries’ colours while they, in tandem, tell their unique, emotive and inspiring stories about their personal journey to the top. We want to leave a legacy of change as an enabler of access to opportunity around the world.
4. What has been the most inspiring story you’ve witnessed through the Foundation so far?
The story of 16-year-old Ashley Lupondo, a Zimbabwean equestrian athlete, who made it through to the World Vaulting Championships this year. Ashley was the first athlete in the nation’s history to compete at the FEI Junior World Vaulting Championships, and the Discover Sport™ Foundation stepped in to assist her with funding which meant the reframing of her story; one of a young immigrant African girl, daughter of a domestic worker and handyman who lived on a funded small holding; a story where money was short, children and parents shared bedrooms, and lunch sandwiches were rarely packed for the long day at school.
Ashley’s journey is a reminder that sporting achievement rarely begins in easy places. It grows out of challenges, setbacks, and small acts of courage. These are the kinds of stories that shape the spirit of any athlete long before the world is watching, and it’s platforms like Discover Sport ™ and the Discover Sport ™ Foundation that continue to give voice to the unsung heroes of the game.
5. What barriers do you believe still hold women and underserved athletes back today?
In youth sports, I don’t believe women have fewer opportunities than men; they suffer equally at the hands of the same barriers to entry (cost, facilities, access, coaching, sponsorship). But in professional sports, women are still prejudiced financially and do not receive the same level of pay as their male counterparts, despite their accolades being equally impressive.
This is something that needs addressing globally, not just in South Africa. The underserved or “Cinderella” sports don’t traditionally have broadcasters clambering onboard to televise their competitions to a broader audience on mainstream channels, and with that lack of exposure comes decreased appeal for sponsors who can’t get any ‘bang for their bucks. Corporations need to justify their spending in terms of ROI, and without the ability to show quantifiable returns for their investment, these underserved sports don’t get their time in the sun.
The problem Discover Sport™ solves is providing a platform for these underserved sports to upload content to, or stream their competitions on, thus allowing prospective sponsors the ability to advertise their product or service to that broader audience via these direct content channels. If underserved sports are better funded, the access to greater opportunities and exposure of athletes’ talents increases exponentially. This is where we need to get to.
6. What advice would you give to young women striving to build a career in sport, or any male-dominated industry?
Stay true to your vision and goals. Expect and recognise early that roadblocks and setbacks will show up. Don’t allow anything to hold you back. Even when the playing field does not feel level, as it so often isn’t, find a mentor you respect and lean on them to guide you towards your dreams. There are many female athletes and entrepreneurs trailblazing and smashing glass ceilings, and it is possible to do the same when you keep your vision clear and ensure you have a potent village to help guide, correct, and redirect you as you navigate your journey.
7. How does sport empower women beyond competition?
It builds character, resilience, and grit. It teaches you to never stop trying, despite setbacks and failure. Sport builds confidence, leadership, and decision-making skills that transfer to careers and civic life. It improves physical and mental health, boosting resilience and self-worth. It creates networks and mentorships, opening educational, professional, and social opportunities. Participation challenges gender stereotypes and advances visibility, policy change, and equality.
8. What role do mentorship and community play in unlocking potential?
Mentors provide guidance, feedback, and role modelling that accelerate skills development and career growth. Mentorship builds confidence, accountability, and resilience by offering encouragement and constructive challenge. Community creates belonging and psychological safety, enabling risk-taking and sustained effort. Networks and shared resources open access to opportunities, information, and partnerships otherwise out of reach. Together, they sustain long-term development, challenge barriers, and scale impact through shared norms and support.
9. How do you stay motivated when facing systemic or financial obstacles in your mission?
I try not to look at the whole staircase and just take it one step at a time. We have already helped so many individuals and teams represent their country with pride who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to do so, and our vision and mission are crystallised. We just need to keep the mission and the people we serve at the centre – seeing the real impact fuels perseverance.
10. What legacy do you hope the Discover Sport™ Foundation will leave for the next generation of athletes?
I would love the Discover Sport™ Foundation to be known as a reliable, global, rapid response fund that ensures qualified athletes can seize international opportunities without last-minute financial barriers. We hope to help reduce family and personal financial strain by filling critical gaps so talent, not resources, determines who represents South Africa or any other country around the world.
We aim to be a proven springboard that turns short-term aid into lasting careers, exposure, and personal development on the world stage, and embrace a culture of corporate and community partnership that normalises timely support for athletes from all backgrounds. Ultimately, we aim to achieve an enduring legacy of National pride and equitable pathways, inspiring generations to come to pursue sport and proudly represent their countries.
About Discover Sport™
Founded in 2025, Discover Sport™ is a purpose-driven sport-tech social platform designed to give every athlete, and now every fan, a voice, visibility, and opportunity. By combining live streaming, professional and user-generated content, scouting tools, fan engagement features, and its patent-pending ByteBucks™ reward system, Discover Sport™ is redefining how global sports communities connect and grow. A platform where everyone can play.
