Karen Bardsley Fold Woman
Posted by marie@thefoldlondon.com BigCommerce on 20th Feb 2024
EVERY FOLD WOMAN HAS A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
EVERY FOLD WOMAN HAS A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
‘NO WOMAN IS AN ISLAND.’
HER STORY
KAREN BARDSLEY
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley hung up her football gloves in 2022 after a stellar 20-year career in the women’s game. Here’s how she reinvented herself and pivoted into the corporate world.
ON DISCOVERING FOOTBALL: As a kid, I wouldn’t sit still. I wanted to be involved in everything. Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends. It was something I just absolutely loved. My dad is a big football fan so we’d watch matches together at the weekends and I’d get football-themed stocking fillers every Christmas!
ON HER ROLE MODELS: My earliest role model was Peter Schmeichel. He was the best goalkeeper at the time and I wanted my performance and presence to be just like his. As the game progressed, I started to watch more women’s football. The first time I saw Mia Hamm was on a Gatorade advert alongside Michael Jordan. She had superstar status. I remember thinking, “If she can do that, then I can do that.”
HER STORY
KAREN BARDSLEY
KAREN BARDSLEY
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley hung up her football gloves in 2022 after a stellar 20-year career in the women’s game. Here’s how she reinvented herself and pivoted into the corporate world.
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley hung up her football gloves in 2022 after a stellar 20-year career in the women’s game. Here’s how she reinvented herself and pivoted into the corporate world.
ON DISCOVERING FOOTBALL: As a kid, I wouldn’t sit still. I wanted to be involved in everything. Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends. It was something I just absolutely loved. My dad is a big football fan so we’d watch matches together at the weekends and I’d get football-themed stocking fillers every Christmas!
ON HER ROLE MODELS: My earliest role model was Peter Schmeichel. He was the best goalkeeper at the time and I wanted my performance and presence to be just like his. As the game progressed, I started to watch more women’s football. The first time I saw Mia Hamm was on a Gatorade advert alongside Michael Jordan. She had superstar status. I remember thinking, “If she can do that, then I can do that.”
‘Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends.’
‘Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends.’
‘Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends.’
‘Football was an opportunity to score goals, run around and be with my friends.’
ON HER PROUDEST MOMENT: I’m incredibly proud to have played for England and represented my family's country. I’ve earned 82 England caps and was part of the Team GB squad for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I promised friends at high school that if I ever made it to the Olympics, I’d get a tattoo. I never dreamed that I would actually reach those heights. But here I am today with a professional career under my belt and the Olympic rings tattooed on my wrist.
ON UNWINDING: Exercise is my stress relief. It’s me taking care of me. I try to go to the gym in my lunch break or after work, and I recently got into climbing. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie!
‘I promised friends at high school that if I ever made it to the Olympics, I’d get a tattoo.’
‘My proudest moment so far is winning the Euros last summer. To achieve a trophy with your country is something I've always dreamed about.’
‘My proudest moment so far is winning the Euros last summer. To achieve a trophy with your country is something I've always dreamed about.’
ON PREPARATION: I used to keep a journal and would jot down notes about my training sessions and how I was feeling. Before a big match, I’d reflect on the entries I’d made that week and then give myself a really clear, simple objective, like “manage the ball speed” or “get set early”. That would really help me to focus on my performance and what I could deliver.
ON HER STYLE: I didn't really pay as much attention to fashion when I was playing football. For me, clothes were always quite functional. But I can certainly understand the importance of feeling confident in whatever you're wearing. On the pitch, you want to make sure that what you’re wearing fits correctly and you feel empowered – and that translates directly into the boardroom. You’re representing yourself and your preparation; the details that go into your appearance and choosing your clothing are equally important.
ON RETIRING: When I got injured back in 2019, I was out of the game for a while and started to think about life after football. What could I do next? But no matter how much time you spend considering your next move, nothing can truly prepare you for that kind of life change. I announced my retirement last year and it was really difficult to step away but I had support from a lot of people; the club, my teammates and my friends were there to help me along the way.
ON HER CURRENT ROLE: I took up the new position of Project Officer at City in November 2022 having earned a Master's degree in Sports Directorship, which I studied for during the latter stages of my playing career. I’m now turning my hand to helping City behind the scenes, immersing myself in various departments around the club, creating and managing specific projects to support the women’s team set-up, both on and off the pitch.
The entire structure of my day has changed: when you’re a football player, you have a lot of time but not much freedom; now I have more freedom but not much time! I’ve gone from being at the top of my game to starting at the bottom. It’s a steep learning curve and I frequently have imposter syndrome but I’m trying to be honest about the tough moments, reset my self-expectations and chill the hell out!
ON HER MOST POWERFUL
PIECE OF ADVICE FOR OTHER WOMEN:
‘If you get an opportunity, take it. Live a life without regrets.’
ON HER PROUDEST MOMENT: I’m incredibly proud to have played for England and represented my family's country. I’ve earned 82 England caps and was part of the Team GB squad for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I promised friends at high school that if I ever made it to the Olympics, I’d get a tattoo. I never dreamed that I would actually reach those heights. But here I am today with a professional career under my belt and the Olympic rings tattooed on my wrist.
ON UNWINDING: Exercise is my stress relief. It’s me taking care of me. I try to go to the gym in my lunch break or after work, and I recently got into climbing. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie!
‘I promised friends at high school that if I ever made it to the Olympics, I’d get a tattoo.’
‘I promised friends at high school that if I ever made it to the Olympics, I’d get a tattoo.’
ON PREPARATION: I used to keep a journal and would jot down notes about my training sessions and how I was feeling. Before a big match, I’d reflect on the entries I’d made that week and then give myself a really clear, simple objective, like “manage the ball speed” or “get set early”. That would really help me to focus on my performance and what I could deliver.
ON HER STYLE: I didn't really pay as much attention to fashion when I was playing football. For me, clothes were always quite functional. But I can certainly understand the importance of feeling confident in whatever you're wearing. On the pitch, you want to make sure that what you’re wearing fits correctly and you feel empowered – and that translates directly into the boardroom. You’re representing yourself and your preparation; the details that go into your appearance and choosing your clothing are equally important.
ON RETIRING: When I got injured back in 2019, I was out of the game for a while and started to think about life after football. What could I do next? But no matter how much time you spend considering your next move, nothing can truly prepare you for that kind of life change. I announced my retirement last year and it was really difficult to step away but I had support from a lot of people; the club, my teammates and my friends were there to help me along the way.
ON HER CURRENT ROLE: I took up the new position of Project Officer at City in November 2022 having earned a Master's degree in Sports Directorship, which I studied for during the latter stages of my playing career. I’m now turning my hand to helping City behind the scenes, immersing myself in various departments around the club, creating and managing specific projects to support the women’s team set-up, both on and off the pitch.
The entire structure of my day has changed: when you’re a football player, you have a lot of time but not much freedom; now I have more freedom but not much time! I’ve gone from being at the top of my game to starting at the bottom. It’s a steep learning curve and I frequently have imposter syndrome but I’m trying to be honest about the tough moments, reset my self-expectations and chill the hell out!
ON HER MOST POWERFUL PIECE OF ADVICE TO OTHER WOMEN
‘If you get an opportunity, take it. Live a life without regrets.’
‘If you get an opportunity, take it. Live a life without regrets.’
‘If you get an opportunity, take it. Live a life without regrets.’