Celebrating Women Every Day — International Women’s Day 2023

At Life Style Sports, we believe that empowering women is crucial to creating an equal society. Our female community is at the heart of everything we do, from our customers to the women who run our business. That’s why we’re celebrating six of the many fearless females across our stores and Brand Centre.

MEET DANIELLE

Assistant Buyer, Women’s Fashion

Tell us about your role

I work closely with our brand partners, like Nike, adidas, and more, in order to bring the products you love to Life Style Sports. I travel to view new collections and freshly-developed tech that’ll be released to the market across the next year.

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of how far I’ve come in my career. I worked in VM for seven years, so I have loads of product experience, which helped me jump into buying.

What empowers you?

Kind and resilient people. Anyone who can be kind, bubbly and smiley even when they’re not feeling it inspires me the most. It’s really important to always treat people fairly.

What’s your IT?

My IT is my creativity in the kitchen. I like to express myself through chocolate moulding. I make chocolate sculptures for birthdays, hen parties, and more. Some designs are more PG than others… That’s all I’ll say about that!


MEET EDEL

Cluster Store Manager
South Dublin

Tell us about your role

I’m a Cluster Manager at Life Style Sports, managing a handful of stores across South Dublin. It’s very rewarding. You know what’s happening and can see all aspects of the business. I enjoy managing multiple teams, and my teams are so diverse that I get the best of both worlds.

What are you most proud of?

I’m really proud of my progression within Life Style Sports. I’ve worked my way up to this position. I started in a store team role in a small store before moving around and taking on more responsibility. I’ve come a long way, slowly but surely.

What empowers you?

My driving force is making sure that everyone has the same opportunities that I was presented with by my old managers. I want everyone to have the same chance to progress while enjoying their job as much as I do.

Who’s your role model?

My family are my role model. My mum instilled such good values in us, and I feel like I’ve passed those down to my kids and my teams at work, too. Seeing those values returning to me at home and work is so fulfilling. I love to see it.

What’s your IT?

I’m always on the go. Whether I’m running about one of the three stores I manage, exploring with my dog, or chasing my son around, I’m always moving. We got an English Bulldog during covid, and we love our walks together. He’s my little baby — him and my son!


MEET MURIEL

Head of Sustainability, Property & Loss Prevention

Tell us about your role

I’ve been at the forefront of operations at Life Style Sports since joining the brand in 1997. I came over as part of a management buyout from the Stafford Group, who look after the brand today. Everything from our stores, warehouse, sustainability goals, and so much more lies with me.

You’ll find me with my racehorses when not volunteering for local sports clubs. I love horse racing and horse breeding, and I’m very proud of my horses. Three years ago, our own horse, Kilbricken Storm, came up Cheltenham Hill and won.

What are you most proud of?

Outside of work, my horses, of course, but also my family. In work, I’m most proud of completing our new Fulfillment Centre – Ireland’s first fully sustainable warehouse. I was involved with the project from breaking ground. I’d go to the site and see the vision gradually come to life. Seeing it completed and ready for action was very exciting.

What empowers you?

Positivity is what empowers me. I like to surround myself with positive people, which makes all the difference. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m working on for myself outside of work.

Who’s your role model?

My family are my role model. My parents have been guiding me since I can remember. I also have two brothers and two sisters; they’re still my best friends 50 years on. We’re a good gang.

I also am fond of those who give their time to coaching sports. I think those coaches are really inspirational. Keeping young people in sports is really important, and I love that they give up their time to help out with that.

What’s your IT?

I’m a true sportswoman at heart. When I’m not at work, I’m most likely at the athletics track, the GAA pitch or out getting my steps in.


Meet Fiona

Cluster Store Manager
Cavan & Monaghan

Tell us about your role

I’m a Cluster Manager at Life Style Sports, managing two stores across Ulster. It’s no easy task, and jumping between two stores is pretty busy, but I like that. My teams are great so that makes it a lot easier. They’re young and vibrant. We learn so much from each other.

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my role as a mother. My girls are six and ten now, and they’re thriving at everything they do. My focus is on making sure they’re happy.

It’s really important to find a work-life balance, so switching off to purely focus on enjoying the time with my girls when not at work is really important to me.

What empowers you?

It’s my daughters that empower me. They keep me striving to be good at everything, whether that’s with work, sports, or generally just keeping fit so I can be active with them. I’m always working to be the best mother I can be.

Who’s your role model?

My role model is my mum. The way she raised us was really inspiring. As a single mum with six kids, she worked hard to ensure we had everything possible.

What’s your IT?

I have two girls who keep me busy and on my toes, much like my store teams. I’m on the pitch with my football team, Kingscourt Harps FC, when I’m not spending time with my girls. We just won our league last year, and we’re in the semi-finals for Leinster now, so that’s exciting.


MEET MELISSA

eCommerce Operations Manager

Tell us about your role

I work on our website, looking after the onboarding of products onto the site and making our products come alive online. 

What are you most proud of?

Honestly, I’m most proud of myself. Moving from the Philippines to Ireland was a big step and I’m still here ten years on. I started a different life here. I went from the bottom of the career chain to where I am right now, where I am loving what I do.

Back in the Philippines, I worked in engineering but didn’t love it. Moving to Ireland, I decided to start over and do something I really love. I’m working in tech and fashion, which are my two greatest passions, so I’m really proud of that.

What empowers you?

My family empowers me, and being away from them presents difficulties. It’s the times when I’m home that I get most of my inspiration. When you’re with your family, you feel more like you can take on the world.

Who’s your role model?

My role model is my Father. I’m a real Daddy’s girl. Any time I’m faced with adversity or anything difficult, I ask myself, “What would my dad do?” He’s a great guy, a great husband, and just the best Dad.

What’s your IT?

I’m an island girl through and through. I’m originally from the Philippines and love snorkelling when I travel back home. The waters here in Ireland aren’t very snorkelling friendly so when I’m here, I stick to paddle boarding. You’ll find me hiking with my dog Zero when I’m not on the water.


MEET REBECCA

Deputy Store Manager
Blanchardstown SC

Tell us about your role

I’m a Deputy Store Manager at Life Style Sports. I only joined six months ago as a supervisor and have quickly progressed to my new role as Deputy Store Manager. I’ve just fallen into this big family, and that’s such a nice thing to be a part of. At first, I was apprehensive, but all the concerns left me after jumping into the role. I was terrified for a week but then thought, I can do this. I’m really good at my job, which makes me feel good about myself.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proudest of my team. I’m always on LinkedIn, sharing with my team is doing and looking to see what I can shout about for my store today. I’m extremely proud of my work and the fact there’s so much going on that I can share about my team.

Who’s your role model?

My mum is my role model. Nobody famous for me, unfortunately. My mum works so hard to give me everything I could ever want and every single opportunity in life. I couldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for her. I watched my mum be hard-working and dedicated to her family. I wouldn’t be as focused on everything I do if it wasn’t for her.

What’s your IT?

I run a lot outside of work. I’m training for my first marathon. It’s a good couple of months away, but I’m very excited to take part and see what time I get.

Life Style Sports is proud to celebrate the strength and resilience of the women who make our business better every day this International Women’s Day. These six women are just a small group of our wider team who we’re celebrating the achievements of this International Women’s Day.

Read more about what we’re doing for women in our Gender Pay Gap.

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