Chantella Perera: from WNBL to AFLW to sports marketing and advocacy

Hear Chantella’s journey, from her WNBL days and subsequent successful AFLW career to her advocacy work in women’s sports and leadership in sport marketing. *Content warning:* this episode contains discussion of racism, sexism, discrimination, and grief. For support in Australia visit: deakin.edu.au/24hoursupport or for support in another country visit spotify.com/resources Read more about Chantella’s story: https://together.deakin.edu.au/?p=5326&preview=true Learn more about Women Sport Australia: womensportaustralia.com.au Chapters: 00:00 Chantella Perera’s journey 00:35 From Sri Lanka to sport – early life and beginnings 02:12 College basketball and chasing the Opals dream 03:15 WNBL highlights and lessons from sport 04:46 Transitioning from basketball to AFLW 06:17 Life after sport – study, work, and finding direction 08:04 Discovering AFLW and starting again 12:20 Purpose and giving back through sport 15:01 The reality of being an elite athlete in Australia 18:04 Identity, culture, and representation in sport 26:26 Raising children and passing on culture 30:48 Career transition into sport marketing 32:10 Transferable skills from sport to leadership 34:05 Building a career at KOJO 44:24 Major events and creating fan experiences 47:42 Women Sport Australia and advocacy work 50:54 Progress and challenges in women’s sport 55:02 Advice for aspiring athletes 56:44 Quick fire questions 58:00 What’s next for Chantella 59:10 Outro Please note: The individual views and opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of Deakin as an organisation. Deakin is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where both freedom of speech and academic freedom are vigorously upheld. Our community thrives on diverse opinions and perspectives, with open-minded inquiry and respectful disagreement essential to our university culture.