As female participation in sports continues to grow across Canada and the globe, a troubling trend has followed: significantly higher injury rates compared to male athletes. Leading the charge to address this critical health gap is Dr. Carolyn Emery, a professor and research chair at the University of Calgary.
A Global Consensus for Change
In March 2025, Dr. Emery and Professor Kay Crossley from Australia's La Trobe University convened a landmark meeting. They brought together 109 international researchers at the International Olympic Committee for the Female/Woman/Girl Athlete Injury pRrevention (FAIR) consensus meeting. The result of this massive collaboration was published on December 2, 2025, as the lead story in the prestigious British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The published consensus statement contains 56 practical, evidence-based recommendations designed specifically to reduce injury risk for female athletes. Dr. Emery, who also chairs UCalgary’s Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (SIPRC), emphasized the urgency of this work. "Injury rates are high — injury and concussion rates are higher in girls than boys," she stated, "and not a lot of attention and priority has been put on female, woman and girl athletes."
Addressing a Dangerous Data Gap
The initiative was born from a recognized lack of focused research. For years, prevention strategies have largely been informed by data from male athletes, leaving female competitors vulnerable. "It continues to surprise me, the limited data we have for female, women and girls," Dr. Emery admitted. The team's goal was to synthesize all existing studies and extract female-specific data to create tailored prevention strategies.
The consequences of this research gap are severe, often leading to premature career endings. "That affects their ability to participate in sport and physical activity throughout their lifetime," Dr. Emery explained. The new recommendations aim to change this trajectory by providing clear guidance for sports organizations.
From Research to Real-World Impact
The recommendations are designed to be actionable, informing potential policy changes at all levels of sport. They cover areas such as:
- Regulations for equipment use and proper fit.
- Mandates for specific warm-up and training protocols.
- Guidelines for load management and recovery.
Dr. Emery highlighted that implementation is key. "In terms of implementation, I think the most important thing is actually how the messages are relayed to the people who can make a difference," she said. By working directly with sport federations, researchers hope to streamline the adoption of these life-changing practices. Some recommendations could even be seen in action as early as the next Winter Olympics.
This groundbreaking work from Calgary positions Canada at the forefront of a vital movement to ensure sports are safer and more equitable for everyone, paving the way for female athletes to enjoy long, healthy sporting lives.
