FMA @ WEURO 2025: Celebrating Community, Careers and the Beautiful Game
The UEFA Women’s Euro wasn’t just an opportunity not just to watch some phenomenal women’s football on the pitch but also an opportunity to celebrate the network through gatherings and the very first Careers for Women in Sport workshop supported by CIES.
The series of events initiated by FMA Alum Sarah Crumbach (10th Ed.). "It’s always inspiring to see our alumni network in action. The Women’s Euro provided the perfect platform to bring people together in a fun and accessible way, while sparking meaningful conversations around the topics we all care about", Sarah said.
Festivities kicked off with a picnic for alumni on the 20th July at Vidy Beach where the group, with their families, played games, caught up and enjoyed the Lausanne sun with a barbeque.
On the 25th July 2025, the tone moved to purpose for the afternoon for the Careers for Women in Sport workshop hosted at the offices of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) in Lausanne as well as online. The session was dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by women in the sports industry through an empowering and spirited discussion.
Keynote speaker, Sabrina Ibáñez, FEI's Secretary General, provided the participants with inspiration sharing her journey from an administrator role to leading the FEI offering candid insights, practical advice, and an energising message on confidence and connection.
The workshop went on to discuss topics covering leadership visibility, breaking down barriers, building networks of support, allyship, equity, and even difficult but necessary topics like confronting sexual harassment in sport.
The participants received a surprise gift in the form of the book 'My Beautiful Sisters' by Khalida Popal.
The workshop concluded with each person taking an undertaking to find ways to take action for themselves and find a way to contribute to helping/ collaborating or providing some knowledge/ wisdom to the FMA moving forward. Attendees summarised events of the day calling it “spirited, healing, empowering, a gathering of sisterhood and connection”.
The festivities began shortly afterward with the group, being joined by other alumni for a CIES sponsored apéro at the charming Cabanaki sharing stories, connecting and celebrating the FMA and women’s football.
The picnic, workshop, and apéro brought together over 40 FMA from 15 editions (from the 3rd to the 25th), including the 23 women at workshop, with many meeting for the first time.
Beyond the formal events, the FMA @ WEURO WhatsApp group became a lively hub for over 60 alumni to coordinate match meetups, pre-game drinks, ticket exchanges, and travel logistics – showcasing the power of the FMA network in action.
Renata Roth (8th Ed.) represented at the Sion venue as Guest Management and Protocol Manager at the Women’s Euros said “This July brought two fantastic moments: reuniting with peers at the FMA gathering for Women in Sport and contributing to the delivery of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. Both reinforced my deep commitment to major sporting events and the teams (and strong women!) that make them happen. I look forward to what’s ahead, and I am always ready to bring energy, expertise, and heart to this conversation,”
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who made this celebration possible, especially the organisers Sarah Crumbach (10th Ed), Áine Power (11th Ed), Khadija Kazmi (18th Ed), Shoko Tsuji (17th Ed), Natalie L. Smith (10th Ed), Neikelle Moore (11th Ed), Zarina Bahdur (14th Ed), CIES and FEI as well as all those who joined, supported, and contributed.
