CLEVELAND — Women’s sports are on the rise, from viewership to ratings and prime time coverage, but the challenges of being a women in sports continue, and one local athlete is looking to change the game with her podcast.

What You Need To Know

  • Elizabeth Emery's podcast, "Hear Her Sports," is designed to motivate female athletes 

  • In the U.S., three in 10 sports fans watch women's sports compared to five years ago

  • Emery also collects women's sports posters, which are hard to find

Elizabeth Emery went on her routine bike ride on Thursday. She uses her bike to get wherever she needs to go.

"During the day what I do is I make time every day to do some sort of athletic activity to stay physically active whether it is running or cycling, and now I am playing squash so I do that," she said.

But Emery also has another important duty on her plate.

"In addition, I have “Hear Her Sports” podcast, and that is one of my primary focuses because it takes a lot of time," she said.

It's time that's worth it, she said, as it impacts the lives of other female athletes and helps keep them motivated so they can thrive in the sports world.

One of those athletes is Lisa Thuer, who is preparing for the New York City Marathon.

"Representation of women is everything," she said. "Girls need to see a manifestation, a physical manifestation of what they desire, what their goals are."

Emery says she is proud to be inspiring women like Thuer.

"Sports for me is a way to talk about so many other issues in terms of equity, so there is lack of representation, there’s lack of pay equity," she said.

According to a National Research Group study, in the U.S., the popularity of women's sports is on the rise, with three in 10 sports fans saying they’re watching more women’s sports now than they were five years ago.

Emery said there are other things she does to make a difference.

"I collect women’s sports posters," she said. "They’re really hard to find because not many are made, but it’s really interesting if you want a poster of your favorite male athlete, they’re easy to find, they’re all over the place. I search endlessly for these on eBay."

And as Theur gets ready for her 26-mile journey, both she and Emery are keeping their eye on the prize.

"Working to ensure that all girls and women are able to see their full potential through the power of sport," Theur said.

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