'Sport needs to have an existential conversation with itself' - Sheila Nguyen

Sheila Nguyen talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about the focus on sustainability in this FIFA Women's World Cup. United States forward Megan Rapinoe in action against Vietnam during -the FIFA World Cup match at Eden Park.The sheer scale of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 presents opportunities on several levels, particularly in driving messages of sustainability and inclusion. In this episode of Voices, FIFA WWC 2023 Head of Sustainability joins Kadambari Raghukumar to talk about what those look like when it comes to sport, and why they've become an increasing focus with FIFA. US-born Sheila Nguyen started her sport journey as a 10-year-old in love with the 'beautiful game', forging her dad's signature to get into training. Her family arrived in the US as former refugees from Vietnam and when it came to Sheila's upbringing, veering from academics and piano into sport was near impossible. Listen to the full conversation on this week's Voices episodeThis year's FIFA World Cup will see more than 1.5 million attendees across New Zealand and Australia, with millions more watching the matches online.The scale of the event presents opportunities beyond the game from a sustainability perspective.Nguyen says it's a very interesting time right now."It is transitioning, you know the terms are transitioning, the way we think about ourselves and the world is transitioning - but also the dots are connecting. And that to me is really exciting, so that is a really foundational piece of this is that environmental health means the health of us and our wellbeing."Since the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil idea of football and sustainability has taken mainstage with the organisation.Football and other sports have their own eco-systems whose impacts go way beyond just the match to affect social, environmental and human rights issues.'I actually forged my parent's signature to play football' Nguyen says even though she's not playing football now, when she was younger she was very good and on a "junior professional pathway"."Football changed my life," she says."It got me outside, I was obese at the time of course and I had this sticker in my room that said 'I'm not fat I'm just short for my weight' but that changed my health profile, it changed my social profile, I was able to connect with people and be a mainstream and be outdoors."Now her two loves are environmental sustainability and football, she says.Nguyen's parents arrived in Massachusetts in the United States in the middle of winter as refugees from Vietnam…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details