• World-Class Athletes Tori Bowie, Christen Press and April Ross to Participate in Body Image Panel
• espnW to Unveil Exclusive Survey Findings, “Body Confidential”
• EY/espnW Research on Entrepreneurship and Athletes to be Revealed
• Kate Fagan-related Project to be Announced

One month from today, espnW will host the second annual espnW: Women + Sports, Chicago event on Wednesday, May 3, and espnW has added Parks and Recreation actress and comedienne Retta as the opening keynote interview. She will sit down with espnW senior writer Allison Glock as part of a live edition of Glock’s espnW.com column, The Conversation, which features Q&As with remarkable people, presenting a fresh look at familiar stars and introducing audiences to more unknown, yet fascinating, faces.

espnW will also welcome Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie, Chicago Red Stars and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Christen Press, and Olympic beach volleyball bronze medalist April Ross, as part of the “Body Confidential: How Body Image Issues are Evolving in Women’s Sports” panel. The discussion will focus on espnW’s “Body Confidential” research, which surveyed nearly 200 female college student-athletes on topics around body image, confidence, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and more. Prior to the athlete panel espnW will unveil some of the revelatory details in a research spotlight and panel discussion with espnW’s editor-in-chief Alison Overholt, deputy editor Jenn Holmes and senior editor Laura Marcinek.

espnW has again teamed with EY on in-depth research for an extension of the joint survey released in 2014, which drew the connection between leadership skills gained at the youth sports level leading to a more successful career in leadership roles for women. The latest round of research delves deeper into the links between sports, business and entrepreneurship.

In addition, espnW will announce a Kate Fagan-related project launching later in May. Fagan, a columnist and features writer for espnW, and whose work has also appeared on ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, has written several in-depth profiles that have generated media and social buzz, including an espnW/ESPN The Magazine story on former U.S. Women’s National Team star Abby Wambach, a breaking-news interview with Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball and a poignant look at Madison Holleran, a University of Pennsylvania track and field athlete who died by suicide. Fagan, who has now written a book on Holleran – What Made Maddy Run – will also be available for a book signing at the end of the event.

The previously announced one-day conference – hosted by native Chicagoan, espnW writer and ESPN Radio host Sarah Spain — will unite leaders in sports and business for discussions, presentations and activities geared to inspire and engage women in sports. The 2017 Chicago event will offer attendees the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, including a 5K lake run with Foudy, as well as network with speakers and executives throughout the day. The complete agenda and registration information is available at http://www.espnWchicago.com, or follow on Twitter with @espnW and #espnWchicago.

About espnW

espnW is a global multiplatform brand dedicated to engaging and inspiring women through sports. espnW.com, the brand’s content home, offers total access to female athletes and the sports they play, takes fans inside the biggest events, and captures the biggest trends in sports life/style. espnW also provides a unique point of view on the sports stories that matter most to women and highlights the crossroads of sports and culture. Founded in July 2010, espnW’s content and voices live across digital, television, radio, films, events, educational platforms and social media. The annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit, now in its eighth year, brings together top athletes and industry leaders for meaningful conversations around women and sports, and is the leading event of its kind in the sports industry.

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