Evolving in male-dominated fields has taught Sam Quek a valuable lesson - but she's determined to change the odds for future generations. Sam Quek is a powerhouse. She made history winning an Olympic gold medal for hockey before becoming a telly favourite when she took part in I’m A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing. An inspiration to young girls and women throughout the country, Sam has paved the way for the next generation of strong, determined females with her sporting success and go-getting attitude. However, the mum-of-two says her work isn’t done yet as she continues to fight for girls in sport so they can have the same opportunities men have. “As a woman, you have to prove yourself,” says Sam. “You have to prove that you are good enough or that you do have just as much skill as a man. “I’ve found that a lot in broadcasting, especially in football. Gabby Logan and Clare Balding have spoken about it in the past that, as a woman, you feel like you have to prove your worth going into a job.” The Liverpool-born athlete has been fighting for equality in sport since she was a youngster. She took up hockey at high school and excelled as a defender. She then went on to represent England and Great Britain and, in 2016, she was part of the first Team GB squad to win the women’s hockey gold medal in the Olympics. But Sam says she’s had to fight her way to the top because of her gender. She believes women are treated differently to men across all sports — and she says it’s time for change. “As a woman you feel like you just can’t win,” she sighs. “Boys would either tackle you too hard because they didn’t want a girl to get past them, or they wouldn’t tackle a girl at all because they didn’t want to hurt a girl. That was when I was 10 years old. I’m 36 now, and it does still exist.” While she says things are improving, Sam feels there is still a lot of work to be done. “More recently, one thing that I’ve seen, especially on the tennis court, is that as a woman you can be a bit emotional but people make out like you’ve lost the plot,” Sam explains. “Like, women can’t be upset, you have to remain stoic. When Serena Williams smashed her tennis racket and shouted at the umpire, she’s a bit emotional. But then when you see a guy do it, they’re passionate. “You literally can’t win as a woman because you almost get a label on you before anybody actually wants to understand.” It’s a topic she’s clearly passionate about, and it led her to team up with AXA Health to expose the double standards and impossible expectations women in sport face every day for its ‘We Can’t Win’ campaign. “When people used to ask me what I used to do, I would say, ‘Oh, I’m a full-time hockey player’ and the first instinct from men would be, ‘Well, you don’t look like a hockey player. They’re normally big, butch and shaved head.’ You think, it’s just not fair. So it’s time to call it out.” Sam says it’s something at the forefront of her mind as she raises four-year-old daughter, Molly, and three-year-old son, Zac. She also praises her husband, Tom Mairs, for his positive influence on the family. “My husband’s brilliant with Zac and Molly,” she smiles. “He’ll say, ‘How fast is Mummy? How strong is Mummy?’ It’s the type of language that children need to grow up around.” Sam is keen to encourage Molly that anything is possible. “I want to make her a confident little girl,” beams Sam. “If she does want to go to nursery in full Liverpool kit, I’ll let her do that. I know when I did it as a youngster people kind of said, ‘She’s a bit of a tomboy’ or ‘She’s a bit of a lad.’ But that’s okay. She’ll say, ‘Okay, I’m going hulk smash this ball over the net.’ I love that she’s a strong girl.” Molly is already showing some signs of sporting prowess, and Sam says she would love her little girl to follow in her footsteps and play hockey — but has vowed not to be a pushy mum. “I got very excited the day that Molly put a dummy in her mouth for the first time with her eyes closed,” laughs Sam. “I was like, ‘Look at that hand-eye coordination.’ “The other day she was on the climbing frame. I volleyed a football up to her and she caught it with one hand. I got very excited about that. Zac is a typical little lad. He climbs, he wants to play fight. He naturally picks up a ball and wants to kick it. Zac loves playing sport for the fun of it, whereas Molly loves competition because she thinks she can win. “I don’t think I’m going to be a pushy parent. I’m going to try and give them as many opportunities as possible to pick up a sport. I’d love to stand on the sideline and watch Molly play hockey, or even play hockey together at one stage.” Sam admits that the entire family are naturally competitive and can turn anything into a challenge. “We even race to the car,” she chuckles. Retiring from hockey in 2016, Sam has gone on to build a successful TV career. She competed in I’m A Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing , as well as being a presenter on Morning Live and a team captain on Question Of Sport , and says TV has replaced the “euphoria” of playing sports. “It’s the closest buzz to playing live sport that you can get,” she explains. Reaching week seven on last year’s Strictly , she admits the dance moves are long gone. “I tried to pull out a jive the other day to a little bit of Dua Lipa for Molly, but it’s officially gone. I can get into a nice frame but the routines disappear. “I know a few moves that, if I had one or two wines, I could pull out.” Something that has stood the test of time has been the friendships she made on I’m A Celebrity in 2016. Sam says, “I keep in touch with Carol Vorderman. I see Adam Thomas every so often and Joel Dommett. Montell Douglas from Strictly, too. We have a lot in common with our sporting backgrounds.” Teasing future projects, Sam says we’ll be seeing a lot more of her this year. “I’m doing bits and bobs with the Euros, and there are a few pilots in the sports world. That’s all I can say.” While she may no longer play hockey, Sam’s legacy lives on, as she shares a touching moment with one fan. “I was in ALDI and a young girl was stood with her mum,” she recalls. “She’d done a project about inspirational sportspeople and I was her favourite sportsperson. I was blown away. The fact that I’m still relatable to eight-year-olds, it makes it all worth it.” And Sam has a message for all the girls out there, saying, “We are skilful, we are powerful, we’re competitive, we’re strong.”