In a field dominated by men, Sabrina Frederick is a vegan athlete who has risen above the ruck.
A high-profile AFL Women’s player known for dominating on the field, 23-year-old Sabrina Frederick has made her mark in a sport that hasn’t always made space for women.
Against the odds
Throughout her life, and now with her career on the up and up, she has not gone unscathed by prejudice either. “I am a vegan, black woman, in a same-sex relationship, and I play women’s football, so I have had my fair share of negativity thrown my way,” she says.
“The way I navigate through it is knowing none of it is ‘real’ in the sense that the people saying these things don’t know me at all. I almost feel bad for them because they are in a place where they feel saying those things is okay. I also stay away from anything written about me, positive or negative. I just keep to myself in that respect.”
Born in the UK, where she developed a love for football, Sabrina moved to Australia at the age of seven and brought that passion with her. Since there weren’t a lot of girls’ football teams back then, her only option was to join mixed-gender teams if she wanted to play the sport she loved.
“I was the only girl in my school football team, club football team, and in the whole competition at the time. So, feeling like the odd one out and using facilities that didn’t cater to girls was something I faced,” she says. This went on until she found her first all-female team at the age of 13. Since then, she has been able to hone her skills and harness her strength surrounded by powerful and inspiring women.
Image: Kelly Defina/Getty Images via AFL Photos
Here to stay
Recent numbers show that many young girls and women are just as interested in football as boys and are keen to follow in the footsteps of Sabrina, and others like her. Today, women make up almost a third of all footy players in Australia and that number is expected to rise each year. “With AFLW in its fourth season, it has progressed a lot and I see the sport changing throughout the country,” Sabrina says. However, the challenge isn’t getting women on the field as much as it is about getting women’s teams treated equally. AFL players commonly receive six-figure salaries near $400,000 per year, whereas AFLW players get paid between $10,000 and $40,000 per year, depending on their tier rank.
With the rise of popularity in the sport, and the growing pressure for equality, there is hope that the gender pay gap will start to diminish and AFLW players will receive the recognition they deserve. Because as Sabrina says, women’s footy is here to stay.
“I believe it will be a full-time profession, although it may take time to get there. AFLW is a community and there is real appetite for it. More and more girls and women are participating in the game each year across the country. With that comes more talent, with more talent comes a stronger, more elite competition, and with that comes fans wanting to participate, and the cycle continues.”
A commitment to compassion
Not only does Sabrina represent and advocate for women in sport, she also practises a compassionate lifestyle off the field. Sabrina says, “I grew up in a vegan household; both my mum and stepdad were vegan, so at home I only [knew] a vegan diet.” As her career started to flourish and she moved away from her family, she says that she gave up her vegan diet for about three years. During that time, she was a marquee player for the Brisbane Lions and a two-time player in the All-Australian team, before moving down south and joining the AFLW Richmond Tigers. She also made a return to veganism, saying, “I decided to make the change back and make the change for good.”
Sabrina says her journey back to veganism ultimately stemmed from a desire to be more conscious about how she fuelled her body and how her choices affected the world we live in and all its sentient inhabitants. She says it was a no-brainer once her partner Lili decided to make the change with her. “She was a major reason for the change to my diet when she got onboard with the idea. We both decided to make the change together. It makes it extremely easy to embrace the lifestyle in and out of the home with her support especially because she does most of the cooking at home.”
Image: Ash Caygill
Thriving on plants
As a plant-based athlete, Sabrina says she feels more clear and energised than ever before. “I think it has helped me a lot in terms of being more conscious of my diet and I also feel really clear in my mind. It definitely hasn’t been a negative, if anything, I have made more progress.”
With plenty of misinformation about what athletes should and shouldn’t be fuelling themselves with, it comes as no surprise to hear that Sabrina’s teammates found it strange when she first transitioned back to a plant-based diet. “I think at first they got funny about it, [making] jokes and things like that, but over time they have realised it works for me and it’s not negatively impacting me or the team. I also have two other plant-based teammates, which helps in terms of it being normalised.”
Powered by plants for most of her life, Sabrina Frederick destroys the notion that an athlete can’t succeed on a vegan diet. Her pro tip for other plant-based athletes is, “Make sure your diet is balanced with the nutrients you need, and if you have access to a nutritionist, utilise them.”
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Resilient in the face of prejudices that simply have no place in this world, she is also testament to staying true to who you are, whether you’re the only vegan on the team or the only girl on the field.
Cover image: Kelly Defina/Getty Images via AFL Photos
