Since NZ professional golfer Lydia Ko talked about the impact of your menstrual cycle on her performance, many reporters are continuing to share this message.

Here are a few of articles that have emerged since Lydia Ko’s TV interview and The Conversation article…

RNZ: Lydia Ko shows 'mental strength, desire and dedication' to return to golf's elite

By Hamish Bidwell. 6 May 2022

Comment - “I tend to dwell on the negative in this column. To round on athletes and organisations that say one thing, but do another. To poke holes in the propaganda that passes for sports journalism these days and to generally have a good old grizzle.

Today, though, I come to praise golfer Lydia Ko.

For my sins, I watch a lot of women's golf. In many ways I actually prefer it to the male stuff.

Where the blokes hit the ball miles and routinely make shorter courses obsolete, female golf remains about skill. In male golf, a player's prowess is often measured in driving distance and club-head speed, but the women continue to play golf - and golf courses - as it was intended.

I've written about Ko before. Much of that was in the past tense, saying we should give this woman a break and remember the great things she did in her younger years…”

Read the rest of the article here

NZ Herald: Golf: Opinion - The lessons we can learn from Lydia Ko's comments.

By Bonnie Jansen. 6 May 2022

“New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko this week sparked global discussion with her frank comment about having her period during her most recent tour event. The global response, while positive, can teach us a lesson.

Ko's comment was a subtle and brilliant way to bring to light a topic that generally isn't discussed, not only in sport but in many professional environments.

We mustn't lose sight of the actual opportunity here – the chance to normalise the subject of menstruation. It's 2022, and many people still seem to be both in shock and in awe of what the Kiwi said…”

Read the rest of the article here

NZ Herald: Kate Wells: Women, sports and the reality of periods

By Kate Wells. 7 May 2022

Lydia Ko left her interviewer lost for words when she revealed her period was causing some discomfort. Far from being a taboo impediment, some sportswomen are using their cycles as a tool to boost performance, finds Kate Wells

“Women all around the world menstruate each month, but some people - including Golf Channel reporter Jerry Foltz - still find the subject rather uncomfortable.

Lydia Ko's post-match interview after her final round at the LPGA's Palos Verdes Championship created headlines across the globe. The world number three received some attention on her back which she was asked about by Foltz. She was upfront, confirming some tightness in the area due to it being "that time of the month", in which he awkwardly responded "thanks".

Athletes in New Zealand are lucky in the sense that sports doctors and female specialists have been working hard over the past few years to remove the taboo around periods and help athletes to track their cycle to stay healthy. One of those is Dr Stacy Sims, who is a female athlete performance physiologist…”

Read the rest of the article here