Women in Sport: Meath Senior Ladies footballer and AFL Women’s league player Vikki Wall

Hailing from Meath, Vikki plays her club football for St. Peter’s Dunboyne GAA and is a Meath Senior Ladies Footballer. With Meath, Vikki won the intermediate All-Ireland Championship in 2020, moving them up to Senior for the 2021 Championship, in which they claimed the 2021 All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship title for the very first time, and have gone on to win the 2022 All-Ireland final also.

Vikki was awarded both the 2020 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year, and was named the 2021 Senior Players’ Player of the Year, as well as earning her first All Star Award.

Vikki has worked closely with the WGPA on their Next Gen Leaders, a leadership programme for young GAA players aiming to enhance their involvement in football, hurling and camogie.

Off the football pitch, Vikki was awarded scholarships by DCU, the LGFA and WGPA, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Digital Marketing in DCU, having completed her Business degree.

Vikki is conversant in Irish and has previously worked with TG4 and Off The Ball as part of their commentary teams and panels, and as a sideline analyst. Vikki also talks on the area of women in sport, health and fitness and leadership skills.

Name: Vikki Wall

Profession: AFLW North Melbourne Player / Marketing

Earliest sporting memory?

Going to the 2008 All-Ireland final, Tyrone vs Kerry with my dad. I remember bringing my u12 medal in my pocket with me just in the off chance anyone wanted to see it.

How did you become involved in your sport?

I always played soccer growing up with the boy’s team in Dunboyne and it wasn’t until my younger sister Sarah got involved in GAA that I did too. I went down to one of the games and had no real idea of the rules, but loved it straight away. With AFLW, it was a process over the last few years of talking to different clubs and just taking the opportunity when it arose.

What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?

I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about sport and pursuing a career as an athlete is that a lot of the time, the journey is the best thing about it. Set yourself some small goals and don’t be afraid to be very honest with yourself. Lean on the people around you for advice as much as possible. Be stubborn, driven and willing to learn.

Proudest moment so far?

Definitely winning the Senior All-Ireland final in 2021.

The female athlete I admire most is…

There’s a long list of female athletes I admired, but from a young age it was always Serena Williams. Not just for her long list of achievements, but the way she holds herself and is so self-assured of her abilities and passion for the game.

Favourite sporting memory…

I have fond memories of u12 community games wins in Athlone, but winning a senior county title with my club Dunboyne will be a hard one to beat.

Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?

I think there definitely is still a stigma, and certainly more so in some sports than others. Sometimes in women’s sports, a team or an individual has to do something extraordinary to get recognition. Continuing to encourage and highlight women in sport will hopefully weaken any stigmas that remain in the sporting world in relation to women not being able to perform at high standards like their male counterparts.

What is the biggest barrier to driving visibility in women’s sports?

I don’t think there is a simple answer for this one. I think sponsorship and revenue are probably two that pop up quite frequently. Accessibility is huge, making women’s sport as accessible as men’s sport can only be a positive move. Encouraging the amalgamation of many sporting boards/organisations could also assist.

The biggest stigma/misconception that exists in women’s sport is…

Thankfully, I think in women’s sport we have seen a shift in the language used to describe athletes in the last few years. Encouraging the use of words such as strong, powerful and physical. Mistakenly in this space I think people can be confused about men and women within sport. It’s definitely not an us against them mentality, men can be the biggest allies in promoting women’s sport and the more it happens, the better.

If I wasn’t an athlete I would be…

Working in a sporting organisation for sure!

My favourite pre-match meal is…

Something simple like sourdough peanut butter and banana, but definitely a coffee or two depending on the time of the game.

My pre-match playlist includes…

A bit of a Becky Hill, Fifty Cent and The Script.

My daily routine is…

A walk, a podcast, and coffee before I start the day along with a bit of journaling, just so I feel like I have some time to myself. Lots of eating, training, and some work thrown in as well.

My biggest sporting goal is…

To continue to push myself and improve every year as an athlete, on and off the pitch. Throwing in a bit of silverware with Meath and North Melbourne wouldn’t go astray either.

Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…

I’m a big Under Armour, Lululemon and Nike fan.

Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…

A tattoo or two to celebrate a few big wins.

How do you mind your mental health?

I think it’s a full-time job in itself. Using the people we have access to through our teams, whether that’s Meath or North Melbourne. Checking in regularly with a sports psychologist, even when things are going well. On top of that, regular journaling and keeping in touch and talking to family and friends tends to keep me on track.

My three desert island beauty products are…

Kiehls moisturiser, Refy eyebrow gel and some Vaseline.

I need at least 7 hours of sleep a night because… Otherwise, I cannot function and will be moody as. I’m a big fan of a power nap.

Confidence, to me, is…

Being comfortable with who you are whilst also being open to grow and being self-aware. Confidence to me in a sporting world is constantly pushing yourself, and in a team environment making yourself vulnerable. A lot of the time confidence in sport for me can come from self-talk during a game or training session.

How do you get over a bad performance?

Probably a bit of a process beginning with allowing myself to be annoyed about it and having some time to myself. Then a bit of self-talk coupled with video analysis and a talk to one of my coaches to dissect areas I was unhappy with or can improve on. From there, having a relatively short-term memory, I only focus on things I can control and improve going forward instead of dwelling on moments I wasn’t happy with. With such a short turnaround of games within the AFLW, you have to be able to shift your focus fairly sharply.

Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?

Sport in a lot of places is the heartbeat of the community, and since coming over to Australia, my understanding of the importance of sport has been solidified. Sport brings people together and for most is an escape. I think, as athletes, we often forget the power of sport when we are consumed with our own thoughts and obsessing over our next performances. Personally, sport or exercise in general has always held such value in my life, I get more out of it than I will ever be able to put into it.