Feeling guilty for becoming pregnant, dealing with social media abuse and the challenges of balancing sport with faith were three of the themes discussed as Nottinghamshire sport came together to mark International Women's Day.
Alongside This Girl Can Nottingham and The Nottingham Muslim Women's Network, Trent Bridge provided a platform for a guest panel of players and coaches from The Blaze, Nottingham Forest Netball and Nottingham Forest Women to share their stories.
Women and girls from different communities and sporting backgrounds were in attendance at the event, which also featured food served at sunset to allow those participating in Ramadan to break their fast.
Chelsea Pitman, the Nottingham Forest Head Coach and former England player with 52 caps, spoke of the struggle that female athletes face when wanting to start a family.
"I felt guilty for falling pregnant, no athlete should feel shame around that - we're elite athletes but we're also women and human beings," she said.
"At that time, I didn't feel supported by my club, they were more concerned about me not being able to play - they just saw that I'd be of little use to them."
Pitman was very open about her struggles to start a family and how she wants to support those going through something similar, whether they're a professional athlete or not.
"I've been very open about my fertility issues and I want to provide a platform and a safe space for other athletes to discuss their fertility struggles too," she continued.
"It shouldn't be something women have to feel awkward about or tiptoe around."
Another panel member, Nottingham Forest Academy player Aleeza Asghar, talked of the challenges she's faced being a Muslim football player, but how supported she has felt in her current set up.
"A lot more has gone into the girls game recently, the girls football academy I'm with, they're really supportive and that makes a huge difference," she said.
"That just needs to carry on and keep going for girls."
Carly Davies, Head Coach of Nottingham Forest Women, added: "People might look at us and think what a wonderful position you're in, but actually there have been real struggles to get here and there still are struggles now.
"We just need to continue as women in sport, as athletes, as mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, to keep challenging because we need to keep improving things."
Nottingham Forest Women's midfielder, Kate Longhurst, who also previously won back-to-back Women's Super League titles with Liverpool Women's FC, opened up about the growth of the girls game and the challenges she faced trying to forge a career in the game she loved.
"When I was younger, there weren't many girls playing football, I was always playing in the boys team," she said.
"But now when I drive past local parks or I'm driving to a game, there are girls' games all over the place and to see that is huge, because that wasn't a possibility when I was younger."
She spoke of the importance of not taking no for an answer, and pursuing your passion, regardless of what people might say to discourage you.
"It was just the passion that started it for me," she recalled.
"I wanted to be part of something - me and two other friends helped start a girls' team because there were three of us who wanted to play. I remember we had a school team, we could only play 5-a-side and I was playing for all five year groups - I was in year 11 playing with year sevens."
"But if you are passionate about something, doesn't matter if it's football, netball or cricket, if you are passionate about something - do it. It doesn't matter what people think. Girls shouldn't stop playing a sport at a certain age - don't take no for an answer, because I think as women, we are almost told to say "oh no we'll take what we can get" but actually, that's not right.
"We've shown that in the last few years in sport and how it's developing. Push through the barriers and be the person who pushes through when you're told 'no.' I'm sure all of us have been told no at some point, and it's really important that we fight for the bigger picture as well as for ourselves."
Talking of the current social media landscape, Nottingham Forest Women Head Coach, Carly Davies, highlighted the importance of using positive language around women's sport.
"Places like X are hotbeds for negativity and it's important not to engage with it," she said.
"The more you engage with the negativity, the more of a platform you give to people - and that applies to males and females from all walks of life."
"But engaging in the positive side of it and the people who are advocates for women's sport is the way forward. It's about using the right language and educating people about using the appropriate language around women's sport."
The event also featured a light-hearted boxercise session, before the evening was rounded off with a quiz - with a host of prizes including tickets to Forest Women, Forest Netball and England Women Cricket matches on offer.
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Trent Bridge is hosting more women's cricket than ever before this year, with an expanded schedule for The Blaze along with a Women's IT20 between England and India on 28 June.
We'd love you to join us, with tickets starting from £5 for the international clash, and a four-game pass avaliable for those who wish to soak up all four of The Blaze's Vitality Blast fixtures at Trent Bridge (all four being double-headers with the Outlaws).