“I think a lot of people knock us women for not being capable of all the physical battles and mental battles that you have to go through,” Hampton says.
“We are just as tough, if not tougher, than the men. We get on with things. We learn to just pick ourselves up and keep breaking down those barriers as much as we possibly can to help the women’s game grow. And if that’s us playing through knocks and bumps, we’ll do just that.
“Someone sent me a video the other day of Dame Emma Thompson saying, ‘You know what I saw recently? Hannah Hampton doing a penalty shoot-out with a tampon up her nose’. I thought, ‘I’ve officially made it’, the highlight of my year.”
Hampton also speaks candidly about the pressures female athletes face when it comes to body image, with 49 per cent of girls dropping out of sport during adolescence due to a lack of confidence.
“It’s definitely a big thing. So many times, I see myself in photos or I see myself on video and I judge myself,” Hampton says.
“I’m probably my own worst critic. Let’s be honest, everyone is. But that doesn’t reflect how everyone else sees you. It doesn’t stop people being friendly. It doesn’t stop people being your mate. People just get on with you because they see who you are as a person, who your personality is, and that’s what people care about. If you’re talented and doing what you love, just keep following your smile.
“Body image is obviously a big thing for women, but it’s also our strength. Our body heals very well and creates humans. We need to empower ourselves, be supportive of one another and respect our bodies. Muscle is always going to be bigger than fat, and that’s OK. You want to be strong, you want to be fit, you want to be healthy. And I’ve always said, getting those chubby thighs, it’s fine. I’m OK with that if I’m going to be fit and healthy and doing the thing that I love.”
GLAMOUR Women of The Year will take place in London on October 30.
