powered by women
built by female athletes for female athletes.
Fleete was founded in September 2018 by Columbia University alumna, Niteesa Brooks and Josephine Watson. We competed together as Division 1 track and field scholar-athletes at Long Island University – Brooklyn. Although we’ve witnessed athletics evolve over the years, there are still countless injustices and inequalities female athletes endure in the collegiate athletics and the sports industry.
In many instances, our voices and opinions were silenced. We didn’t have the opportunity to dictate our college career and it became difficult to visualize life after college athletics. Because track and field is the only sport that practices and competes throughout the entire academic year and then some, there were very few moments to engage in school clubs, internships and networking events that would ultimately prepare us for life after college. Even though it was difficult, we still found ways to participate, despite frequent burnouts.
The idea of “mental toughness” is a concept that was embedded into our minds as youth athletes. We carried this mindset throughout college, which made it difficult to address our fatigue for fear of being viewed as weak. Oftentimes we were expected to compete and practice at a maximum level when we were both mentally and physically drained. There were few opportunities to address our mental health and wellness because specialized services for athletes were not offered, nor was it recommended to seek professional support. Ultimately, this hindered our academic and athletic performance. While these adversities were difficult to overcome, they have made us stronger and encouraged us to provide resources for other female athletes so they are properly equipped to manage their personal challenges.
While we know we are not the only women who have felt ostracized or have encountered these experiences, we did not have a mentor that we could refer to for guidance on how to navigate college athletics and life after. Fleete serves to address and solve these issues by connecting current and former athletes to discuss their experiences. With the creation of Fleete, we hope that female athletes will support and encourage each other throughout their journey. Fleete also strives to acknowledge and celebrate all identities that female athletes embody and not just their athleticism.