Mari Thomas-Welland: Engineering support, inspiring confidence
from The Game Changers Hosted by Sue Anstiss
How does it feel when images of one of the world’s most famous athletes go viral… and she’s wearing your brand? That’s the first thing we asked Mari Thomas-Welland on today’s episode of The Game Changers, after Serena Williams shared gym photos wearing the Maaree sports bra. Mari is a sports engineer turned founder who has reimagined women’s performance wear using science rather than guesswork. It’s a brilliant conversation about innovation, body confidence and the importance of evidence-based design for women's bodies. From early lab work at Loughborough University to a DIY prototype that led to her patented Overband® technology, Mari shares how understanding real breast movement was the key to creating a sports bra that truly supports comfort and control. We explore the myths of bra sizing, the realities of being a female entrepreneur and how access to sports bras could transform teenage girls participation in sport and physical activity. There are now over 250 episodes of The Game Changers, all free to listen on every podcast platform or via fearlesswomen.co.uk. Next week’s guest: Emma Wilson, windsurfing sensation and current world number one. Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award. Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers Hosted by Sue Anstiss Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media A Fearless Women production
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What this episode covers
How does it feel when images of one of the world’s most famous athletes go viral… and she’s wearing your brand? That’s the first thing we asked Mari Thomas-Welland on today’s episode of The Game Changers, after Serena Williams shared gym photos wearing the Maaree sports bra. Mari is a sports engineer turned founder who has reimagined women’s performance wear using science rather than guesswork. It’s a brilliant conversation about innovation, body confidence and the importance of evidence-ba...
Chapters
- 0:00 From Moonshots to Sports Bras
- 1:00 Serena’s Selfies and Brand Breakthrough
- 3:10 The DM That Changed Everything
- 4:20 Spotting the Industry Gap
- 6:00 Prototyping the Overband
- 8:00 Form Meets Function
- 9:50 IP, Copycats, and Staying Original
- 11:20 Leap of Faith and Early Lessons
- 12:40 Surviving Stockouts and COVID
- 14:10 Online Fittings Become Core
- 16:00 Community as Competitive Advantage
- 17:20 Myths, Sizing, and Breast Health
- 19:20 Keeping Girls in Sport
- 20:30 Athlete Partnerships with Purpose
- 22:00 Unexpected Global Demand
- 23:00 Beyond Bras: Building a Range
- 24:20 Scaling Pains: Sizes and Inventory
- 26:10 Retail Expansion and Training Fitters
- 28:00 Redefining Support, On and Off the Track
- 29:40 Joy, Feedback, and Momentum
- 31:00 Authentic Partnerships and Purpose
- 32:10 From Running to Netball, Rugby, More
- 33:40 Advice for Founders and Mentors
- 35:00 If Not Bras, Then What?
- 36:00 Closing, Resources, and Credits
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