Kat was honoured with the Celia Brackenridge Award for Services to Safe Sport in 2023, in recognition of her sustained and impactful leadership toward ending all forms of interpersonal violence, abuse, and harassment in sports environments. This prestigious award acknowledges her unwavering commitment to athlete safety and transformative work in safeguarding across the sporting world.
Kat received the Integrity and Impact Award at the Sport Industry Awards for her role in orchestrating the evacuation of female Afghan athletes during the fall of Kabul. Kat dedicated the award to the women of Afghanistan, the team of individuals who worked to make the evacuation a reality, including Team Captain Khalida Popal, coach Kelly Lindsey, and FIFPRO’s Jonas Baer-Hoffmann. Kat followed in the footsteps of Rachel Denhollander, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Megan Rapinoe as previous recipients of the award.
Read the Guardian Article on Sport Industry Awards Integrity and Impact Award here or listen on the BBC here.
During the 2022 Women’s Euros, Nike and Rose launched the Nike Shox MR4 shoe, with a campaign championing the “unsung heroes” of British football, including Kat Craig for her work supporting sexual abuse victims in football, and Hope Powell, England’s first female and black football manager.
Below is a curated sample of our speaking engagements and publications:
Kat co-authored a BJSM editorial with Dr Tine Vertommen and Dr Kirsty Burrows, arguing that safeguarding must be integrated as a fundamental part of athlete health. Drawing on findings from the 2024 Youth Olympic Games, it shows that young athletes view safety, wellbeing and performance as inseparable. Interpersonal violence is a social determinant of health shaped by sport culture, governance and systemic pressures. The editorial therefore calls for a public health approach that prioritises prevention, early recognition and trauma-informed responses, supported by coaches, clinicians and support staff. They emphasise youth-centred education and cross-sector collaboration so athletes can truly thrive, not just perform
Kat co-authored the chapter on Safe Sport in the United Kingdom for the 2025 edition of Towards a Safeguarding Culture, with Claudia Villa. The chapter provides an overview of safeguarding legal and regulatory frameworks in the UK, considers the efforts of the key stakeholders responsible for the practical implementation of those laws in the safeguarding context, examines some of the major reviews in sport following safeguarding crises, and finally highlights developments to watch if sport in the UK is to live up to its safeguarding commitments implementation of those laws in the safeguarding context examines some of the major reviews in sport following safeguarding crises, and finally highlights developments to watch if sport in the UK is to live up to its safeguarding commitments.
Kat delivered a keynote to the Professional Footballers Australia Inaugural Safe Sport Conference. The conference sought to elevate the industry’s ability to address risks to the health and safety of players in a proactive and comprehensive manner by bringing together global experts across fields.
Kat led the Roadmap to Remedy project, developed in response to a shared concern that existing investigation and resolution mechanisms responding to abuse, discrimination, and harassment were inadequate, unsafe, and ineffective. The Roadmap to Remedy Guidance is a series of publications, co-created with Affected Persons how sport can better respond to harm.
At the Annual Conference of the Australian & New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) held in Sydney, Kat delivered a compelling keynote address that challenged the industry to tackle some of the underlying sports governance issues that contribute to human rights violations in sport. Her keynote highlighted real-world challenges and solutions from the front lines—tackling violence, abuse, and discrimination, affirming the importance of safe, equitable spaces for all athletes.
Kat Craig was a specialist speaker at the landmark international conference on Anti-Racism and Gender Equality in European Football, hosted by Nottingham Forest FC with Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center and the Lilian Thuram Foundation. Speaking on the panel “Looking for Gender Equality: Understanding the Women’s Game,” she contributed vital legal and human rights perspectives to discussions on advancing women’s football and breaking down systemic barriers, helping shape actionable solutions for a more equitable future in the game.
Athlead helped FIFPRO produce ‘What Equal Playing Field?’, a report amplifying the voices of professional footballers, including Anita Asante, Vincent Kompany, Giorgio Chiellini, and Quinn. The report combined player testimonies, research, and reform demands, with recommendations for sports bodies and a practical roadmap for member unions.