How Santia Deck is using storytelling to change women’s sports
The Queen of Abs, Santia Deck, has gone from making history as a professional female flag football player to becoming the first female to own a shoe company. Now, Deck is launching her own women’s sports-centered media company, Winning Her Way.
Winning Her Way started when Santia began creating content about women’s sports on her social media platforms, from interviewing current and former athletes to discussing the epic women’s March Madness tournament. The media company focuses on empowering female athletes, sharing their backstories, and aiding the growth of women’s sports.
“Being a female athlete, going through life and experiencing different biases and disparities, also having a twin brother, I got to see both sides,” Deck said. After witnessing the male athletes’ exposure compared to the female athletes, Deck decided to take a stand for female athletes.
The power of media
She recalled being asked why she feels women’s sports aren’t moving. “One of the biggest issues in women’s sports is storytelling because most people do not know who they are. They have no idea,” she said.
She understood it was hard to become a fan when you knew nothing about the players. Without a large audience, the existing media would not be focused on telling the stories of female athletes. Fueled with motivation to improve women’s sports through storytelling, Deck created Winning Her Way so female athletes’ stories will not go unheard.
Winning Her Way
“I want Winning Her Way to be the go-to place for all things women’s sports, so if people come to our social media accounts, our website, or even if, you know, we’re doing a show on YouTube, you will get all the facts and details,” said Deck.
Using her social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, with over a million followers, Deck started interviewing athletes to get the ball rolling before starting Winning Her Way.
“I’m an OG. While playing during my prime, I was one of the only women to go viral for flag football. My visibility came from going viral, and like an entrepreneur, I went viral for launching my shoe company and being offered the largest flag football contract,” said Deck.
Deck’s hardships while being an athlete inspired her to start Winning Her Way and help make it easier for players to get their stories heard. While Deck thinks women’s sports have grown in visibility, she knows there is still work to be done.
