Rachael Mackenzie has an extraordinary story to tell. A thai boxing class at university ultimately led to incredible success in a rise to the top of the women’s world rankings in two weight categories.
A switch to boxing was no less impressive as she became England boxing champion and is now a keynote speaker on performance and well-being.
In a wide-ranging interview with Mark Doherty, Rachael who plays for Harrogate women’s cricket team in the West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League, discusses grassroots cricket but also using sport to develop self-esteem in women and girls.
🎤 PODCAST INTERVIEW
In this Cricket Yorkshire podcast episode, Rachael discusses:
🔥 The influence of teachers at school
🎓 Potential of sport to change lives and behaviour
🗣️ What are coaches asking of their athletes? Plus, the power of positivity
👍 Changing the narrative around access to sports for girls
🏏 Playing experiences and the culture of cricket
🔮 What could the future hold for women and girls’ cricket
🙏 Thanks to Mark and Rachael for this wide-ranging and very inspiring interview – you can check out Mark’s photography on caughtlight.com. Here are all of his articles for Cricket Yorkshire.
Rachael is @rachfmackenzie on Twitter/X.
WANT MORE PODCAST EPISODES?
We have an extensive back catalogue of interviews, club visits, laughter and conversation. Available on Spotify and other platforms.
Explore the Cricket Yorkshire Podcast.
- Win Yorkshire CCC tickets for Vitality Blast double-header - April 16, 2026
- Preview: West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket League [2026] - April 14, 2026
- Preview: YPLN Women’s Premier League [2026] - April 14, 2026
