In this closing keynote, Dr Charlotte Cowie, Chief Medical Officer for the Football Association, reflects on her personal journey through sport and medicine, sharing the lessons learned, challenges faced, and barriers overcome along the way. Drawing from her extensive experience, Dr Cowie explores her journey in the context of how SEM practitioners can best navigate their way within elite and professional sport with particular reference to the progress that both female athletes and practitioners have made and will need to make for the future.
Dr Charlotte Cowie has had a 30-year career as a sports medicine specialist in elite and professional sports. She was the first female club doctor to work in men’s professional football and the first ever doctor for the England Women’s football team. Her experience spans private musculoskeletal (MSK) medicine, as well as CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and team physician roles across various sports, including taekwondo and tennis. However, her primary focus and passion lie in football, where she initially served as the club doctor for Millwall Football Club, later becoming the Head of Medical Services at both Fulham FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC. More recently, she held the roles of Head of Performance Medicine and CMO at the Football Association.
Dr Cowie has also contributed to 4 Summer Olympic Games, including her role as CMO for TeamGB at the Paris 2024 Games. She currently consults at the Cleveland Clinic London.
