KTG Research & Innovation

31/05/2026

🧠🏃‍♀️ Mental health matters: supporting athlete mothers beyond performance

Becoming a mother should not mean navigating sport alone.
Yet for many women athletes, pregnancy and return‑to‑sport bring not only physical challenges, but significant mental and emotional pressures.

Research shows that the peak years of athletic performance often overlap with the years women choose to have children, creating a demanding balance between identity, expectations, and career continuity.

Athletes report:
🫨 Stress and identity conflict between being a mother and a professional athlete
🤰 Fear that pregnancy may signal the end of their career or financial stability
🙁 Lack of clear guidance and support, leading to uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation

At the same time, the postpartum phase brings additional mental health risks:
👉 Around 20% of women experience postpartum depression, with factors like return‑to‑sport pressure and body changes influencing well‑being.

🌍 How MAMA contributes
The MAMA project directly addresses these gaps by:
🔹 Raising awareness about the psychological challenges of athlete motherhood
🔹 Providing e‑learning tools on mental health, rights, and safe return‑to‑sport
🔹 Supporting organizations to build inclusive and supportive environments
🔹 Strengthening networks across Europe to ensure no athlete faces motherhood alone

Because supporting women in sport means supporting the whole person, not just the performance.



Parterns: SOMOS PODEROSAS | CSIT - World Sports Games | Olympiacos SFP | Social Innovation Sports | Symplexis | European Platform for Sport Innovation | University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto | Faculty of Sport of Belgrade | KTG Research & Innovation

25/04/2026

✨ Call for athlete mothers – Take part in the MAMA study ✨
Have you returned to competitive sport after childbirth? Your experience matters.

The MAMA study explores the experiences of athletes who have successfully returned to competition after pregnancy. Your input will help identify gaps in research and support improvements to sport policies that promote women’s health, equality, and long-term participation in sport.

You may be eligible if you:
★ Became pregnant during your sporting career
★ Gave birth and attempted a return to competitive sport since 2011
★ Competed at local level or higher (up to Olympic level)
★ Train 3 times per week or more
★ Identify with a specific sport and train with the intent to compete

This research is part of MAMA – MAternity on the Bench : ProMoting EquAlity for Women in Sports, an Erasmus+ Sport project empowering women, especially mothers, to embrace physical activity for health, wellbeing, and social inclusion.

🕒 The survey takes approx. 15–25 minutes

📢 Your voice can help shape more inclusive and supportive sport environments.

👉 Take part today and share with fellow athlete mums! - https://redcap.jyu.fi/surveys/?s=WEK38KRDMERANYKA

Cyprus Olympic Committee , Cyprus Basketball Federation , PASP Cyprus , Επίτροπος Ισότητας των Φύλων
You can circulate the survey link to your networks, as Cyprus is one of the partner countries with KTG as the representative.

18/04/2026

Across Europe, women athletes still face a harsh reality: choosing motherhood can mean losing contracts, income, and career continuity. This is not a personal failure, it’s a structural one.

The EU Work Plan for Sport 2024–2027 calls for non‑discrimination, equal conditions, contractual protection, and fair pay, while increasing women’s participation at every level of sport. Yet maternity remains a critical barrier, often unaddressed by sports organizations and federations.

The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 is equally clear: dismantling gender stereotypes and removing structural barriers in the labour market, including sport, is essential to achieving real equality. Penalising pregnancy or motherhood directly contradicts these objectives.

Despite progress at policy level, implementation remains uneven. Some federations have introduced minimum maternity protections, while others still offer none, leaving women athletes forced to choose between their careers and becoming mothers.

MAMA turns EU policy commitments into action by:
- Promoting maternity‑friendly frameworks
- Challenging discriminatory contractual practices
- Supporting knowledge‑building and capacity‑building across Europe
- Raising awareness to combat stereotypes and create safer, more inclusive sport environments

Motherhood should never be treated as a setback.
It should be protected, supported, and fully compatible with an athletic career.



Partners: SOMOS PODEROSAS | CSIT - World Sports Games | Olympiacos SFP | Social Innovation Sports | Symplexis | European Platform for Sport Innovation | University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto | Faculty of Sport of Belgrade | KTG Research & Innovation

29/03/2026

🌍💜 International Women’s Rights Day – Celebrating Strength, Equality & Progress

On this 8 March, we honor the global fight for women’s equality, liberation, and the ongoing movement shaping a fairer world for all. Today, EPSI proudly joins forces with two impactful initiatives, MAMA and EmpowerHer, to celebrate women’s resilience and the power of sport to transform lives.

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. Despite attempts to physically remove her from the race, she persisted and crossed the finish line, changing the history of women’s sports forever. Her courage reminds us that every step taken by a woman opens doors for many more.

✨ MAMA – Mentoring Active Mothers through Awareness empowers women, especially mothers, to embrace physical activity as a pathway to wellbeing, confidence, and inclusion. By promoting sport as a lifestyle accessible to all, MAMA supports the EU’s gender‑equality goals and helps women overcome physical, cultural, and social barriers.

✨ EmpowerHer supports breast cancer survivors by combining personalized physical activity, emotional support, and community connection through an innovative mobile app. This project helps women rebuild confidence, restore strength, and navigate life after treatment with dignity and empowerment.

🔵 As a leading European network for innovation in sport, EPSI is proud to support projects that elevate women’s health, rights, and participation across all levels of sport and society.
Today and every day, we celebrate the women who challenge norms, break barriers, and inspire change.

👉 Let’s keep advancing equality, on the field, in communities, and across Europe.

22/03/2026

From Policy to Strategies: Advancing Maternity Rights in European Sport

The rapid growth of women’s sport in Europe has brought long‑standing gaps into sharp focus. While progress is happening at policy level, real protection for women athletes, especially mothers, remains inconsistent.

Today, maternity rights in sport still depend largely on individual federations:
⚽ FIFA introduced maternity protections only in 2021.
🏀 FIBA has a provision, but only for women officials (2023).
🏐 CEV (volleyball) and 🤾‍♀️ IHF (handball) still have no dedicated regulations for pregnant athletes.

This lack of alignment, combined with persistent stereotypes, 44% of Europeans still believe a woman’s primary role is caring for home and family, creates an environment where many athletes must choose between motherhood and their careers.

At EU level, initiatives like the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025, the High‑Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport, and the EU Work Plan for Sport 2024–2027 call for stronger, equal legal frameworks. But translating policy into practice remains a challenge.

This is where the MAMA project comes in.
By focusing specifically on the intersection of athletic careers and motherhood, MAMA addresses a critical and historically overlooked dimension of gender equality in sport.

The path forward is clear:
➡️ EU strategies set the direction.
➡️ Projects like MAMA turn them into action.
➡️ Together, they drive the systemic change women athletes urgently need.









Partners: SOMOS PODEROSAS | CSIT - World Sports Games | Olympiacos SFP | Social Innovation Sports | Symplexis | European Platform for Sport Innovation | University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto | Faculty of Sport of Belgrade | KTG Research & Innovation

22/02/2026

🌟 Γιατί το MAMA έχει σημασία 🌟

Σε ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη, οι γυναίκες αθλήτριες εξακολουθούν να αντιμετωπίζουν συστημικά εμπόδια όταν επιλέγουν τη μητρότητα, από καταχρηστικούς όρους συμβολαίων έως περιορισμένη θεσμική υποστήριξη.

Το έργο MAMA (Maternity on the bench: promoting equality for women in sports) δημιουργήθηκε για να αλλάξει αυτή την πραγματικότητα.

Το MAMA έχει σημασία γιατί αντιμετωπίζει ένα κρίσιμο και συχνά παραμελημένο ζήτημα: να διασφαλίσει ότι η μητρότητα και μια επαγγελματική αθλητική καριέρα δεν είναι ασύμβατες μεταξύ τους.

Το MAMA στοχεύει να:
✔️ Βελτιώσει την υποστήριξη πριν, κατά τη διάρκεια και μετά την εγκυμοσύνη
✔️ Προωθήσει συμπεριληπτικά και μη διακριτικά αθλητικάπεριβάλλοντα
✔️ Ενισχύσει την ενημέρωση γύρω από τα νομικά δικαιώματα και τις προστασίες
✔️ Ενδυναμώσει τις αθλήτριες μέσω πόρων για τη σωματική και ψυχολογική ευεξία
✔️ Συμβάλλει σε μακροπρόθεσμες αλλαγές σε ατομικό, οργανωσιακό και κλαδικό επίπεδο

➡️ Γίνε μέρος του κινήματος για δίκαιο, συμπεριληπτικό και φιλικό προς τη μητρότητα αθλητισμό.

Εταίροι: SOMOS PODEROSAS | CSIT - World Sports Games | Olympiacos SFP | Social Innovation Sports | Symplexis | European Platform for Sport Innovation | University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto | Faculty of Sport of Belgrade | KTG Research & Innovation

04/01/2026

06/07/2025

📅 On June 25th, our project partners gathered once again for the 3rd online progress meeting of our Erasmus+ project — a valuable opportunity to align, reflect, and move forward together.

🤝 Representatives from ΠΑΣΚΑ 1987 Αθλητικός Σύλλογος ΑΜΕΑ Athletic Paralympic Team, ITTF Foundation, Univerza v Ljubljani / University of Ljubljana, FFTT - Fédération Française de Tennis de Table, Alzhéimer León, Foundation Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria, and KTG Research & Innovation came together to share updates and insights.

💬 Key discussions focused on Work Package 2: Strategic Research & Analysis, as we approach the submission of its three core deliverables. Partners presented progress made so far and discussed steps toward finalizing this important phase.

📣 We also continued our efforts around Communication & Dissemination, led by the ITTF Foundation, ensuring that our outreach remains impactful, measurable, and far-reaching.

🌍 With each meeting, we move closer to our shared goal of promoting inclusive sport participation across Europe, especially for individuals living with neurodegenerative diseases. 🧠🏓

🙏 Thank you to all partners for your continued dedication and collaboration. We’re excited for the next phase of implementation! 🚀



Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

06/07/2025

📸Hoy hemos presentado en rueda de prensa un proyecto cofinanciado por la Unión Europea que está llamado a convertirse en un tratamiento no farmacológico eficaz en casos de ALZHEIMER y PARKINSON.

👉🏻 Se llama Proyecto SWAN Erasmus+ Sport Project (Spin for Well-being: Estilos de vida activos a través del tenis de mesa terapéutico para personas con enfermedades neurodegenerativas) y tiene como objetivo mejorar la calidad de vida de estos colectivos a través de una herramienta que se ha revelado poderosa: el TENIS DE MESA TERAPÉUTICO.

Con un presupuesto de 250.000€, este proyecto europeo cuenta con la participación de organizaciones de 7 países:

☑️ PASKA-Club Atlético Panhelénico para Personas con Discapacidad Física (Grecia) ΠΑΣΚΑ 1987 Αθλητικός Σύλλογος ΑΜΕΑ Athletic Paralympic Team
☑️ La Facultad de Deportes de Univerza v Ljubljani / University of Ljubljana
☑️ ITTF Foundation (Alemania)
☑️ Empresa de investigación e innovación KTG Research & Innovation (Chipre)
☑️ FFTT - Fédération Française de Tennis de Table
☑️ Fundación Compassion Alzheimer´s Bulgaria
☑️ Alzhéimer León

🏓 En la PRESENTACIÓN han participado Regina Granja, presidenta de Alzhéimer León, Flor de Juan, directora gerente, Paloma Gómez, terapeuta ocupacional de la asociación, y Lucía de la Pisa, directora de intervención terapéutica de Alzheimer León.

❤️ Gracias a los medios de comunicación por dar voz siempre a nuestros proyectos! En unos meses compartiremos con vosotros los resultados del proyecto.

29/06/2025

The SWAN Erasmus+ Sport Project needs assessment survey is online for a few more days. Please fill it in and help us shape the future of table tennis for health programs in Europe!

Link to survey: https://forms.gle/ScX5fK8LUep2H6C89