Game-changers Volume 4: Lenna Gunning-Williams

To celebrate Black History Month, GIRLACTICO, in partnership with Kick It Out, has spoken to some of the biggest game-changers making an impact across women's football, culture and beyond - both on and off the pitch.  

For Volume 4, we sat down with Lenna Gunning-Williams, the 21-year-old Spurs forward who’s now starting her 4^th season in the club’s senior team. Her journey into professional football wasn’t strictly conventional, only entering academy football in her mid-teens due to a childhood acting career! However, since stepping onto the grass, she’s made an impression both at club level and on the international stage. This year she has been a key player for the England U23’s, getting 3g/a in 5 games, making her one of England’s bright future prospects.

GIRLACTICO: What does Black History Month mean to you and why is it important for you to celebrate it?

Lenna Gunning-Williams: I think Black History Month is important as it reminds us of monumental events and key people in history who changed the world, leading to more opportunities for people like myself.

GIRLACTICO: What makes you most proud of being mixed-race? How important is it for mixed-race women to celebrate their identity and feel confident in who they are?

Lenna Gunning-Williams: I’m proud to be mixed-race because I carry more than one heritage, and with that comes experiencing different cultures, values, traditions etc which is fun.

It’s important for everyone to celebrate their identity and uniqueness, whether you’re from one background or multiple. Difference should be celebrated, not scrutinised.

GIRLACTICO: What is something you are proud of and what is a dream or goal that you have for the future?

Lenna Gunning-Williams: I’m proud of myself for overcoming obstacles that I never thought I would have to, and using the opportunity to learn how to really push myself and pick myself up when I’m in a dark place.

A dream that I have for the future is to represent England at senior level. I’m buzzing every time I get selected to go to the U23's so I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if I one day earned the chance to take the next step to seniors.

GIRLACTICO: What does being a role model mean to you, and how do you hope your journey might inspire others?

Lenna Gunning-Williams: Being a role model whilst you’re still trying to figure out your own path can be tricky at times because I don’t want to let people down, but I can imagine that it’s very comforting for young people to be able to see someone who looks like them, sounds like them, or comes from a similar upbringing to them achieving things that seem out of reach.

I hope that I encourage the younger generation to be who they want to be and not to be forced into a box.

GIRLACTICO: What does putting on an England shirt and representing your club and country mean to you?

Lenna Gunning-Williams: Putting on an England shirt is an unexplainable feeling. Representing my country has always been something I’ve dreamt of and no matter how many camps I go to, the novelty of wearing that shirt never wears off. And when I look at the England senior women’s team now, I can see that there’s mixed-race and black women in that squad who have played major roles in the success of the Lionesses (including back-to-back Euros wins). It is very empowering to see them achieve on the biggest stage and pave the way for the next generation of girls who want be a Lioness one day, reinforcing that it’s a possible dream regardless of their race or background.