Meet Issy Coombes the head of female academy sports science at the Wellington Phoenix Academy! 

Issy has been involved in high performance football for over a decade as both a player and practitioner. She has previously worked with the NZU17 Women’s National Team and works with the NZ U20 Women’s National Team in preparation for their World Cup in 2024. Issy is very passionate about understanding the menstrual cycle and female physiology and as a result, she directs her work towards empowering female athletes to optimise their health and wellbeing for performance. She is currently completing her PhD which is looking at “menstrual cycle characteristics in elite and academy female footballers in New Zealand”.