Anika Leslie-Walker

Role

Anika is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Sport in the Department of Sport Science. She teaches on undergraduate modules, including the Sociology of Sport and Current Issues in Sport and Exercise. She also supervises research dissertations in the sociology of sport, for studies exploring gender, race, ethnicity and sexuality.

Career Overview

Anika joined the team at Nottingham Trent University in March 2022 and is a member of the Sport and Society Research Group.

Anika is currently undertaking her PhD part time at Manchester Metropolitan University, exploring female university students participation in extra-curricular sport and physical activity. She completed an MSc in Sport Management at Loughborough University and a teaching qualification at Warwick University.

Anika has a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion and currently sits on the inclusion board at British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and is a Non-Executive Director at Manchester Football Association.

Anika started her career as a Football Development Officer at the Bedfordshire Football Association with a remit of developing women and girl’s football. Anika has worked as a Level 2 football coach in the USA & UK within youth and adult settings.

Membership of Professional Bodies

Anika is a fellow of the HEA.

Anika is a member of the British Sociological Association and Women's Sport Collective.

Publications

Leslie-Walker, A., & Chikh, Z. (2025). Exploring racialised minority women’s lived experiences of negotiating sports boardroom positions in the UK. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2025.2592557

Campbell, P. I., Maloney, M., & Leslie-Walker, A. (2025). The intersections of race and gendered stereotypes within the constructions of digital women footballers in video games. Identities, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2025.2458397

Taylor, K., & Leslie-Walker, A. (2025). ‘We shouldn’t have to ask’: exploring the realities of minority ethnic women football spectators. European Sport Management Quarterly, 25(3), 387-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2024.2389113

Savage, M. J., Procter, E. L., Magistro, D., Hennis, P. J., Donaldson, J., Leslie-Walker, A., ... & James, R. M. (2024). Characterising the activity, lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes of UK university students: an observational cohort study with a focus on gender and ethnicity. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 3501. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20911-0

Leslie-Walker, A., Mulvenna, C. and Bramble, O. (2023). Exploring the motivations and challenges West African female students experience engaging in university sport. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/25742981.2022.2073458

Leslie-Walker, A. and Mulvenna, C. (2022). The Football Association’s Women’s Super League and female soccer fans: fan engagement and the importance of supporter clubs. Soccer and Society, 23(3), 314–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2022.2037218