Needham Olympians Featured at ESPN Women + Sports Summit

Two Needham residents and celebrated athletes—Aly Raisman and Kristine Lilly—will be featured at ESPN’s Women + Sports Summit this week.

Raisman, a gymnast who recently earned accolades for her performance in the 2012 London Olympics, will be part of ESPN’s “Voices of the Future” panel, which will air via Livestream on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at www.espnW.com/Summit.

Meanwhile, Lilly, who won the Olympic gold medal for women’s soccer in 1996 and 2004, will be featured in a panel titled, “World-Class Athletes: the Ultimate Multi-Taskers,” on Tuesday, Oct. 2. That panel also will be shown online.

“The Summit serves as an opportunity for sports leaders, innovators and athletes to collaborate on the growing importance of women in sports,” ESPN Communications Manager Amanda DeCastro said in an email promoting the event. “The event this year is especially timely given the historic performance from female athletes during the Summer Olympics and the fact it’s the 40th anniversary of Title IX.”

Called “The Future Is Ours,” the 2012 Women + Sports Summit will feature a panel discussions, interactive work sessions and speakers, all focusing on the significant role of women in sports.

The event is being held at Dove Mountain Resort in Marana, AZ, but those who can’t attend can see several of the panels via espnW.com.

Below is a look at the schedule of speakers for the remainder of the week. All air times are in eastern standard time.

• “A Global Perspective on Women’s Sports”—Tuesday, Oct. 2, 3:45 p.m., with Stacey Allaster (WTA), Mary Wittenberg (NYRR), Rahul Brahmbhatt (Magic Bus USA) and Shamila Kohestani (Women’s Afghan National Soccer Team) moderated by Chris McKendry
• “The WNBA: a Story of Commitment, Resilience, and Innovation”—Tuesday, Oct. 2, 9:45 p.m., with Adam Silver (NBA) and John Skipper (ESPN), hosted by Hannah Storm
• “World-Class Athletes: the Ultimate Multi-Taskers”—Tuesday, Oct. 2, 11:15 p.m., featuring Carmelita Jeter, Kristine Lilly and Gabrielle Reece, hosted by Jemele Hill
• “How Women are Using Social Media to Innovate”—Wednesday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m., with Amy Jo Martin
• “An Olympic Gold Session” with Kerri Walsh—Wednesday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m., followed by “Voices of the Future” with Lakey Peterson, Sasha Digiulian and Aly Raisman, moderated by Julie Foudy.