Ask Me Anything: Maia Jackman and Dr Michele Cox talk to Paula Bennett about middle age

Murdering Middle Age authors Dr Michele Cox (left) and Maia Jackman. Photo / Belinda Bullock

They are remembered as two of the most legendary Football Ferns of all time, but Maia Jackman and Dr Michele Cox have a new mission in mind - celebrating and talking about middle age.

The two have reunited off the pitch for a new book, Murdering Middle Age, where they discuss the issues women face as they get older, but also discuss the positives that come for this time, with stories of 26 women added to the mix.

Speaking to Paula Bennett on her New Zealand Herald podcast, Ask Me Anything, Cox said part of the issue with talking about middle age is the stigma many women face as they get older that leaves many feeling invisible.

"Usually it's sort of early 50s when that generally came out where they feel like people bypass 'em or look beyond them now.

"We live in a really young culture as well. So you go to Italy and older women are really revered and their wisdom's really revered. But in a Western culture, it's a little different."

Jackman said the stigma has been a big thing that's prevented women from speaking out, but the more it is being discussed, the more open people can be.

"This is a really normal stage of life. Like it's your hormones changing like they do in pregnancy and in puberty, yet those two phases are acceptable whereas this phase has stigma around it, which is insane."

Bennett said she faced that struggle as deputy prime minister during the 2017 election campaign.

"I seriously thought I was having a breakdown," she said, and that the stress caused her to put on weight. "Now I look back and go, my God, if I'd only reached out earlier for help."

And while the stigma there is changing, Cox and Jackman are also celebrating the change in narrative around women's sport.

When they represented New Zealand on the world stage, women's football was still fighting to be taken seriously by many countries around the world.

Now, the FIFA Women's World Cup is the third-biggest sporting event in the world - and it's coming to New Zealand next year.

"This event goes out to over 1 billion TV viewers around the world," Cox said.

"Around the world, there's only three countries that don't play women's football now, and there are countries like Iran who have. 120,000 female players. The US has 9 million, so it's a massive market now."

Jackman said, "I'm not entirely sure New Zealand knows what is about to hit them.

"We just had the draw recently and I think it's opened a few people's eyes as to what it means. There are a lot of passionate footballing people around the world that will come to New Zealand. The USA will be in New Zealand, so that will bring a bunch of people here."

Listen to the full podcast above for more on middle age, menopause, and celebrating women in sport

• Ask Me Anything is a NZ Herald podcast, hosted by Paula Bennett. New episodes are out every Sunday.

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