Natalie Pinkham says she disguised herself as a boy to compete on school sports team

The Formula 1 presenter wasn't allowed to join the relay team as she was a girl

Natalie Pinkham said the incident has been her 'only experience' of sexism in sport (Ian Gavan/Getty Images for BT Sport Industry Awards)

The Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pinkham said she disguised herself as a boy at school in order to play on their sports team.

The Formula 1 presenter said she was told she couldn’t compete in a relay competition because she was a girl.

So she cut her hair short and wore a male gym kit to try out for the boys 4x100m relay team, which had surprisingly successful results as the team went on to reach national level.

Pinkham, 37, claims she had the support of her PE teacher in her quest at her school in Northamptonshire; “I wasn’t trying to be a troublemaker or anything — I just loved sport,” she told the Mail on Sunday.

Her fellow teammates "loved" having her on side, she said: “I was the fastest runner and they wanted me on the team. I remember crossing the line with a huge feeling of elation.”

The team then reached a national level; however she was spotted entering the female toilets, resulting in disqualification from the competition before the team had a chance to race.

“We had won it and got this amazing time with the winning slot. We would have gone through to the national round if I hadn’t been caught,” she said.

The presenter said the incident has been her “only experience of sexism in sport”.

Pinkham hosts coverage of Formula 1 on Sky Sports, previously presenting the sport for BBC Radio Five Live.