This Girl Can is a national campaign developed by Sport England and a wide range of partnership organisations. It’s a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.
A Sheffield solicitor (Caroline Moore, Director, Medical Solicitors) who took up diving just two years ago is proof that a busy work schedule is no obstacle to improving your fitness.
The campaign is being delivered by Sheffield City Trust (SCT) across its sport and leisure facilities in Sheffield.
Caroline first took to the pool at the age of 46 after being invited to compete in charity fundraiser ‘Splash’ in aid of St Luke’s Hospice, despite having no previous experience
Caroline said: “Even though I was scared to start diving at my age, I had been offered the opportunity to join a local team when I was eleven but didn’t. I couldn’t turn it down for a second time. I fancied a new challenge and it felt like fate that I was being given the opportunity again.”
Caroline is determined to reach master’s level and compete alongside friends she has made at Ponds Forge, where she trains twice a week.
I fit my training in around my heavy work schedule and I enjoy the new challenges I face every week. I’ve managed to tone up and get a six-pack – all this despite having 3 children. Diving has not only improved my physical strength, I have seen a change in my psychological mind-set. My job is very intense and diving is a stress-buster, I feel stronger in everything I do. I can’t believe how healthy I feel, it’s really given me my sense of adventure back. I’d dive every day if I could. I think the This Girl Campaign is excellent and I hope it persuades more women like me to start something new. If anyone came to me with reservations about starting a new sport I’d advise them to do their best to combat fear and adopt a ‘do it anyway’ approach. I was terrified at first but it’s turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done.
Sport England’s latest Active People Survey shows that the number of females playing sport once a week dropped to 701,400 in 2013/14, which is a fall of more than 10,000 from the previous year.
However, 55.7 per cent of women would like to do more exercise – an increase from 51.2 per cent in 2007/8.
SCT runs venues across Sheffield including Ponds Forge, the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, Hillsborough Leisure Centre and iceSheffield. For more information about getting involved in sport in Sheffield visit www.sivltd.com