This Girl Can Nottingham: Why Representation in Fitness Matters (...and Always Will)

However You Move… You Belong

Whilst it’s my life’s work to make the joy of movement accessible to every kind of human — through dance, Zumba, sweat, laughter and vibes — I’m also proud to be an Ambassador for This Girl Can Nottingham.

This Girl Can isn’t about perfect bodies or elite athletes.

It’s about real women. Real lives. Real movement.

However you jiggle, kick, lift, stretch or sprint — your body, your call.

And that? That deserves celebrating.

Why I Created the Awards

A few years ago, I looked around community fitness spaces and thought…

Where is the representation?

Where are the women who look like us? Move like us? Live like us?

So I created the This Girl Can Community Awards here in Nottingham to bring more equity and equality into an underrepresented corner of the fitness world.

Because rEpReSeNtAtIoN mAtTeRs mate.

And when women see women who look like them moving, sweating, leading, thriving — something shifts.

400+ Nominations. From Every Corner of Nottingham.

Each year the awards have grown.

And this year?

Over 400 nominations from diverse communities across Nottingham.

Four hundred stories of impact.Four hundred unsung heroes.Four hundred reminders that grassroots movement is powerful.

These awards celebrate the women who:

• Run community fitness sessions

• Create safe spaces

• Inspire confidence

• Break down cultural barriers

• Show up consistently for others

They are the heartbeat of this city.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Girl Can Exists

This Girl Can is a national movement created by Sport England in 2015 and funded by The National Lottery.

Its mission is to tackle the physical inactivity gap between men and women.

Nationally:

• 59.8% of women are active (150+ minutes per week)

• 63.1% of men are active

In Nottingham:

• 58% of women meet that activity level

• Compared to 63% of men

That gap might look small on paper.But behind it are real barriers:

Confidence. Childcare. Cultural expectations. Fear of judgment. Lack of representation.

This Girl Can says there is no “right” way to get active.

And I stand with that fully.

Why It Matters to Me Personally

Movement changed my life.

It builds confidence.It builds resilience.It builds community.

And when women feel strong in their bodies — however that strength looks — they carry that into every other part of their lives.

That’s empowerment.

That’s why I teach.That’s why I advocate.That’s why I created these awards.

Let’s celebrate the women who make movement joyful, accessible and inclusive.

Because no one gets to choose how you exercise, except you.

Your body.Your call.

💗 oNe LoVe 💗