There’s a new “inspiring” video doing the rounds of the interwebs. And I love it!

“This Girl Can” has been launched by Sport England as part of a campaign to encourage women from all walks of life to get active. It follows research that identified a gender imbalance in participation in sports and exercise in England, which doesn’t exist in other European countries.

The research pointed to a single unifying theme which seems to underlie the imbalance and the campaign is intended to redress this. According to Jeannie Price, CEO of Sport England, “Some of the issues, like time and cost, were familiar, but one of the strongest themes was a fear of judgement. Worries about being judged for being the wrong size, not fit enough and not skilled enough came up time and again.”

Now, who isn’t familiar with that little gremlin?

The campaign encourages non-active women to get involved in a sport of their choosing by celebrating women the length and breadth of England who are already doing that, no matter whether they are “good” at it, or how they look in their gear. The images are real—we see plenty of jiggling flesh and cellulite. And we also see women taking part in all kinds of sports, really digging it and having fun.

They are looking their fear of judgement in the eye and saying: “I am bigger than you. I can do this.”

Watch it—it’s great!

Women—all ages, all shapes—moving their bodies and having the time of their lives.
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Author: Hilda Carroll

Editor: Travis May

Photo: SportEngland/ThisGirlCan