THIS year in the run up to International Women’s Day Fabulous and The Sun are celebrating those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to promote sport for women and girls.
From the local dance teacher to the girls’ football coach, the community fundraiser, or the mum who gives up her weekends to run parent and baby fitness class, we want to hear all about your local heroes.
Our panel of famous sports and fitness stars will choose ten deserving winners who will each receive £1,000 to invest back into their local sports club, event or project.
To nominate someone who is a great advocate for female sport, please fill in the below:
For full terms and conditions, click here.
Olympian Nicola Adams has backed our campaign and praised the coaches who have championed her since she started boxing aged 12.
Nicola credits two coaches in particular — Sheffield’s Alwyn Belcher and Amanda Groarke, one of the first female boxing coaches when Nicola was starting out.
Research shows that 2.4 million fewer women than men value sport and physical activity
Speaking about Alwyn, Nicola says: “He is inspirational, he honoured my goal to become an Olympic champion. Even though female boxing was not an Olympic sport until 2012, he wanted to help me achieve that.
“It was partly down to him that I kept going. I needed his words of support. He taught me that encouragement is vital to help women get active — it’s about feeling like you belong and that the space is for you too.”
Describing Amanda Groarke’s influence on her, Nicola says: “When I was starting out, Mandy was one of the first female boxing coaches.
It is so important to keep educating the next generation of athletes
Nicola Adams
“She was inspirational to the women in the team, because as a female boxing coach she had a lot of stigma to fight against herself.
“It was pretty unheard of to do that job. She was incredible — she used to physically take us away to tournaments. She basically did everything — she was the physio, nutritionist, sports psychologist and boxing coach all in one.
“This was because before women’s boxing was made an Olympic sport, it didn’t get any funding even though we were supposed to get the same amount as the boys.
“I’ve remained in contact with her and Alwyn because they made such an impact on my life.”
Research from the This Girl Can campaign shows that 2.4million fewer women than men value sport and physical activity, known as the “enjoyment gap”.
Nicola adds: “It is so important to keep educating the next generation of athletes to come through, at grassroots level, to get to the Olympics and to win some medals for us.”
