Empowering Teens Through Strength: A Day with The Academy Programme and This Girl Can

#ThisGirlCan

Let me start by introducing the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, if you’re not already familiar. It’s a nation-wide campaign, created by Sport England and funded by the National Lottery, with a clear mission: to change the way women and girls think and feel about exercise, and help them find ways of getting active that suit them.

'Women come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of ability. It doesn’t matter if you’re rubbish or an expert. The brilliant thing is you’re a woman and you’re doing something.’ - This Girl Can, 2023

Within the national campaign, local branches deliver activities, events, workshops and more across the country - and that’s exactly what this day was all about: Worcester Girls Can!

Tuesday November 14th marked the annual Worcester Girls Can Festival - where 10 schools from all over Worcestershire brought groups of pupils who were typically less engaged in ‘traditional’ school sports and PE, to offer the opportunity to try new activities - including ‘Boogie Bounce’, ‘Glow Dodgeball’, and of course, CrossFit!

Introducing CrossFit and Weightlifting to young girls

With 25 minute slots per activity, the day was truly a ‘quick-fire’ taster session to give the girls a sense of what CrossFit is all about. With CrossFit being a type of exercise as well as its own ‘sport’ that combines countless elements of strength training, cardio, and gymnastics (its tagline ‘Constantly Varied Functional Fitness’ is accurate!) we couldn’t cover it all in one session. So, we decided to hone in on Olympic Weightlifting, which makes up a huge part of CrossFit, whilst also being its own standalone Olympic sport!

With the Paris 2024 Olympics approaching, and Emily Campbell, Team GB’s first ever female athlete to earn a medal in Weightlifting, the festival was the perfect opportunity to introduce the girls to new sports, as well as highlight some incredible female role models such as Emily.

Teaching the Snatch

Our day began with the first group of 10 girls standing before a PVC pipe each - our imaginary, lightweight ‘barbells’ for the day. There was a palpable mix of excitement and anticipation in the air as the girls approached their bars with no idea what to expect. Any nervous energy quickly subsided as Hannah and I introduced ourselves and the session, accompanied by Taylor Swift playing quietly through the speaker, letting the girls know that ultimately, this session was about having fun!

The snatch, a complex and technical lift that is integral to both CrossFit and weightlifting, became our focal point. Through a step-by-step approach, which broke the technique down into bite-sized chunks, the girls quickly grasped the fundamentals of the lift. Amazingly, every single girl who picked up a PVC pipe to give it a go, ended the session having successfully performed a snatch. Some groups throughout the day were so enthusiastic that they even had a go using the 7.5kg barbells (a ‘standard’ women’s barbell is 15kg). It was truly incredible to witness their determination and perseverance, traits that would undoubtedly extend beyond any physical activity.

The pupils left with a bustling excitement, having tried a completely new type of exercise. We sensed the girls’ feelings of accomplishment and confidence, as they each left the room with just a small taste of the transformative power of lifting.

The Power of the Barbell

The barbell represents so much more than the physical side of sport and exercise to myself and Hannah. It’s not just about feeling physically strong and independent, or lifting heavy weights (although we love this part too!). Training and lifting has been a catalyst for personal growth, resilience, and mental fortitude in our own lives.

As we coached these young girls, we couldn't help but reflect on how this experience would shape their journeys, and wonder, ‘How might things have been different if we’d had a chance to try this at a younger age? Might we have had a better relationship with exercise and our bodies? Might we have had more confidence? Might we have realised that actually, we were sporty, we just hadn’t found the right sport yet?’. It may not have been something we were able to try at that age, but what a privilege to play a part in such a positive step forwards!

Through the palpable enthusiasm during the sessions, as well as feedback from the girls and their teachers, we ended the day confident that we had succeeded in our mission: to not only to teach these teenagers a new skill but also to inspire them to embrace their strength, both physically and mentally.

The next steps with The Academy Programme

The Academy Programme's commitment to working with schools goes beyond a one-day event. The programme is dedicated to up-skilling teachers, securing funding for gym equipment in schools, creating non-profit CrossFit affiliates, and much more. My hope is that the Worcester Girls Can festival marks the beginning of new relationships with local schools, which The Academy Programme can go on to support in introducing CrossFit and lifting into their curriculums.

By providing resources and support, The Academy Programme is laying the foundation for a future where young people of any gender can feel confident in their physical abilities and are equipped with the tools to overcome life's challenges. They work with schools and local CrossFit gyms across the country. You can find out more about The Academy Programme and their work here.

If you’re a teacher or CrossFit affiliate owner who’s interested in bringing CrossFit into schools or working with The Academy Programme, get in touch!

Thanks for reading!

Georgia Radley

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Empowering Teens Through Strength: A Day with The Academy Programme and This Girl Can

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