ALL bodies are bikini ready

THE “SUMMER” body is a thing of the past according to a new VicHealth campaign encouraging women to get active.

This Girl Can features 12 Victorian women, including Jan Juc local Lisa, and seeks to help women overcome the feelings of judgement, intimidation and embarrassment holding them back from getting active.

Lisa, 52, said it took 30 years for her to surf despite watching her father hit the waves regularly as a small child.

“I remember watching dad carry his big board up the dunes on the beach. I started on a surf mat as a 10-year-old and it took me until the age of 40 to graduate to a surf board,” she said.

“I felt self-conscious getting out there in a wetsuit and mixing it up with the blokey surf crowd. There’s a lot of testosterone out in the water and some days I can really feel it.”

After being encouraged by friends, Lisa eventually took a surfing lesson and said the feeling of surfing made it worth putting herself out there.

“The more women we have visibly being themselves, that can only have a positive effect. The ocean belongs to everyone, not just one particular gender,” she said.

“There’s no such thing as a bikini body – we’ve all got bodies, we put them in bikinis.”

Lisa said surfing and paddle boarding has given her new skills, confidence, a feeling of accomplishment and a real sense of community and aims to compete in the Paddle Across the Bay next year.

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said the fear of judgment stops too many women from being physically active.

“Over half of Victorian women worry about being judged while exercising and for over 40 per cent this feeling of embarrassment or intimidation is so strong it stops them from taking part in sport or exercise,” Ms Rechter said.

“Concerns about how they look, that they aren’t skilled enough or that they should be prioritising their family or work over exercise are genuine obstacles for women. However, we know if women can identify themselves in advertising and in the media, they’re more likely to overcome this fear of judgement.

“This Girl Can – Victoria features everyday women like Lisa staring down their critics and getting active regardless of how they look or how sweaty they get.”

Ms Rechter said the campaign based on the viral campaign by Sport England which inspired 3.9 million British women to ditch the couch and get active; has received an overwhelming number of Victorian women wanting to share their stories of how sport and exercise have improved their confidence, health and wellbeing.