Have a go during This Girl Can week

November 8, 2024 BY Adam Carswell

Come and try: Moni Sonsuwan, Tegan Hartley and Christine Steele from Bendigo Community Health, Johanna Colquhoun from the City of Greater Bendigo (second from left at back), and Jo Cahill from Sports Focus at Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre. Photo: BRENDAN McCARTHY

STARTING on Sunday and continuing for the following seven days, local women, girls and non-binary people will have the opportunity to try out a raft of affordable and accessible sports and pastimes as part of the This Girl Can 2024 program.

The week-long VicHealth initiative is aimed at encouraging women to engage in physical activity and in Bendigo will include paddling, roller derby, badminton, self defence, football, swimming, petanque, volleyball, pickleball, tennis and rowing.

VicHealth’s head of This Girl Can, Rebecca Ahern, said this year’s theme, Together We’re Unstoppable, is about demonstrating the incredible things that happen when women get active together.

“We know that for women to feel confident enough to get active, they need to feel supported, safe and welcome,” she said.

“This Girl Can 2024 is all about providing opportunities for women of all backgrounds to get active while finding joy, community, and connection.

“We must continue to challenge the norms of what being physically active looks like.

“It shouldn’t matter where you’re from, how old you are, or what size clothes you wear – everyone should feel safe and welcome to exercise and move in our community.”

The local schedule for the week has been co-organised by the City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo Community Health Service and non-profit organisation Sports Focus.

Sports Focus program coordinator Sophie Bickford said all activities have been designed to be welcoming, safe, affordable and fun for all ages, all abilities and all experience levels.

“It’s the perfect opportunity to try something new, return to sport, have something for yourself and look after your own physical and overall well-being,” she said.

“Maybe you want to get back into fitness after having kids, or perhaps you had a bad experience, or perhaps you’d just like to meet some more people in the community.

“We’re focussing on the overall wellbeing and mental health benefits and in that sense it’s all just very fun, relaxed and non-competitive.”

This Girl Can runs from Sunday 10 November to Sunday 17 November. For the full schedule of events and to register, visit the Sports Focus website.