Fitness For All!

Meet these amazing women proving that fitness is for everyone

and depression, but I became happier and more confident. Yoga was changing my life. I wanted to share the positive benefits with my loved ones but there was a barrier in mainstream classes.

I was the only hearing member of my family. My mum, dad, brother, sister, their partners and their children are all profoundly deaf. Although they saw my transition, they didn’t have access to the positivity that had changed me. In mainstream yoga classes, teacher instructions weren’t always clearly conveyed to deaf participants, so they didn’t have the chance to experience the full benefits.

“You should become a British Sign Language (BSL) yoga teacher,” Mum said.

It was a big leap but I went for it. I trained in

Thailand then started a local BSL class called Sign Yoga. Word spread and my following grew.

I toured the UK and taught at festivals and retreats. I became the first BSL aerial yoga instructor and, during lockdown, I provided online classes that reached people across the world. Some students messaged to say how yoga had helped them, like it had me. Others wanted to train as BSL yoga teachers, to keep the movement growing.

Mum practises yoga now, alongside my sister-in-law and niece, and people have approached her to say how my classes have helped the deaf community.

Yoga is about wellbeing and positivity.

No one should ever be excluded from that.

•Visit WWW.SIGNYOGA.CO.UK

miles from home and there were no fully inclusive sport activities locally. Something had to change. Determined, I contacted Access Sport, a charity fighting exclusion in sports, and they supported me financially and practically to launch a Boccia club in my area.

Over the coming months, I fundraised for equipment and court hire. I recruited volunteers and organised training. My carer Tom qualified as a Boccia coach. I designed flyers, set up social media and spoke in schools to promote Boccia.

On opening day, we had members with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, some who were partially sighted and some with no disabilities at all. We all played together. No one sat on the sidelines and missed out. Disabled members could finally compete with family and friends. There was no judgement and lots of laughter as we helped and motivated one another. We don’t see what people can’t do, only what they can do.

It’s everything I’d hoped.

My team plays weekly and I’m proud to have been chosen to join the Boccia England Academy – the first step on the Paralympic pathway. I even won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero Award, a great honour.

I believe it’s important to celebrate people’s differences and support their equal place in society. I hope my club is part of that, by proving that sport is for all.

• Visit ACCESSSPORT.ORG.UK

NNATASHATH THTHOMPSON, 4343, BBRENT,T LLONDON D

As we pounded the pavement, my friend Linda and I felt empowered running the race. We stopped to ask a marshal for directions and she said, “Are you running the race?”

I looked at the huge numbers pinned to our chests and said, “Of course.” She looked blank before directing us.

Afterwards, Linda and I discussed what had happened. We weren’t sure, but we thought the marshal was surprised to see us because so few black women run races like these. I’d loved running for 20 years and completed in many races including the London and Paris Marathons. It was a poignant realisation that there weren’t many runners like me.

“We need to encourage more black women to run,” I said. “All you need is a sports bra, trainers and to get out of your front door.”

I set up a social media account called Black Girls Do Run UK – a community to inspire, motivate and encourage black female fitness. There’s a similar group in the US.

People followed, commented, shared advice, building one another up. We began meeting for group runs in London and the days were filled with laughter and sisterhood as we cheered each other on – women of all abilities, with all sorts of responsibilities to work around their fitness. It was never about speed or being the best – it was to have fun and simply cross that finish line.

Our group isn’t about exclusivity. Fitness levels in the UK black community are statistically lower than average and I want to share the message that fitness can be for everyone to enjoy.

Now, I love running more than ever because of the friendships and inspiration I get from the strong women around me.

I hope there’ll be more groups like this, to show that black girls do run – we can, we will, and we can enjoy it together.

•Follow @BLACKGIRLSDORUNUK on Instagram

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