Mardi loves to go bushwalking and says it makes her feel grounded and connected to nature.
“When you start to listen to all the natural sounds and feel the grass, you can forget about things like traffic and being on time…it does give you a very wholesome feeling.”
Rosy decided to try golf as an adult and discovered some unexpected barriers.
“There’s a stereotype about golf that it’s for rich, old men. So when I first started playing, I felt intimidated being a younger woman,” Rosy said.
“At a golf course or a driving range, staff or other players might ask if I know how to get the balls, or where the first tee is. It makes me feel as if I don’t know what I’m doing. The way they ask is demoralising.”
Rosy says the joy she felt when playing was stronger than the feeling of not belonging, so she kept showing up.
“I love that really satisfying feeling of hitting a nice golf shot, right in the middle of the club. I didn’t want to let the culture around golf or the people who work at golf courses or driving ranges intimidate me,” Rosy said.
“I want to be part of a new generation of golf that evolves it’s culture to be welcoming, inclusive and supportive for everyone no matter your gender, age or skill level.”
Tracy knows having dogs makes all the difference between doing no activity and doing some activity, especially on the days when she’s “really tired”.
“You sit on the couch and you’re kinda like ‘oh yeah this is comfy I don’t really want to get up’, but you know that after you walk the dogs you’re going to feel amazing. Not only that, you know they need you to walk them,” Tracy said.
Tracy juggles two jobs and knows that having the responsibility to do the right thing by her dogs ensures she does the right thing by herself.
“It’s definitely a 50/50 of ok cool I’ve got to get them out to get them moving but I’ve also got to get me moving,” she said.
Natalie started water aerobics classes for the women in the small rural town of Manangatang to get local women off their farms and into the pool together, despite their initial reservations.
“You can feel quite vulnerable in the water, because you’re only in your bathers…but if we can get them there, they tend to come back,” Natalie said.
Thirteen years on, the class is still going, and it’s fondly referred to as ‘coffee club’ by local women who look forward to socialising together afterwards.
Rosie felt like a “late bloomer” signing up to trapeze classes in her mid-twenties, but found there were people of all ages: “I love it because it lets me know there’s not an expiry date, you can just keep doing something if you love it.”
For Rosie, trapeze is about building strength and skills, and not about looking “beach-fit”.
“I saw a billboard with a beautiful blonde woman that said ‘are you beach ready’, and it just annoyed me because it makes women feel bad, like ‘what have I been doing all winter?’,” she said.
“It drives me crazy, because there’s so much more to life than whether your body is perfectly toned,” Rosie explained.
Lacrosse is the “one thing” in Jade’s family that they all love.
“Lacrosse to me is family – my daughters both play, my mum still was playing a game when she was 64-years-old,” she said.
“Mum’s a defender and I chose to become a defender too. I can follow in her footsteps and give my kids a life of connection with other girls and women. I see them making friends through sport and realise it’s such an important part of life.”
Tiff plays basketball for the social connection as well as the physical activity: “Playing basketball you have five people on a team, so that’s at least four other friends”.
As a gay woman on a diverse team, Tiff always feels included: “We break the gender barrier, so there’s non-binary, there’s trans and it doesn’t matter – we’re all human we all crave love and affection”.
“It’s not always about winning, it’s about how you feel inside,” Tiff said.
Kelly says playing netball is “like charging your batteries”, and afterwards she feels like she can do anything.
As a mum, it’s important to Kelly to set an example: “I think it’s important even to my kids to set an example that you still need to do something for yourself”.
“After you have kids, things change. Your body changes and your family becomes the priority. But as I get older, I realise the importance of self-love.
Being profoundly deaf hasn’t stopped Marnie playing sport, but at times in her life it has affected the social side of things: “Not being able to hear, really distances you from what’s happening – you have skill, you have talent, you have potential, but you’re not there – you’re invisible”.
Despite the occasional rude comment (overheard by her friends), or instances of being either pitied or ignored while playing sport throughout her life, as an adult, Marnie started playing deaf cricket.
In the cricket team, Marnie feels accepted and peaceful: “The cricket team for me is home,”.
“Concentrating on nothing but the ball…has been great for my mental health and space.”