Serena, Danielle (centre) and Angelie with their medals after a gruelling obstacle course race on Mother’s Day.
Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3010320/keeping-sport-family-how-active-mums-empower-strong Health & Wellness
Keeping sport in the family: how active mums empower strong daughters
- Meet the mothers and daughters taking part in Women in Sports Empowered events that encourage female participation in team sports
- Being active helps turn mums into sporty role models for their children, says a non-profit organisation
Danielle Roman (centre) with her daughters Angelie and Serena at a Spartan race in May
When Danielle Roman and her two young daughters crossed the finish line at a gruelling obstacle course race on Mother’s Day, the trio was exhausted but elated.
Serena, six, and Angelie, four, demonstrated immense physical and mental strength to complete the tough Spartan challenge in Taiwan, and their 39-year-old mother couldn’t be more proud.
From an early age Roman taught her girls that “strength is not just in your muscles, it is in your mind”. She built on her own experience after she started weight training at the gym a few years after her son and two daughters were born, to feel strong again.
“My body felt weak and my mind fatigued after having three kids and sitting long hours at a stressful office-based job. Around that time, Serena, who was five then, said to me, ‘Mummy, boys are stronger than girls, I could never be that strong’.
“I realised that if Serena could feel strong physically, she could be empowered to feel strong mentally – just like me,” says Roman, who is a partner at international law firm Mourant in Hong Kong.
From that day on, the pair started running 5km together on Saturday mornings. Soon, younger daughter Angelie started to join her mum on the running track on Sunday mornings.
“Being a role model for my daughters is so important to me, and the best way to be that is to be by their side doing sports together, rather than just enrolling them in sports classes,” Roman says.
Born and bred in Hong Kong, Roman says she has noticed the cultural stereotypes that still exist around women and sport.
“There are not many Hong Kong female sporting role models and physical strength is not seen as particularly feminine. I believe women in Hong Kong generally admire those women who are in sports, but do not necessarily think they would ever have the strength to achieve the same,” she says.
Alicia Lui founded Women in Sports Empowered HK (WISE HK).
Non-profit organisation Women in Sports Empowered Hong Kong (WISE HK) aims to change that perception, through its regular mother-daughter sports days to encourage female participation in team activities.
The next event, on Sunday May 19 at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel at the Central waterfront, will give girls of any age the opportunity to try handball supported by the Hong Kong Giants Handball Club.
Alicia Lui founded WISE HK in 2017 as an avenue to help women and girls to find a stronger sense of self-belief and motivation, as well as empathy and the ability to work with others.
We wanted to give young girls women role models and support. The best place to start is your mother.
Research, including a 2013 review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents, suggests those who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, lower levels of depression, as well as a greater level of assertiveness and self-control.
They are also likelier to graduate from university, find a job and earn higher salaries, according to the review in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Lui was sporty as a young girl, but gave up her hobbies to focus on her academic studies. Returning to sport after university, she founded Hong Kong’s ultimate frisbee community online but was keen to do more to help women recognise sports’ benefits.
A mothers and daughters sports day in Hong Kong.
“I wanted to do something around women and empowerment that was actionable and tangible,” she says.
Working with national sports associations and clubs in Hong Kong, WISE brings in female coaches to introduce females to American flag football, dodgeball, soccer, field hockey, self-defence, tag rugby, cricket, handball and ultimate frisbee.
The organisation also provides grants to support sporting costs for underprivileged women and raises awareness through campaigns, discussions and workshops.
The flagship sports day programme evolved from an activity participation survey conducted at WISE’s inception.
“It was quite striking that [girls] under the age of 18 really welcomed the idea of role models and it was really important to them,” says Lui.
“We also found that there was a huge drop in sports participation for women with children. It seemed to make sense to use mothers to encourage daughters to continue doing sports. There are not many opportunities for mothers and daughters to do sports together.”
Cardeux Nel is a physiotherapist in Hong Kong.
Lui launched the mother-daughter sports day, headed by her friend Cardeux Nel, a physiotherapist who took up sport at the age of three and went on to represent South Africa in karate and field hockey.
“We wanted to give young girls women role models and support. The best place to start is your mother. If your parents are active, and active with you, you are more inclined to stay active,” Nel says.
“There is a misconception that the father takes kids to sports and is the involved [parent]. But the mothers love it [just as much as the dads] as they are trying sports they have never done before.”
The first WISE sports day was launched in early 2017 and before long they were running the event six times a year.
Karla Falzon, 39, from Australia, regularly attends the sports day with her six-year-old daughter Mila.
“It provides some amazing role models and teaches us so much more than the actual activity. I want my daughter to know there are many layers to me. I can be her mum, but I can also be good at other things. I can try new things, I can fail, I can get hurt and I can try again,” she says.
“These things are all applicable in everyday life and if she sees me doing them, then hopefully, she knows that she can do anything, and [that she] is not defined by being one thing.”
Danielle and Angelie running at the track in Hong Kong.
And for those that find sport intimidating, taking part in an all-female environment enables women to feel more relaxed and supported.
“Sports is all about finding your tribe and finding a connection. It gives people a sense of purpose, community, belonging and friendship,” says Lui.
To find out more about the mother-daughter sports day, visit: www.facebook.com/wisehongkong
Mother-of-four Ania Martin-Madsen is a personal trainer in Hong Kong.
How to get active with your child
Mother-of-four Ania Martin-Madsen, who works as a personal trainer in Hong Kong, says physical activity is crucial for your body and mind as it enables people to stay healthy, sleep better and de-stress from everyday life.
“Historically and culturally sports have been dominated by men, because many women are juggling obligations at home and work, so finding time in a busy schedule is difficult.
“I have noticed that once women ‘get going’ they tend to commit better [to exercise] and it often becomes part of a new lifestyle [for them].”
If parents are active, kids will follow in their footsteps.
The key to motivating girls to get physically active is to set a good example.
“Families can do many sports-related activities together which builds strong active bonds, while the family gets healthier and has lots of fun at the same time. If parents are active, kids will follow in their footsteps.”
Showing daughters that sport is both healthy and fun will promote healthy habits for life.
Parents should explain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to children early on and choose an activity which is not too expensive and lots of fun.
Martin-Madsen recommends activities such as rollerblading, swimming, cycling, jumping rope, playing frisbee or jogging.
Bonding activities such as martial arts are also are great way to teach girls self-defence while helping them to feel strong and independent.
It is also important to find a good balance between exercise for the body and the mind, Martin-Madsen adds, by introducing children to a range of activities including drama, art, music and languages.