Casey council has enlisted the help of some local women and girls as campaign ambassadors for a new program aimed at encouraging women and girls in participating in sporting activities.
Mobarake, 18, and Kirsty, 38, have thrown their support behind the council’s We Are We Can We Will program which will promote a variety of local sport and recreation opportunities that exist across Casey.
The pair shared their stories of why they love being involved in sport and recreation:
• Mobaraka, is a full-time secondary student and studies part-time at Federation University.
Outside of her studies she is a youth leader for South East Community Links, where she develops and shares her passion for community and getting girls active.
She is a keen footballer and swimmer herself, manages a Narre Warren girls’ football team and works with young women and their families to show them the benefits of women and girls being active.
Her advice, “Get involved in the activities the community provides, to make new friends and it helps with your health and mind, breaks the gender inequality and empower other women around you.”
• After arriving in Australia from South Africa in 1992, Kirsty was introduced to mountain bike riding by friends.
This began a lifelong passion which helped see her through some great personal challenges.
After suffering serious illness and losing her ability to ride, Kirsty was determined to overcome her health challenges and get back on the bike.
It was this drive and the want to connect with other like-minded women when she moved to Melbourne that led her to start up free, introduction to mountain biking sessions for women at Lysterfield Lake.
She is passionate about offering women the opportunity to get out there and give it a go, to experience something they may not otherwise do and to make friends along the way. Kirsty, runs her own Pilates studio and believes being active isn’t just about the physical aspect or being the best.
“It offers so many benefits to a woman’s health and wellbeing, mental and emotional, friendship, joy, happiness and who knows … maybe even the discovery of new passions and places.”
Her advice, “Don’t let fear stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new and maybe a little scary. You might be pleasantly surprised at just how great it is, how strong you are and how much you actually love it!”
