'Wearing a head scarf shouldn’t hold me back, so I don’t let it': Walsall mum-of-three inspiring her family by redefining what getting active looks like
Mum-of-three Sara, 32, from Walsall, is raising her family on the same street where she grew up, where not much has changed. Yet within this familiar setting, she’s battling the balance of navigating motherhood, her identity as a woman of South Asian heritage and carving out time for herself to stay active.
“My days revolve entirely around running after my three kids, who are seven, five and 19- months-old. If it's not the school run, it’s after school clubs,” says Sara. “I often feel like I can’t get a minute's peace.”
“It was only after suffering through a really tough time with my mental health, I realised I need to think about me,” Sara recalls. “How am I supposed to look after everyone else, if I can’t look after myself?”
“It’s a balancing act. I do activities with the kids to show them all the opportunities they have, but part of showing the kids they can do anything, is doing things by myself,” Sara says.
“Balancing staying active, as well as being a mum and a South Asian Muslim woman, can be hard,” explains Sara. “But I want my kids to know wearing a scarf shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoying an active lifestyle. I shouldn’t be restricted for respecting my cultural beliefs.”
Sara’s mission to inspire her children, by breaking down cultural stigmas in sport and physical activity, is not unfounded. Recent This Girl Can research found half (50%) of Asian Muslim women on lower incomes have felt excluded or unwelcome when trying to be active.
For Sara, being a mum comes first and foremost, but she knew she needed to change her relationship with movement to become the best version of herself for her family.
“I made a point of looking after my own wellbeing; I needed time without distractions,” Sara says.
“We still do things as a family, which is really important to me. We go to a brilliant cycling club where we borrow bikes and are taught to ride by wonderful instructors,” Sara says. “And it's all funded by the council.”
“It’s so accessible. We need more of this in the community. The bikes are snapped up within 10 minutes – which shows people really want to be active, and they will be, when the right opportunities are provided,” she adds.
Sara is a part of This Girl Can’s new campaign chapter – We Like the Way You Move – which redefines who getting active is for and what it looks like, celebrating women like Sara as they move through life in their own way. The campaign highlights how just 10 minutes of movement can boost energy, improve sleep, and support confidence and mood.
“Movement is so uplifting. It’s really helped my mental health,” reflects Sara. “I want my kids to see that health is wealth.”
“I was lucky. When I was going through a tough time, my family really encouraged me to get active,” says Sara. “And that saved me.”
“For any women looking to get into activity, who might be scared, be kind to yourself,” advises Sara. “Start small, start scared.”
Since 2015, This Girl Can has supported more than four million women to be active. Now, its focus is on ensuring that all women feel they belong in the world of sport and physical activity. This comes after research finding women from underrepresented backgrounds are less likely to be active. In particular, women from lower social economic backgrounds and those who, additionally, are South Asian Muslim, Black, 55-74 years old, pregnant or with a child under one-year-old.
To find out more, visit: thisgirlcan.co.uk/move.
