#sistersport - we're backing the next phase of This Girl Can

It has inspired 2.8m women to get active since its launch in 2015.

And the This Girl Can campaign is determined to get even more taking up sport and exercise, as it returns to our TV screens tomorrow.

The campaign prides itself on showing how women really look when being active - red faces, sweat, jiggly parts and all.

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And it aims to break down barriers that may stop a woman taking part, even if she wants to.

Jennie Price, CEO of Sport England which commissions the campaign, said: “We’re proud that This Girl Can has inspired millions of women since we launched but this is just the start.

“Fewer women are still active than men, even though most of them would like to be more active.

“We know many women feel judged - about how they look, how good or bad they are or what other people say about how they spend their time. These worries stop women being as active as they want to be.

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“We can’t make those feelings go away completely but by showing women of all shapes and sizes and all levels of ability being active in a way that works for them, we’re helping more women build the confidence not to care about what others think.”

A third of women in Yorkshire (33 per cent) say they worry about what other people will think about them when they exercise and more than a quarter do less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

This Girl Can shows a wide range of women and activities, sending out a message that anyone can get involved.

Mrs Price said: “We’re tackling some new issues this time around that reflect the things women can feel judged about, like being active in pregnancy or just after you’ve had a baby, coming back to exercise after a break, and being active as you get older. Some of our most inspiring images are of women in their sixties.”

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The latest billboards and online videos as part of the campaign, funded by the National Lottery, is now live and the new TV advert airs tomorrow.

It features teenage sisters Bleta and Londrita, who are Ju-Jitsu black and brown belts, drama workshop instructor Grace who despite being slow, cycles everywhere and laps all those sat at home on the couch, Lydia, who discovered a love of roller-derby after years of inactivity and 69-year-old Sue, a lifelong fan of cold water swimming.

Arabella Gilchrist, head of brand for The National Lottery, said; “We are incredibly proud that funds raised by National Lottery players are enabling the next phase of This Girl Can.

“Over the last 22 years, The National Lottery has had a transformative effect on people and communities throughout the UK – and in the same way, this fantastic new campaign will have a life-changing effect on women in every walk of life, in every nook and cranny of the nation.

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“The results so far speak volumes, and we look forward to seeing the stories unfold over the coming weeks.”

The launch of the next phase of This Girl Can comes seven weeks after The Express began its #sistersport campaign, designed to celebrate active women and girls in our district.

We have been building on the work of organisations including Sport England, the Yorkshire Sport Foundation and Women in Sport to try to address the gender gap in our area and empower and encourage more women and girls to take up sport or physical activity.

With the backing of The Ridings Shopping Centre and Women In Sport ambassador Kate Hardcastle, we have told the sporting stories of Wakefield women of varying ages, sizes and abilities; profiled clubs, groups and organisations supporting women and girls to get active; and provided you with information about how you can get involved.

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Would you like to share your story of how joining in an activity has helped, inspired or improved your life no matter how big or small that change has been? Would you like to promote your group, club or activity and encourage more women to get involved? Then let us know - email [email protected] or call 01924 433013.

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