Strength And Passion Of Women

Dear diary: In The Year Of The Woman, I needed to write this piece.

By the beginning of 1988 I'd got to know many fantastic women who made such a big impact on my life and also the fitness industry. It was through their shear determination to raise awareness of the suffering and vulnerable people in our society, that had me exploring the idea of helping an association I was extremely passionate about.

Mental health can strike anyone of us at any time in our lives. It can be triggered by anxiety that's out of our control. I'm writing this because I've known people who have suffered. Mental health can lay dormant, but of course once it takes a hold it's hard to know what's imagined and what is fact.

However back in 1988 I knew of an organization called MIND, who helped these very people I had empathized with. First I started off by asking members of my dance aerobics class if they were interested in raising money for a great cause. I marveled at how enthusiastic the women were to participate, so decided to take the message further and asked some other teachers I'd got to know if they'd like to help out too.

They were all masters of the fitness industry and said they'd be happy to help such a worthy cause. It was a massive task to take on, having to arrange the venue and keep the ladies enthusiasm going. There was also the case of carrying on with my own work too. I do look back and wonder how I managed to find the energy, but back then I was young and fit.

I was grateful I managed to persuade five teachers to take on an hour each. Managing to book a hall at our local Link Sports Centre in Swindons on Saturday 7^th May 1988 from 10am till 4pm was easy enough, they were very helpful. Our local Evening Advertiser were willing too, writing a piece about the event.

We all arrived on that day. A couple of friends set up the register at the entrance, one signing in the participants, while the other took the money on the door for those that didn't get any sponsor ships. There must have been over two hundred women ready to take part, their eagerness to get going was so encouraging and lifted my spirits.

As the first teacher took to the floor beginning her hour with the progression of a warm up, stretch, then lifting the heart rate. Finally everyone hit the floor to work bums, tums and legs, followed by a cool down.

With a five minute break it was time for the next teacher, who eased everyone in with gentler movement that was easier to follow. This though was the calm before the storm. The next teacher took us through a fun upbeat, but extremely vigorous session. Three hours in and everyone was knackered, but there was still another three hours to go.

Still a lot of women stayed keeping up the pace, but were also encouraged to stop if it hurt, yet like the Billy Ocean song said: When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going. We carried on with ardor and only one thought! An eagerness to raise the cash for MIND.

I did the last hour, but sadly by that time some women had left leaving me with only half a class. I concentrated on keeping the fun element and energy up, taking the women through their paces, smiling but eager for six hours to be over so I could get home for a long awaited rest.

The women inspired me so much and were such an encouragement, after all I couldn't have done it without them. This was why I was prompted to write this piece as a thank you to all those that I never got the chance to meet properly, they will never be forgotten.

We managed to raise £940.34p for MIND, which is such a great effort and achievement. We also received a letter and certificate from MIND on 27^th June 1988, thanking us for recognition of an outstanding fund-raising effort in the fight to raise the standard of care and welfare for mentally disordered people.

I hope that maybe someone who attended this event that I never met might see this and know they're not forgotten.