Maddie's - Story
If I hadn’t been on Get on Track before the lockdown started, I don’t think I’d have known what to do now, but it’s given me a structure to my day.
I wasn’t really doing anything before the programme, most of the time I was pretty much at home, just watching Netflix and stuff like that. I wasn’t doing much activity before Get on Track started, I was dancing one evening a week with a troupe called the Majorettes, and other than dancing round my living room I wasn’t doing much.
During the programme we did loads of activities such as fencing with Claire and boxing with Hannah (athlete mentors). We also did lots of other activities and sports such as circuits, volleyball and badminton, which I discovered I was pretty good at and was a really good stress reliever. It’s really close between fencing and boxing but my favourite thing we did was the boxing. Overall, it’s such a good experience working with Hannah and Claire, to work with people who were so high up in their field, it really puts it into perspective that you can do whatever you want if you really put your mind to it. It’s shown me that with a positive ‘can do’ attitude then the sky is the limit.
After a few months of the programme, the coronavirus pandemic hit and all in person delivery of programmes stopped. The Trust were able to continue supporting groups via Zoom calls, Facebook groups and utilising video content.
Having these challenges gets me started for the day. I wake up, have a cup of tea, and then get on and do some activity. I’m definitely more motivated than I was before. If I hadn’t been on the course before the lockdown started, I don’t think I’d have known what to do now, but it’s definitely given me something to do, given me a kind of structure to my day. We meet up weekly as a group on Zoom and it’s great to catch up with everyone and see what they’ve been up to.
Since the lockdown started, I’m going out for a walk probably three to four times a week, heading down to the local beach in the morning and me and my Mum are about to start a couch to 5k programme soon. I’m also dancing in my garden as often as I can. We’re also being set weekly challenges by Claire and Hannah so I’m doing those as well, this week was crunches but I’m also doing stuff like star jumps, sit-ups and squats.
I would definitely recommend this programme to people who haven’t done it because it gives you something to look forward to and it’s great to have a group that you can be open with and talk about anything. It helps with your mindset and helps to relieve you of a load of stress. My advice to anyone doing Get on Track is to just put yourself out there, the more you give of yourself, the more the athletes know what you are and aren’t comfortable with and if you are struggling, they’re always there to support and help you.
“Maddie has been a real role model for the group. At the beginning she was a bit shy and not too sure of herself but now she’s really grown in confidence and self-esteem. For example, she’s been has been teaching us cool hip, hop dance moves during sessions and now via Zoom! Maddie is doing things outside of the programme, like joining a sports club and it’s great see her feeling empowered to go and do that as that’s whole point of the programme, to develop tools and techniques to be physically active, happy and be a better performing person! Already Maddie’s leadership skills are really high and I’m really proud of her.”
Claire Bennett, athlete mentor
Josh attended the Get on Track for Wellbeing programme in Folkestone. Thanks to funding from Sport England, we are working with 700 young people in coastal communities all across England to help them become more active.