Regular participation in sport and physical activity is good for all of us. It brings a wealth of benefits including enhanced physical health, improved psychological and emotional wellbeing, and the opportunity to develop social skills.

There are several iconic female athlete role models who we can look to for inspiration:

• Billie Jean King – American former world No. 1 tennis player who scooped 39 major champion titles and secured the record of 20 championships at Wimbledon.
• Ellie Simmonds – British former Paralympic swimmer who won her first gold at only 13 years old.
• Nicola Adams – Double Olympic gold medallist and the first British female to secure a gold in boxing at the Olympics.  
• Kathrine Switzer – The first woman to officially run the 1967 Boston Marathon and successfully revolutionised women’s running.
• Venus Williams and Serena Williams – Two professional American tennis players who became tennis icons and were coached by their parents from a young age.

One to keep an eye on this year is Kirsty Muir. The 17-year-old from Aberdeen was the youngest athlete to compete at the Beijing Winter Olympics for Team GB 2022. Kirsty has been impressing the crowds for years and at age 13, she scooped all three Freeski titles (Big Air, slopestyle and halfpipe) at the 2018 BRITS.  

Despite these influential females who have achieved great success and fought to make their mark, participation rates among women and girls in sport is still less than their male counterparts.

Barriers for women and girls

The main barriers which exist tend to fall under three categories: practical, personal and social/cultural.

Practical barriers can include a lack of funding in certain female sports, lack of available personal time for leisure activities and issues with access to facilities. Personal barriers relate to confidence around performance ability and body image satisfaction. Whilst social and cultural factors look at coverage portrayed in the media and challenges around behaviours and assumptions regarding females in sport.

Access to period products can be another barrier to sport and physical activity for women and girls, therefore Sport Aberdeen is pleased to provide free period products at our venues across the city.

Get Active with Sport Aberdeen

At Sport Aberdeen, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity. We endeavour to make sure everyone feels comfortable and confident when using our venues.

There are loads of different ways you can #getactive with us. We offer:

• A range of fitness classes which take place throughout the week and start as early as 6:30am.
• Learn to lift sessions which demonstrate how to use equipment safely and how to build your confidence to start lifting.
• A free fitness consultation for existing members to give you a tailored plan for achieving your fitness goals.
• Active Lifestyles sessions for those aged 65+ or with long-term health conditions. These sessions include walking netball, ladies and men’s walking football, zumba, tennis, table tennis, indoor bowls, retro rhythms and much more.
• The chance to explore the outdoors and try something new with Adventure Aberdeen including gorge walking, coasteering, rock climbing, mountain biking, winter skills courses and more.

We also offer programmes aimed specifically at women and girls.

Active Girls Committee

The Active Girls Committee is a pioneering Aberdeen initiative, supported by our Active Schools team, which empowers young girls to increase their participation in sport.

The Committee comprises of female pupils from nine secondary schools across the city. It focuses on inspiring young girls to get involved in leadership roles within school sport, organising competitive events for girls specifically, and more. The aim is to have an Active Girls Club within every school.

To find out more about local Active Girls Clubs within your area, please email activeschools@sportaberdeen.co.uk

Ladies Only Ski and Snowboard Sessions

Our Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports Centre located in Garthdee boasts the only dry ski slope in the city.

A great opportunity to embark on the thrill-seeking and action-packed nature of snowsports, we now offer beginner and intermediate sessions for ladies only on Fridays. All equipment is provided and sessions are delivered by our qualified, enthusiastic instructors.

Get some friends together, have fun and try something new!

For further information and to book, please email snowsports@sportaberdeen.co.uk

Whichever sport or activity is the one for you, you will find friendly and supportive staff within each of our venues who will make sure that everyone feels welcome and comfortable.