There’s more to sport than meets the eye
At ‘Run Antarctica’, we believe that sport has the power to change lives. That’s why we are on a mission to empower young girls and women to love and discover what’s possible for them in sport, and to break down the barriers that prevent them from participating.
Sport provides physical, mental and social benefits for females
Sports play a pivotal role in Australian culture.
The benefits of participating in sports have been widely documented, with females playing sport having greater physical and mental health and stronger social bonds.
Sport provides the opportunity for females to meet physical activity levels that reduce the risk of disease and illness, and fosters the development of resilience, social connectedness and friendships.
Australian girls find sport stressful and 50% withdraw
Research shows that girls can find sport “stressful” and that 50% stop participating during adolescence (aged 15-19 years).
The reasons teenage girls withdraw from sport are multifactorial.
However, one of the major contributors to girls’ withdrawing is them being self-conscious and having a lack of confidence in themselves, and their competence/skills and appearance.
How can we achieve these steps?
We aim to achieve these steps through delivering community talks that create awareness, developing an online community, providing inspirational role models and delivering workshops on the importance of a holistic approach to sport.
Provide community talks in schools and sporting clubs to raise awareness
Develop an online community to educate girls and the wider community
Provide positive and inspirational role models for girls in sport
Provide workshops and programs on the integration of mental skills training in sport
Our past initiatives
Outer Edge Magazine Brand Ambassador and Founder of The Feminine Edge
Donna was an Ambassador for Australia’s premier endurance sport magazine, Outer Edge, and established a regular feature in the magazine titled “The Feminine Edge’ which was dedicated to supporting women in endurance pursuits.
The Trail Beyond Project
This project consisted of 4 women; Donna Urquhart, Caroline Pivetta, Olga Poberezovska and Anne Ziogos, completing the 4 toughest ultra-marathons within the Asia Pacific region in just 4 months.
This was a considerable challenge, as they were not elite athletes, but everyday women, aged 32-59 years, who were working to support themselves, their families and maintain their sanity in daily life. However, the focus of the project was bigger than just their individual aspirations, they wanted to provide inspiration for other females.
The Trail Beyond Group documented their journey through media and social media channels, produced 5 short films of their journey, filmed inspirational interviews with women in each of the four countries they travelled to, and were invited to give keynote presentations.
Run Antarctica will follow the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme (PECS) Guidelines
