Climbers reach out to women in London put off sport by bad PE lessons
Women were today urged to ignore any fear of failing at sports and try out a new one such as climbing.
According to Sport England, about 15.5 million people aged 16 and over play sport at least once a week — but only 30.7 per cent of women compared with 40.6 per cent of men.
Elizabeth Holley, regional development officer for the British Mountaineering Council, said the fear of being no good at sport was often down to bad experiences in school PE classes.
Ms Holley, 34, a former PE teacher herself, has helped to launch a number of low-cost women-only taster sessions at the Castle Climbing Wall in Stoke Newington. She said: “Women don’t want to humiliate themselves in front of men or other people. I think some women still feel uncomfortable around other women too, but less so.
“I think it stems from PE lessons when a teacher would make people feel small for not being a natural at sport. It stays with people and makes them nervous about trying something new.”
Working with funding from Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign — which encourages women to be active without caring how good they are or what they look like while doing sport — and London Sport, the Castle wall is offering Londoners a four-week indoor course reduced from £99 to £59.40.
There is also a four-hour session in lead climbing (clipping on to a wall as you go) for £39; a 90-minute session in bouldering (climbing without a rope) for £18; and a weekend introduction to outdoor climbing in the Peak District for £60 per person, excluding travel.
Ms Holley said: “The courses are subsidised hugely to make it accessible to all. So even if people decide it’s not for them it doesn’t matter.”
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Penny Varvarides, a 26-year-old freelance journalist from Enfield who “hated PE at school”, was given a climbing course for her birthday. She said: “It is intimidating doing something like climbing if there are a lot of muscly, fit-looking people about. But the atmosphere in the women-only sessions was great. I’d recommend it to everyone.”
Audrey Seguy, managing director of Castle Climbing Wall, said a lot of people think they are not strong enough to climb or are afraid of heights: “But you get stronger, and I used to be afraid of heights but faced my fear through climbing. It also makes you respect your body and be proud of it, so is good for confidence.”
The British Mountaineering Council said its female membership was about 25 per cent of the total and increasing it was “a key priority”.
