Inspiring Active Women in the West of England

One of these girls is Connie Simpson, who has been nominated for National Volunteer of the Year 2019 due to all her hard work with disability tennis around Bristol. Connie has been playing tennis since the age of 5, and was quickly recognised as being very talented. She was playing for her county by the age of 8 and was funded by the LTA at the age of 11. More recently, she has been inspired by Helen Abbott and Sport for All, where her interest in disability tennis has grown. She has now qualified as a Level 2 coach.

“I have been involved with assisting a group of children and adults who use a wheelchair to play tennis. This is a weekly group on a Sunday which I love. I thoroughly enjoy this session and have learnt so much from both Helen and all the members of the group. I also work with somebody who is visually impaired which has helped me to learn to adapt my lessons to all abilities.”

Connie has also been involved in the On & Off the Pitch project. Delivered by Wesport and Off the Record, this programme is aimed at raising awareness of positive mental wellbeing and health promotion for young people accessing sports clubs and engaging in physical activity. The project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and consists of training for both coaches/volunteers and the creation of youth peer support structures within local sports clubs. Connie has overcome some mental health barriers herself and understands the benefits of sport on positive mental health and the role that sports clubs can play in encouraging a supportive environment for its young members.

“As I have suffered with anxiety myself I understand how worthwhile sport is for both physical and mental wellbeing, if it is used and encouraged in the right way. It is the ideal platform to encourage all people to express and talk about their mental health in a safe environment. I have had a lot of supportive people around me and have used sport as a stress reliever when necessary as it is such a big part of my life. From the age of about 13-15 I began feeling immense stress when I competed and decided that the stress I felt outweighed my enjoyment and love for the sport. I took some time out from competing to enable me to learn to love the game again and try to stop putting myself under too much pressure.”

Connie told us that she doesn’t have one particular person who has inspired her in the sport, but we think that she will be a huge inspiration to others. With her positive outlook on life and passion for helping others, Connie is a fantastic role model to those around her.

“Sport is such an amazing way to become part of a team and feel like you are in a small community with people who have similar interests to you. I have always thought it is great how sport brings people together from all walks of life because they share a love for something.”