New ‘This Girl Can’ Campaign Champions Black Women In Sport And Physical Activity

Sport England’s groundbreaking ‘This Girl Can’ launches today with a powerful new campaign, ‘We Like the Way You Move’, redefining what women getting active looks like and championing under-represented groups, including Black women. Thirteen street-cast women from across England take centre stage in the TV advert, shown moving in ways that reflect their real lives; from family bike rides, dancing in the kitchen and pregnancy yoga, to wheelchair rugby, boxing and walking football. Soundtracked by a reimagined version of the BodyRockers’ iconic track I Like the Way, the campaign comes as a new study reveals how far the world of sport and physical activity still has to go in representing all women.

Using AI-powered analysis of over 4,000 publicly available photos from sports clubs, community centres, parks, gyms, swimming pools and other leisure facilities across England, sourced via Google Maps, the study found that Black women, South Asian women, women with disabilities, older women and pregnant women are almost entirely erased from the picture of sport and physical activity presented online. Findings from the analysis included that women of colour were virtually invisible. Out of 8,559 women pictured, only 56 were Black, despite Black women making up 4.2%of the population (2021 Census data). Almost half of these images were confined to London-based facilities, with entire regions showing next to no representation of women of colour. Despite being unseen in the world of sports and physical activity, data from Sport England reveals that Black women would feel more welcome if they had help with equipment (30%), if there were staff that understand their needs (27%), family friendly classes (26%) and classes with music from Black culture (22%). The same data from Sport England reflected that holistic health benefits; especially those tied to better sleep, improved mental wellness, social connection, and self-empowerment, are powerful incentives for engaging in physical activity for Black women.

Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at This Girl Can and Sport England, said:

“A picture is worth a thousand words, and our findings show that some Black women remain underrepresented in physical activity spaces that should welcome them, making it harder to feel they belong. When excluded, they miss out on the physical, mental, and social benefits of being active, which deepens health inequalities. Truly inclusive spaces allow everyone to find activities that work for them, and while This Girl Can has inspired over four million women to get active in the past decade, inequality persists. We are here for the women left behind, and together we can change the picture of what being active looks like.”

One of the women featuring in the new campaign, Amanda (49) has always embraced fitness, from Boxfit and martial arts to gardening in her East London home. But since experiencing perimenopause, her relationship with movement has shifted in unexpected ways. “Perimenopause really smacked me in the face,” she reflected. “Among the physical ailments, the hardest part was not being able to do the community boxing fitness I loved. I could barely walk, strapping up my knees just to get by.“It’s been a rollercoaster, but over the past two years I’ve managed to build a routine that works for me. I learned that short bursts of weight-bearing exercise – a few minutes a day, even just jumping on the spot, can really help. “Movement is non-negotiable now. I’ve found joy in moving on my own terms, whether it’s boxing, Pilates, stretching in my garden, or dancing around before bed with my daughter. Exercise feels like I’ve caught a breath of fresh air – it supports my mind, body, and soul.”

Tasha Thompson is Founder of Black Girls Do Run UK, a community organisation which inspires, encourages, and motivates Black women to embrace health, wellness, and friendship through running. Tasha, who is also a panel member across This Girl Can’s inaugural Black Women’s Advisory Panel said: “As Black women, we know the benefits of moving go far beyond fitness – it’s about mental health, confidence, and community. Too often though, we don’t see ourselves reflected in activity spaces, and that can be isolating. While there’s still work to do, we’re seeing progress, with more community projects like Black Girls Do Run UK and mainstream spaces welcoming Black women to move, belong and thrive. With the launch of This Girl Can, and a clear remit of what our women need, it’s an exciting time for physical activity providers to get behind Black women to move on their own terms.”

This Girl Can is inviting women everywhere to change the picture of what getting active looks like – by sharing their own ways of moving on social media using #ThisGirlCan and tagging This Girl Can. Whether it’s a stretch in the living room, a kickabout in the park or a swim with friends, every woman’s story helps show that there’s no one way to be active.

To find out more, visit https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/move.