Name: Grace Stirling
School/university/college/job/Volunteering: University of Stirling
Sport (s): Wheelchair Tennis
Who is your female role model in sport?
Ellie Simmonds was one of the people who inspired me to get involved in sport. She reached her goals at such a young age and encourages people to strive for their dreams. Since she has retired, she has continued to be a voice for disability sport. Her hard work, dedication and success is inspiring to so many. Sport has given so much to her, but she has given back even more. She has genuinely made a difference to the world of sport.
Why did you want to join the Fit for Girls programme?
I wanted to be a Fit for Girls tutor to have the opportunity to give back to sport and inspire the future generation of women and girls in sport. Sport has given me so many opportunities and I would like to be able to encourage other young girls to do the same and to grasp every opportunity to be involved in sport. From taking part in sport and physical activity, I have experienced so many different things that I wouldn’t have thought possible. I wanted to have a role in showing girls that they are capable of anything if they apply themselves, work hard and enjoy what they are doing.
What do you want to achieve as a Fit for Girls Tutor?
I want to empower girls to feel confident, to feel like they have a voice and feel like they can genuinely make a difference in their community and wider. I have gained so much confidence through my involvement in sport and I would like other girls to have the opportunity to experience this too. I believe that it is important for women and girls to have a voice in sport, and I want to help make this happen for the young girls I will work with. It is important to me that young girls have the chance to design and develop projects and skills that they can use within their own community.
Your message to girls wanting to get involved in sport:
If an opportunity to get involved in sport comes up, say YES, you never know what doors it will open.