DON'T DELAY - Get off that couch today, says caroL, aged 65.

Hi, my name is Carol (Caz) and I have just turned 65!  As I look back on my life, I feel very blessed to be finally playing sport after years of either not being able to or not being encouraged to take part.  Growing up, two things prevented me from playing sport at school when I was younger.  I was diagnosed with Bronchial Asthma when I was 4 and back in the 60s Inhalers didn’t exist.  I suffered so badly with asthma that I couldn’t breathe after just 10 minutes of exercise.  I can remember feeling distraught as I had to sit out and watch everyone else having fun. 

As medication improved throughout my school years I was able to take part for longer, however girls were never allowed to play the sports I loved the most... football, cricket and basketball to name a few!  Recently I read in my old diary that the boys played football whilst the girls did country dancing!  My Dad and I were very close and very alike.  Whenever he watched or played football I was there joining in, whenever he played any sort of sport, I wanted to learn (if only I had been that enthusiastic about my school work!)  I was gutted that girls couldn’t play football at school as that was my favourite sport and would spend hours in my back garden with a football. 

I married young, and had 3 children.  I made sure they all had sport in their lives as it channelled their energy and taught them so much.  I resigned myself to being content with watching them having fun and being part of a team.  After they all left home a sports magazine from Go Active landed in my inbox.  They were advertising all kinds of activities from ‘Nordic Walking’ to ‘Roller Blading’.  However, one group caught my eye - ‘walking football’ AND it was for male and females!   I went along for my first session in 2016 and have never looked back!  I couldn’t believe my luck that females were now being encouraged to play and it didn’t matter what level you were either.  After all this time I was finally playing my most favourite sport!  

In 2014 I helped start a recreational football group in Watlington on the back of a FA soccersize class. Soccersize ran for 6 weeks whereby we did exercises to music with a ball! The small group of women who were attending just wanted to play football! To help further I did my level 1 FA coaching qualification and in 2019 Oxfordshire FA asked if I would help set up Walking football for women at Oxford United. I still train/play with this team. In 2021 I started a weekly all-female over 35s recreational ‘turn up and play’ football session as I wanted to reach out to females that wanted to either give football a try or return to the game.  On my first session in Chalgrove I had 8 eager women attend.  Six had never played before and 2 were former Oxford United players that thought their footballing days were over.  They did not mind that they were playing with beginners, they were just happy to be wearing their boots again.  They have taught the other women so much.  My ethos for these sessions has always been to encourage others and have fun, and they literally do just that.  As I write this article we now have 25 women in our group which is great for a very small Oxfordshire village.

Chalgrove Cavaliers (in blue) vs. Wheatley Women in Carol's first 7v7 friendly

Carol playing in one of her many walking football games for Chalgrove Cavaliers

A year before COVID, soft ball women’s cricket was set up in our County whereby you could just turn up and have ago at this wonderful sport on a Sunday afternoon.  These events were sociable, fun and very well attended.  Unfortunately, the sessions never started again after COVID.

Carol playing cricket for the first time, aged 57

After COVID, walking tennis sessions were started at my local club.  Having never picked up a tennis racket before, my neighbour encouraged me to try it, telling me it was for all ages and abilities.  She has made the sessions ‘inclusive for all’ and after each weekly session there is always tea and cake!  For those that want any tennis ‘coaching’ this is also on offer.

Benson Walking Tennis.  Oldest player has recently celebrated his 90^th birthday and can still play an excellent game!

Carol playing tennis for the first time, aged 64 and loving the "double bounce" rule!

So…what are ‘walking sports?’  Put simply they are sport sessions played at a slower pace.  Let’s face it we aren’t going to be as fast as we once were (or in my case ‘never were’!).

I am so very grateful for all the volunteers out there running these wonderful groups for the older generation.  You are never too old, too unfit or too rusty to play!  Sport is good for your mental health as well as your physical well-being.  I was very lonely after my children flew the nest and a husband that worked away from home most of the time, but joining new groups equalled new friends and a new social life!

Next stop….to try ‘walking basketball’ and ‘walking cricket’.

And my Asthma?  Well, I will take medication for the rest of my life but it is under control and the doctors say sport has made my lungs stronger.

Don’t delay, get off that couch today!