The North East is buzzing with energy, and many fantastic events for women looking to get active, connect with others, and celebrate fitness in all its forms. At Start Fitness, we’re passionate about championing local events that bring people together and help foster a love for fitness and wellbeing.
On Saturday, May 3rd, we had the pleasure of attending the North East Women’s Athlete Day to celebrate all of the amazing female athletes in the region. It was a great turnout and a brilliant event which focused on empowering and connecting female athletes from across the North East. The event not only included a drill and track session led by former professional athlete Charlotte Penfold, but also offered a series of engaging and informative talks from experts and a chance for like-minded women to connect over their shared passion for fitness and athletics.
What happened at the Women’s Athlete Day North East event?
The day began at Churchill Athletics Track. This was a chance for Charlotte to lead the group through a structured warm-up and running drills to get participants ready for a focused 5K or 10K workout tailored to build strength, technique and confidence on the track. Following on from this amazing session, the group then got the chance to refuel, relax and mingle over lunch at a local hall.
The afternoon kicked off with a series of engaging and informative talks. Start Fitness experts, Tom and Evie, delivered the first session of the day, talking about all of the key essentials for female athletes when it comes to fitness. This included discussing how to choose the right running shoes, and information on gait analysis, as well as the importance of investing in a properly fitted sports bra, and other must-have everyday kit essentials.
Attendees were also able to get hands-on with some incredible sample products and take home a free pair of More Mile socks!
If the topics that were covered during our presentation are of interest to you, and you’re curious to learn more, head on over to our blog where we cover a whole host of fitness-related content that covers everything from proper nutrition for runners to the importance of a good sports bra and how to stay safe when running alone as well as many other educational and interesting topics.
The Women’s Athlete Day North East guest speakers
We were lucky enough to be joined by an incredible lineup of fantastic guest speakers who provided valuable information on critical topics surrounding female fitness and wellbeing.
Michelle Thompson
Sports Lecturer and Exercise Rehabilitation Expert at Newcastle College
Michelle gave a very insightful talk on injury prevention and recovery in fitness that was tailored specifically to female physiology and how rehabilitation in exercise is important, especially for women.
Bev Martin
Performance Nutritionist and Academy Nutritionist at NUFC
Bev tackled crucial topics around fuelling the female athlete, and how proper nutrition and diet play a role in fitness performance and recovery. She covered topics such as Red-S, menopause and strategies for eating to optimise performance and wellbeing.
Stacey Smith
Former professional athlete (and event organiser)
Stacey spoke about smart training protocols and the value of cross-training to enhance performance and prevent overuse injuries, using her personal experiences to illustrate the importance of proper training and recovery techniques.
Danielle Hodgkinson
England international athlete and mental health nurse
Danielle closed the day with a session on mental wellbeing in sport. This useful talk offered practical strategies for managing pre-race nerves and overcoming negative thoughts, highlighting the importance of protecting your mental health.
All in all, this was a wonderful event that allowed us the opportunity to bring together female athletes from across the North East to share experiences that created a space for learning and strengthening the local athletic community. It was an honour for us here at Start Fitness to be part of such a meaningful and empowering day, and we look forward to more in the future!
We proudly support various sporting groups and accredited associations across the UK, so if you’re looking to sign up your club or sporting group with us for an exclusive discount for your members, head over to our clubs and events page to submit your request and one of our team members will be in touch.
Get involved in future events with Start Fitness
If you’re interested in taking part in one of our events in the future, you can find out more on our socials - follow us @startfitnessuk on Instagram and @startfitness on Facebook to stay in the loop about upcoming events.