Meet Our Squad

Say hello to these lovely ladies…

Meet our team of ambassadors from across Wales who all have one thing in common, a desire to share the many positives that being more active has brought them.

These lush ladies are from all walks of life and have some amazing and inspiring stories to share with you. So take a look and get to know our Welsh wonder women a little bit better.

Taking to the streets

So we’re a couple of weeks into my partnership with Sports Wales and I’m now officially a fully-fledged member of #OurSquad! I’ve played a round at the Tee it Up Golf Centre, Stretched my way through a Yoga Session and now I’ve jogged my through a running session with #GirlsTogetherSplott.  You’ll remember from my initial blog that whilst I might not be the fittest little bee, I did once run a 5k, with the help of the Couch to 5k App (and a lot of support from my sports bra). However this was over a year ago, and the last time...

This lot are fighting fit!

In one corner of North Wales, a group of females are literally kickin’ it! Martin Williams School of Taekwondo in Flintshire is not only the former club of Olympian Jade Jones, but also the training ground for many women and girls looking to let off a bit of steam and have a laugh – TKD style. Not convinced? Have a read of the stories below to help motivate you. They are all in #OurSquad so why not join them? FAMILY TIME For Emma and Faye, Taekwondo (TKD) is their mummy and daughter time. When Emma Parsons suffered a head injury...

Our Squad: Competition Terms and Conditions

1. The promoter is: Sport Wales whose registered office is at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 2. The competition is open to female residents or visitors of Wales aged 16 years or over 1. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition. 1. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. 2. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via http://oursquad.cymru/ and https://twitter.com/OurSquadCymru and https://www.facebook.com/OurSgwadCymru/ and https://www.instagram.com/oursquadcymru/?hl=en 1. Multiple entries from the same person will be accepted and counted as a...

Finding my inner Zen

You’ll know by now that the lovely lot over at Sport Wales have asked me to come on board to support their new campaign, #OurSquad, a programme which encourages women to get involved in sports.    Enter me, the least sporty woman there is, rolling my sleeves up, donning my daps and giving it a go. Because if I can do it, anyone can!   After trying my hand at golf, which you can read about here, I was pleased to find that not all sports made you break out into a sweat, and I hardly got out of breath...

Katie’s doing it for herself

As a full time working mum to two young children, Katie struggled like so many others to find just an hour ‘me time’. But personal tragedy shone a light on the need for a change in mentality. “Life just gets in the way.” Katie explained. “I fell pregnant during University, had another baby a few years later and time just wasn’t my own any more. We’ve all been there.” It wasn’t until the loss of her mum, and 15 years after her first child was born that Katie realised that it really was important to find time for herself, even...

More than just a team

Unhappy memories of PE as a young girl and studying for a demanding career as a solicitor in her early twenties meant Angharad neither wanted or had the time to be messing around with sport.   All that changed however after a chance encounter with an old school friend…   Angharad recalls “I was talked into it really, next thing I knew I had been added to a Facebook group and that was it. I couldn’t back out then, I was already part of the team.” Fast forward four years and the girl who hated PE and hadn’t seen a...

Lifting myself up

Attending a female-only taster session at Bangor University, Grace thought she would find yet another activity she enjoyed. What she didn’t count on was just how much weightlifting would help boost her self-esteem. Now, when she’s not busy studying for an Msc in Clinical Neuropsychology, student Grace is lifting weights above her head! A bit of an all-rounder, Grace, now 23, has always been interested in sport. She danced from a young age, in everything from tap and ballet to jazz. She represented her High School cross-country team every year from Year 7 through to Year 11. She enjoyed rock...

Welsh Girl Problems turns Golfer

Our guest blogger Welsh Girl Problems is trying out a few sports to help motivate #oursquad to give them a go too! First up, it’s golf… A few weeks ago you’ll remember I wrote this blog explaining that over a 3-month period, I was gunna be getting me sweat on with the new Our Squad programme and writing about it here. For the next 12 weeks, I’m gunna be trying out six sporty activities and as well as writing about them (once I’ve caught my breath), I’ll be plastering them all over my social.  Anyone who follows me on Insta...

Cat is keeping the spark shining

Having always loved running, mum of two Cat Johnson enjoys nothing more than teaching other women how to do the same, earning her the nickname ‘Running Mama.’ Here’s Cat’s story of why she loves to keep fit and inspire other ladies to reach their goals, #OurSquad style …  Cat has always enjoyed keeping fit. In fact, getting back in to running after some time out did wonders for her own mental health. Four years back, she attended Diva Sport session in Pengam. Her enthusiasm got her spotted and she was approached to join the team of instructors. First, she started...

Tina says ‘I CAN’

When Tina Evans was told she had a life-limiting illness at the age of 16, her doctor explained the things she would NOT be able to do. Now, aged 32, she is proving what she CAN do – thanks to the power of sport. Her blog is called ‘Stay Afloat’ and the tagline: “Life has no remote, get up and change it yourself.” Have a read of Tina’s inspiring story of how activity can be adapted to suit your own life and why she’s such an awesome member of #OurSquad … As a school pupil in West Wales, Tina realised...

Emily is kicking with confidence

Emily Roberts, now 16, from Llandudno, suffered from low self-esteem as a result of years of bullying at school, before taking up karate to build her confidence. “Sport has helped to improve my confidence and transform me as a person. I wouldn’t be who I am today without it” As a ten-year-old girl she beat the bullies and overcame issues of extreme shyness thanks to her love of martial arts. The former timid teen has seen her confidence soar and friendships flourish since her involvement in the sport. She has even gone on to teach a karate squad of her...

Ruby loves to ride and inspire

Ruby Woods who is a British Cycling Breeze Champion first took up the sport three years ago when her boyfriend gave her a bike for her twenty-third birthday so that she could join him on rides. Soon after, Ruby decided to join her local club, Milford Tritons CC, but admits that nerves about what to expect almost held her back. “Despite the fact that my boyfriend is on the committee and his dad is the Chairman of the club, I still felt intimidated about joining Milford Tritons. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be good enough and unable to keep up...

Beccy’s bouncing about netball

Beccy Roberts, 26 is Head Coach of a large netball club in North Wales whilst playing competitively herself and teaching Physical Education at Castell Alun High School in Hope. Beccy’s love for sport stems from her school days, which she says was fostered by her PE teacher – a legacy she strives to continue with her own students. Rebecca said: “Being a full-time PE teacher can sometimes be challenging, and like everyone, I have been known to struggle to get my work-life balance right.” “I find that netball is a huge stress reliever for me.” “A lot of people feel...

Angharad’s batty about softball

A softball player who set-up Wales’ first Welsh language team is hoping to inspire more women and girls to take up sport regardless of their shape, size or ability. Angharad Sian Roche, 34, was originally attracted to the sport seven years ago when she unintentionally came across a game while walking through Pontcanna Fields in Cardiff. Despite having never played softball before, Angharad was instantly drawn to the ‘relaxed but fun vibe’ and it wasn’t long before she joined a team. “It’s hitting a ball and running in short spurts so you don’t have to be Kelly Homes to do...

Ffion’s trailblazing across Wales

Ffion James, younger sibling of world champions Becky and Rachel, recently represented Great Britain at the World Cyclo-Cross championships. As a child, Ffion was desperate to get involved with the sport, seeing the early enthusiasm of her older siblings: “I got involved with mountain biking because my brothers and sisters were into it when they were really young” she said. “They were doing it and I really wanted to give it a go. I gave it a go, and I’ve loved it ever since”. Ffion recalled: “I remember crying before the start of my first race because I was so...

Caroline’s at the top of her game

Caroline Matthews, 43, who lives in Sully, has represented Team GB at both the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics. Since a very young age, Caroline played as many sports as possible. Despite having trouble with her knees about the age of 12, she went on to represent Welsh Universities in rowing, basketball, and volleyball. At 16 she had her first knee operations and, despite years of treatment and surgery, she was 26 when doctors told her she would never run or jump again. Caroline had been suffering from an aggressive form of osteoarthritis in both knees. “Playing sport with people you...

Danni’s getting salty in the surf

Danielle Robertson, 27, from Rhosneigr, Anglesey but now living in Neath, founded her own surfing club to help make the sport more accessible to women by providing them with the chance to try it, grow their confidence and connect with like-minded individuals. After meeting up with two like-minded female surfers she met online at Rest Bay, over a post-surf hot chocolate Dani and the others decided to create an online community to help women with a passion for surfing to connect, share advice, train together and form friendships. Surf Senioritas has since grown into a thriving community and source of...

Steph’s into brawling on skates

An international roller derby champion is hoping to inspire women and girls throughout Wales to take up sport, regardless of their shape, size and ability. Stephanie Howarth, 35, from Cardiff, has represented her local team, the Tiger Bay Brawlers, at UK, European and American roller derby tournaments. As a child, Stephanie grew up playing numerous sports in school but like many young girls lost interest during her teenage years. At 30, her interest was reignited when friends invited her to watch a game of roller derby, inspiring her to later try out for the squad. “Take that initial step and...

Jin’s fitness saved her life

A fitness instructor whose fitness levels helped her overcame the odds and survive a rare auto-immune disease is hoping to inspire more women and girls throughout Wales to give a more active lifestyle a go. Jin Osborne, 34, from Penarth suffers from granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) disease, which affects just eight in a million people, and attributes her success fighting the disorder to her involvement in sport. The mother of one, who runs her own fitness class JinFit, is committed to helping women of all shapes and sizes to get active for the right reasons in a welcoming and friendly...

Angeline likes to cool off in the pool

An award-winning Welsh community coach is hoping to inspire women and girls from across the country to take up sport, whatever their background, to improve their health, boost their confidence and form life-long friendships. Angeline Tshiyane, 53, from Bettws in Newport, has set up multiple sporting groups to help encourage an active lifestyle among the region’s black, minority and ethnic (BME) communities, who are traditionally less likely to participate in sport. The mother of one, who also works as a carer, has launched her own weekly swimming sessions for children and adults from BME backgrounds, as well as the country’s...