Katherine Hall considers herself lucky to have been able to pursue sports and a healthy lifestyle.
That’s why she wants to give young girls the same opportunities she had.
Hall helped organize the Fast and Female Event, a one-day physical activity afternoon for girls between the ages of eight and 19 at Woodcrest Public School on Sunday.
She remembers taking part in the event years ago, and enjoyed the opportunity to change roles and mentor younger girls.
“When I did it I had a ton of fun and there were all these girls that were older athletes that were role models for me at the time doing it,” Hall said.
“The fact that we’ve all moved up into that next generation and doing it for others is amazing for us.”
Sunday marked the first Fast and Female event in Thunder Bay in at least six years, when Hall took part. The event is an international organization that has events held regularly in cities across
the country.
Hall and fellow event organizer Erin Tribe are both competitive cross-country skiers who emphasized the importance of an active lifestyle.
Tribe appreciates the role sports have played in her life, including her career as a member of the Lakehead University nordic skiing team.
“For me, sports have always been a part of my life,” Tribe said. “Sports have opened a lot of doors and created a lot of opportunities for me and share that with everybody else.”
Nearly 40 girls participated in the event, which had activities such as dancing, running, plyometrics, core workouts and fun group exercises.
Hall said they would like to have the event become an annual affair to build community and friendship amongst the girls.
The organizers brought in former Pan-American cyclist Erin Cameron-Cater to speak to the girls and provide some lessons.
Cameron-Carter spoke of having the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, achieving balance in life and sports and respecting the assistance from everybody who helps foster involvement in physical activity.
