Falling Down Is Not A Failure

That canny old philosopher Socrates knew what he was talking about when he wrote, ‘Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.’

The ongoing resilience and success of England’s Lionesses football team has prompted an outpouring of comment on the importance for young girls to get active – and stay active. It appears that most of the input comes from parents and pundits with a token nod to young people’s views about their role models.

It prompted an informal canter around the internet to see what’s going on. There’s a lot. For over 10 years, Sport England’s ‘THIS GIRL CAN’ initiative was, and still is, a powerful message of encouragement for young women to fulfil their potential and is ‘focused on helping all women from all backgrounds get active in ways that work for them.’

Considering its own approach to diversity, the OUTWARD BOUND TRUST notes ‘UK society is 51% female. Yet we know that there are less women and girls participating in the types of outdoor activities likely to lead to the interest, skill and motivation to pursue a career in this area. Recent research shows that 13–15 year old girls are the least active population in the UK. This lower representation persists into adulthood and into the qualification pathways for outdoor careers.’

It all came into sharp focus when chatting with the 13-year-old daughter of friends. She had signed up for a school ski trip but her confidence had taken a knock before even getting on the snow. However, she persevered and has become very keen.

So keen on being active and outdoors that she has now signed up for a trekking/community support trip in 2027. She’s raising funds for the trip so got a modest fee for writing up her experience of turning a negative experience into a positive one with the help of personal tuition. This is her story.

‘My name is Charlotte and from my bedroom window I can see a dry ski slope. I was given the opportunity to attend a three-day summer school course at the ski centre after signing up for a ski trip with my school.

On day one, I was in a group of approximately seven people who seemed to get the hang of it very quickly. They were bigger, stronger and a lot more confident than me. I was soon left behind because I wasn’t progressing as much as the rest of the group, meaning the instructor focused on the others more than me.

In the afternoon of day one, whilst trying to keep up with everybody, I fell down the slope and grazed my thigh and hip. This knocked the little confidence I had which resulted in me making no progress at all in days two and three.

My parents arranged a private ski lesson which I really didn’t want to attend. I went after school and met my ski instructor Terry. He was very patient with me and reassuring. He took me on the slope and began to show me not only how to ski, but how to control myself so I wouldn’t fall.

By the end of my first private lesson, not only was I skiing the whole length of the slope, I was really loving it. Since then, I have had a further four private lessons. Terry boosted my confidence and helped me realise how fun skiing is.

For me, a private ski lesson was far more beneficial than a group lesson because I had an instructor who could concentrate on me, at my pace and I didn’t feel pressured or embarrassed around others.’

I’m sure many of us can identify with Charlotte’s experience and the resilience needed to push through negative episodes. For anybody interested in having a go at skiing or snowboarding, the SKI CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN is a great resource for finding a suitable venue.