Has being fit and active changed your life?
Being involved in sport -- any sport -- has helped many hard working, everyday women like you and me realise we are capable of far more than we can possibly imagine.
Adventures and events you thought were "impossible" suddenly become achievable with the right training, mindset and support. When you learn to trust yourself, to back yourself and push the boundaries of your comfort zones, you develop an inner strength that's priceless.
In the process not only do you become a more confident athlete, you become a more confident woman too.
You may not realise it at the time but this has a ripple effort; it spreads through the lives of those around you. You set an example to all the women in your life - including your daughters and step-daughters - that you don't need to sacrifice yourself in order to support your family. You don't need to forget your goals and dreams just because you're "grown up". You can chase them and still be a wonderful daughter, wife, mother, sister and friend. You can lead a happy, balanced and adventurous life without sacrificing yourself.
The primary goal of #SpartaChicks is to create a movement - and global community - of women committed to living this way. Because it's generally not until we see others achieve their goals that we find the courage and confidence to pursue ours.
This is the foundation of our mission: 10,000 Strong
The goal: to encourage, support and inspire 10,000 women over the next 10 years (by 2025) to have the confidence to "step up" - to a new achievement, a distance, a goal or some other "first" in your life - something you've always (sometimes secretly) wanted to do.
Add your achievement and join the growing list of brave & Strong Women around the world
Current tally of #10kStrongWomen
Adventures enjoyed and dreams fulfilled!
53. Céline Saint-Jean - first 1km ocean swim at the Little Big Swim, Palm Beach - January 2020.
52. De’ana Williams - started running in February, 2018. First Ultra Marathon at the Surf Coast Century 50km - September 2019.
51. Lisa Marx - 1st Half Marathon, Gijon Spain - April 2017.
50. Lyn Atkin - Run Larapinta, a 4 day stage race through outback Australia - August, 2017 (goal)
49. Jan Davies - completed her 1st Ultra at the Endurancelife Coastal Trail, South Devon, UK (34miles/55km) - February 2017
48. Hannah Attenburrow - completed the 2016 Trans Alp Bike Race (the toughest amateur mountain bike stage race in Europe) - July, 2016.
47. Nicola Battey - first marathon at the London Marathon, 2016.
46. Gaylia Young - first marathon at the Canberra Marathon, 2017. 2 x long course / 70.3 triathlons. Canberra Half Marathon under 3 hours (2016), making the cut off for the (challenging) bike leg at the 2016 Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie race and Bowral Classic cycling event which she completed with her husband during his 1st cycling event - October 2016. Beating the hill in the Bowral Classic in 2017 (goal).
45. Stacy Frogley - 1st long course / 70.3 triathlon, Ballarat - December 2016.
44. Pamela Adams - 1st ocean swim race, 2017 (goal).
43. Michelle-Renee Jane - 1st Half Marathon, Lamington Eco Challenge. 1st Olympic Distance Cross Triathlon - February, 2016. 1st time representing Australia at the ITU Age Group Cross Triathlon World Championship - 2016.
42. Nicole Spears - 1st triathlon (short course race completed with her 8 year old daughter) - 2016. 1st medium course triathlon - 2017 (goal).
41. Lenore Kennedy - 1st Marathon, Sydney - 2015, Ultra Trail Australia 22km, Blue Mountains - 2016, 1st long course / 70.3 triathlon - November 2016.
40. Jo Sorrenson - 1st 70.3 Triathlon World Championships - Sunshine Coast, September 2016.
39. Sana Munro - 1st Parkun - August 2013. 1st Sprint Triathlon - Husky, February 2014. 1st Olympic distance triathlon - Nepean Triathlon, October 2014. 1st Half Marathon - Sydney Running Festival, September 2015. 1st long course triathlon as part of a team - Husky, February 2016. 1st Ultra (50km) race as part of a team - Centennial Park Ultra, August 2016 (on her 41st birthday!). 1st long course triathlon - Husky, February 2017 (goal).
38. Clare McCann - 1st Ironman, Port Macquarie - May 2015 (completed with her amazing mum who was 60 at the time).
37. Lisa Murphy - 1st ultra marathon - 56km Yurrebilla Ultra Marathon, South Australia - September 2016.
36. Alison King - 1st Ironman (completed even before her 1st Half Marathon) - Ironman New Zealand - March 2005.
35. Paula Ryan - 1st Nepean Triathlon, 1st 50km trail race - Ultra Trail Australia, 2013 and 1st long course triathlon - Huskisson, 2016.
34. Simone Campbell - 1st summit of Mt Aspiring, NZ (2001), 1st summit of Mt Dixon, NZ (20013, 1st summit of Mt Cook, NZ (2003), 1st Ironman triathlon - Port Macquarie (2013), 1st 50km trail race - Ultra Trail Australia, 2013.
33. Lisa Nolan - 3x Half Marathons and 2 x Marathons - 2015. 1st 50km trail run, Ultra Trail Australia - May, 2016.
32. Kylie Mackey - 1st 5km non-stop run at parkrun Penrith Lakes - May, 2016. 1st 10km run - October, 2016. 1st triathlon - 2016 (goal).
31. Jill Troy - 1st Half Marathon, Glow Worm Tunnel Running Festival - June, 2015.
30. Sue Horsburgh - 1st 70.3, October 2009 to celebrate turning 50, 1st 5km parkrun, May 2016 (after no running for 18 months).
29. Sandra Mathews-Benham - 1st Olympic distance Triathlon - St Louis Inaugural Triathlon - USA - May, 2016
28. Steph Jeavons - riding a motorcycle around the world and on all 7 continents (goal).
27. Angela Dunn - 1st Trail Half Marathon - Ultra Trail Australia Pace 22 - May 2016, 3 x Half Marathons in 11 months. Ultra Trail Australia 50km race (goal).
26. Lorrae Carr - 1st Half Ironman at the age of 46 - 2014.
25. Keren Tindley - 1st Ironman triathlon (2014), 100 Parkruns (achieved October 2016) and Marathons on 7 continents (goal - 3 done so far!)
24. Mary Budberg - 1st time completing 2x Half Marathon events in a single week & 1st Marathon - Moscow, Russia - completed, July 2016.
23. Annie Renaud - 1st Duathlon - Oka, Quebec Canada - May 2014.
22. Jessica Marshall - 1st Half Ironman triathlon (& 1st time doing something someone told her she couldn’t) - Shepparton - November 2011.
21. Leah Gilbert - 1st triathlon (2013), 1st 10k fun run (2014) & 1st Half Marathon, 2015.
20. Lauren Law - 1st solo cycling event - Bowral Classic 90km - completed, October 2016.
19. Tania Melville - 1st Raw Challenge - Barrington Tops - 2015.
18. Sarah Allen- 1st Half Marathon, Canberra - April 2016.
17. Olivia Goodchild- 1st Ironman triathlon - Port Macquarie - May 2016.
16. Yvette Wareham -crewing a 60ft yacht to Antarctica and kayaking through the glaciers - February 2015.
15. Andrea ‘Booz’ Deighton - 1st Nepean Triathlon - October 2016. 1st long course / 70.3 triathlon - November 2016.
14. Clare Lewis - cave dive with sharks, hiked the Six Foot Track (w/ pack) and Coastrek (March 2016) - completed. 10 Peaks of Australia - November, 2016 (goal).
13. Naomi Warry - 1st Nepean Triathlon - October, 2014. 1st technology-free Half Marathon - Hawaii, April 2016. 1st long course / 70.3 triathlon - November 2016.
12. Fiona Thomas - 1st summit of Mt Kosciuszko (proud mother/son achievement) - Easter 2016. 1st Half Marathon - Glow Worm Tunnel - achieved, June 2016. Tackled her fear of heights by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge - achieved, August 2016.
11. Naomi Liddell - 1st Half Marathon - Adelaide - August 2016 (achieved).
10. Kirstie Ingels - 1st Half Marathon, Adelaide - August 2016 (achieved).
9. Katie Tassone-Milligan - 1st Half Marathon, San Diego, California - March 2016.
8. Sue Devlin - 1st trail race - March 2016.
7. Monique Bortoli - 1st Six Foot Track 3 day hike (2015), RAW Challenge and 30km Coastrek (March 2016) - completed. Bay of Fires hike - 2016 (goal).
6. Natalie Schreurs - 1st trail race - February 2016. 1st triathlon - April 2016. 1st Nepean Triathlon - achieved, October 2016.
5. Elizabeth Stockell - 1st Sprint distance triathlon - 2015.
4. Toni Robinson - 1st multi-day hike (carrying a pack) along the Jatbula Trail, Northern Territory (Australia) - 25th September 2015.
3. Michele Zammit - 1st City2Surf 14km fun run in Sydney - 9th August 2015, 1st Half Marathon - Melbourne 2015.
2. Jennie Wills - 1st 100km solo running event at the North Face 100km - May 2016. 1st marathon, Beach to Brother in Port Macquarie - September, 2016 (completed).
1. Louise Kovacs - 1st 100km event at the Coastrek 100 - 5th March 2012.
Want to join the list of 10,000 Strong Women?
To add your achievement and join the list of Strong Women around the world, email [email protected] with the following details:
- your full name,
- your State/Province and Country,
- your "first" (whatever it might be) and date.
If it's a race, the race name and distance would be helpful. Oh and feel free to attach a photo if you'd like it added to our gallery.
There are no "rules" about what sort of event, race or achievement qualifies as long as it's the first time you've done it - so it could be your 1st 5km or 10km race, your 1st trail run, your 1st skydive or your 1st triathlon.
And don't forget to share your achievement on social media by tagging the @SpartaChicks on Facebook or Instagram and using the hashtags #10kStrongWomen and #SpartaChicks so we can all celebrate your achievements!