Sport England
Reconnecting
Through Movement
Women rediscover the joys of being active with This Girl Can and Strava
Service and Offer
Studio
Make Your Comeback
Sport England research reveals that since the pandemic, around one in three women reported taking a break from physical activity. It is calculated that seven million women aged 14-60 are missing out on the physical, mental and social benefits of an active lifestyle.
With gyms closed and team sports cancelled, activity became a drab solitary affair, and, for many, staying active at all became a struggle.
Insight revealed that joy and community were key to helping women reconnect with movement. We worked with This Girl Can and Strava to launch 'Make Your Comeback,' a campaign which used the power of community to inspire previously active women to find joy in movement again.
At its heart was the new This Girl Can Club on Strava—a supportive, feel-good space where women could cheer each other on and feel part of something bigger. To kickstart their comebacks, we set challenges, like completing four hours of movement in four weeks. A series of uplifting films brought real stories to life, proving that taking a break is completely normal.
Using simple challenges, inspiring storytelling and a thriving online community, Make Your Comeback helped thousands of women fall back in love with movement, reminding them just how good it can feel.
We’re so proud of the safe, uplifting community that the This Girl Can Strava Club has become. It’s a supportive space for women to find motivation, tips, and reassurance that they’re not alone in the barriers or challenges they face when it comes to getting active. Engaging with our community of women here directly is amazing; seeing their journey as they use the Strava app to record progress and celebrate how far they’ve come with the group.
Facilitating a joyful return
Project highlights
Challenge
Breaking down barriers
Women face more barriers to being active than men–barriers made worse by the pandemic. With one in three women taking a break from movement, it was clear they needed to find a new, joyful and supported way back in.
Solution
Fostering a community
We joined This Girl Can and Strava, the world’s largest sporting hub, and built a sisterhood of likeminded women, created an online presence for mutual support, and drew up engaging activities.
Outcome
Rebuilding healthy habits
1.8 million women were made aware of the campaign. Over 18,500 joined the Club, 34,000 completed the challenge and 254,000 activities were logged.
Empowering behavior change
The Make Your Comeback Challenge went global with 155,000 women signing up and demonstrating the strength of the campaign. These women showed that no matter who you are and how long it’s been, it’s never too late to get active again.
Given the vital role physical exercise plays in improving and maintaining overall wellbeing, this is a campaign that we are particularly proud to have been able to support. Its success is now evident.
This campaign was a winner at the Data and Marketing Association (DMA) Awards (2023) and the Marketing Society Awards (2023). It was also recognized as Highly Commended at the Purpose Awards (2023).
Three out of four women who took part are now doing more exercise than they did before the campaign.
