The Female Athlete - Harnessing Your Body’s Cycle

Join us for an enlightening evening designed to help young wāhine and their parents understand and harness the power of the body's natural menstrual cycles. This in-depth exploration will provide a step-by-step guide through the different phases, focusing on how each phase affects physical and mental performance.

Our expert speakers will delve into hormone-specific changes, offering insights into the physical and physiological impacts on the body. We'll cover essential topics such as training expectations and adaptations, breast support, body awareness, pelvic floor health, and injury prevention. Additionally, we'll address the mental aspects of performance, providing strategies for maintaining mental strength, focus, motivation, and energy throughout the cycle.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, just beginning your fitness journey, love to move your body, or a supportive parent wanting to better understand and assist, this event is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to optimise performance and wellbeing. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock potential and achieve peak performance.

Whānau, students and our wider community are invited to attend this event. This is a fundraising event, all proceeds generated from go directly to the SOAR programme (Supporting Outstanding Athletes at Rangi Ruru).

Speakers

Sara Widdowson: New Zealand Registered Dietician

Sara is a New Zealand Registered Dietician and founder of Your Monthly club. She specialises in women’s health and supports clients both online and from her clinic rooms in Christchurch. Sara is passionate about teaching women about female sex hormones and how they play a vital role in our health, our lives, and how periods should be celebrated rather than wished away. Sara has seen first-hand how nutrition changes can keep women in sport and help them achieve their personal goals both in their chosen sport and in their personal lives. During this event she will guide you through REDs, body image and diet culture, the menstrual cycle and its effect on intake, mood and performance.

Grace Coombs: Women's Health Physiotherapist

Grace is the co-director of Four Physio and Health in Christchurch, as well being the consulting physiotherapist with Femmi, a female tech company focused on educating women of all ages on training in line with their hormonal health. Grace is passionate about helping females learn to look after their bodies, prevent injury and to feel confident throughout the different stages of life. This includes all aspects of the female body such as breasts and pelvic floor muscles. During this event, you will learn how to train according to your individual hormones and female physiology across the menstrual cycle, what adequate breast support in sport looks like and how to choose the right sports bra, how to tune in to your pelvic floor muscles, and her top tips on preventing injury in sport.

Paula Rule: Mental Skills and Mindset Coach 

Paula is the founder of The Mental Edge NZ, a mental skills and mindset coaching business. Paula is also the mental performance coach at Rangi Ruru. Paula’s passion lies in facilitating personal and professional growth, equipping those she works with, with the tools and strategies they need to thrive during transformative stages of life and career. Paula has been working in the mindset space for 10 years and during this evening she is looking forward to sharing her knowledge around the teenage brain while providing strategies and tools to train the brain and enhance mental strength and focus throughout the female cycle.