Female athletes say the cost of sports bras is a barrier to participation

A former Team GB roller derby skater says the cost of sports bras is putting younger women off taking part in physical activity.

Rosie Halsall, 18, from Sheffield, is campaigning for free sports bras and accessories for secondary school girls so they can take part and improve their long-term health.

“I know a lot of girls who don’t want to wear sports bras and exercise because they feel uncomfortable,” she said.

Miss Halsall’s proposal was supported by Lincolnshire football club Sleaford Town Juniors, which runs five girls’ teams and educates players about the risks of wearing ill-fitting bras.

Ms Halsall, who competed in roller derby for 10 years, said she had bought used sports bras to save money and knew of other players who had stopped competing because they couldn’t afford them.

She said: “I didn’t necessarily have all the bras I needed and they weren’t always the right size. That made it a lot harder to keep up.”

“She [sports bras] are so important, but cost a lot. I wear a helmet, pads and other protective gear when competing, but my mouthguard costs less than a sports bra.”

Coaches at Sleaford Town Juniors, who provide free sanitary products to female players, said the importance of sports bras had “become more of an issue”.

John Williams, who coordinates the girls’ teams, said they educated the players about how an ill-fitting sports bra can cause imbalance and injury while running.

“Not only does it impact their sport, but it can also impact their later life,” he said.

The club’s players have supported the campaign for free sports bras, saying it would encourage others to get involved.

In October, Miss Halsall won a competition run bypolitika, a youth-focused think tank, which asked young people to identify an issue that impacts their lives.

The managing director ofpolitika’s parent company Radix Big Tent, Ben Rich, said: “Rosie won because her submission was based on her own experiences.”

“Because of what she had been through, she recognized a real problem. We liked that.”

The group has already been contacted by a company that provides sports bra fittings to schools who would like to work with Miss Halsall on her proposal.

Ministry of Education guidelines: Government schools should “promote the importance of wearing sports bras for girls when participating in sports and sports.”

Labor MP for Sheffield Central, Abtisam Mohamed, has offered to meet with Miss Halsall to discuss how her campaign could be developed further.

She said: “Women in sport face so many barriers and all too often these challenges start at school. Rosie’s idea is a simple and powerful solution that could open doors for many young women.”

Ms Halsall said school-age use of sports bras would also provide long-term health benefits.

“It’s incredibly important that women and girls feel comfortable, active and confident while exercising so they can maintain healthy habits into old age.”

“Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis and this is costing the NHS. If you can slowly eradicate these diseases through more exercise, by encouraging girls (at a young age) to exercise, then you will save money.”