Blog: "I feel brighter and fitter - thank you GOGA!"
In this blog we hear from Asmita, a volunteer in Nottingham, and her journey from participant to volunteer.
Hi I’m Asmita, from Nottingham and I love to swim. I’m originally from Tanzania, where I contracted polio at the age of two, resulting in curvature of my spine and reduced my ability to walk unaided. My family moved to England in 1975, where I attended Aspley Wood School, which focused on supporting disabled children. My swimming journey started during one of my physiotherapy sessions here as I was taught to swim.
I wondered how I was going to be able to swim without the use of my legs, but thanks to my physiotherapists help, I built up my upper body strength and was soon regularly swimming at Beechdale Baths. I also started taking part in sponsor swims to raise funds for the school too. However, when I started college to study English I stopped swimming.
With the encouragement of my son, Christopher, I started swimming again, this time through the Nottingham Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme. Through GOGA, I have rekindled my passion for swimming. I’ve also lost over a stone in weight and feel better for it. My mood is brighter, I have less stress on my shoulders and I’m loving life!
Thanks to the GOGA Nottingham activities I had the opportunity to start volunteering. I became a registered pool helper for Swim for Health and I started to support others to access swimming sessions. I believe, age is no barrier and I love helping people and giving something back.
I have faced many barriers during my life, but these have made me stronger and more determined to grab every opportunity. I would like to keep volunteering for GOGA Nottingham and eventually become a community champion for the programme.
What I enjoy most about GOGA is meeting the people involved. I also love catching up on what they do and inspiring individuals to get active. When doing activity myself, I feel fantastic, fresh and have greater confidence. In a year, I definitely feel lots brighter, fitter and glowing- thank you GOGA!
About Get Out Get Active
Get Out Get Active (GOGA) is a programme that supports disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together. Activity Alliance is the creator and lead partner. The programme is funded by Spirit of 2012, Sport England and London Marathon Charitable Trust.