Learning To Trust Herself Again
STORY 02 | SOPHIE
Sport has always been part of Sophie’s life.
From football and swimming to gymnastics, ballet and tennis, movement surrounded her growing up. It was simply part of family life. Weekends spent staying active, trying different sports, and enjoying being outdoors.
But as she got older, her relationship with sport began to change.
“Teenage girls are brutal,” she says honestly. “I loved football and loved feeling good at it, but bullying completely knocked my confidence.”
What started as anxiety around training sessions slowly became something much heavier. Rumours, online bullying, and feeling uncomfortable in herself eventually pushed her away from the sport she once loved.
“I crawled straight back into my shell when I stopped.”
Alongside stepping away from sport came something deeper. A loss of trust in herself.
“I was called a quitter during my teenage years, and I think I carried that with me for a long time. I stopped trusting myself. I no longer stuck to my word.”
For years, movement disappeared from her life completely.
It wasn’t until the end of 2022 that something finally shifted.
At first, fitness wasn’t really about enjoyment or performance. Like many women, Sophie admits she initially approached it from a place of wanting to change how she looked. But over time, that mindset slowly began to evolve into something healthier and more sustainable.
“It became about performance and feeling rather than looks.”
That shift changed everything.
Through CrossFit, running, hiking and long walks outdoors, she began discovering what her body was capable of, and with that came confidence she hadn’t felt in years.
“There were so many things I assumed I couldn’t do. Handstands, strength work, hanging holds… I’d ruled so much out in my head before I’d even tried.”
Instead of movement becoming punishment, it became freedom.
A way to reconnect with herself physically and mentally.
“It’s the only time my brain goes quiet.”
For someone who describes herself as a constant overthinker, movement became more than exercise. It became space. A release. A reset.
“I overthink constantly. My brain is always going, always planning, always thinking ahead. Movement gives me a break from that. It helps me process things.”
Whether it’s a difficult period in life, stress, anxiety, or simply needing time alone, movement became the thing that grounded her.
“Movement works through things.”
That feeling of strength and capability became even more apparent during the National 3 Peaks Challenge - an experience Sophie describes as one of the proudest moments of her journey so far.
“I just felt so strong and capable.”
But it wasn’t just the challenge itself that stayed with her. It was what it represented.
At the time, she had been navigating a difficult emotional period in her personal life, and the mountains became a reminder of how resilient she really was.
“Walking felt easy compared to everything going on in my head.”
Now, movement plays a completely different role in her life.
Whether it’s organising group hikes, taking on new fitness challenges, running with friends, or simply finding quiet in the outdoors, sport has become something grounding rather than overwhelming.
“Sport gives me energy, motivation and confidence in every area of my life.”
But perhaps the biggest transformation has been internal.
Learning to trust herself again.
Learning to commit to herself again.
Learning that strength is about far more than appearance.
“To anyone wanting to start or return to sport, I’d say make small manageable commitments and grow from there. Keep it fun. Listen to your body.”
Sophie’s story is a reminder that movement doesn’t always begin with confidence.
