Author: Diane Harper

Diane Harper is a retired former public servant who lives and swims (and bikes) in Ottawa. In her hobby life, she is Siglinde Harfnerstochter, a 6th C Merovingian housewife from the city of Metz. Her primary interests are cooking, textile arts and bonecarving. Siglinde lives in the canton of Caldrithig, Barony of Skraeling Althing, Kingdom of Ealdormere.
athletes · Olympics · sexism · stereotypes

Funding for Women’s Sports Around the World

Diane Harper

A friend posted this article about the Indian Women’s Cricket team winning the Women’s World Cup.

This AP photo of the women celebrating their World Cup win is from the India Today article linked above.

“Three years before this moment, back in October 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a bold and unprecedented move during its 15th Apex Council meeting. They unanimously passed a resolution to introduce pay parity between India’s men’s and women’s cricketers. For the first time, the women who wore the blue jersey would receive the same match fees as their male counterparts.”

“This triumph was not accidental. It was the result of a carefully constructed ecosystem designed to elevate women’s cricket from the fringes to the forefront. The BCCI’s [Board of Control for Cricket in India] equal pay decision was only one piece of a larger puzzle: improved facilities, better coaching structures, and the advent of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which gave Indian players consistent exposure to world-class competition. The WPL, in particular, provided an arena for rising stars to play alongside and against international icons, sharpening their skills and instilling the poise needed for high-pressure moments like a World Cup final.”

The article got me thinking about other low and middle income countries with powerhouse sports teams. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but discovered that Kenya has a national strategy and several funds (public and private sector) to support women athletes. Jamaica announced a fund to support women’s soccer earlier this year, just two years after the national team had to crowd-fund its way to the Women’s World Cup.

Most seem to rely on non-governmental funding, which is more about empowering women and girls rather than producing elite athletes. That is arguably a far more important goal. But as interest in women’s sport continues to rise around the world, I look forward to seeing other countries and corporate sponsors putting resources into equal funding for women’s sport.

I’m already a fan of the Olympics, where there are serious efforts to ensure gender parity in the competitions and on individual teams. Future games promise to be even more interesting, as the traditional dominance of countries that have (relatively) strong support for female athletes is tested.

fitness · fitness classes

Why is Aquafit Primarily for Older White Women?

Diane Harper3 Comments

Aquafit is a great activity but I am having complicated feelings about it.

I first enjoyed aquafit way back in university, in the early 1980s. It was a deep water class, almost like HIIT but in the water.

Now that I’m lifeguarding, I notice a very different dynamic. These days, it’s almost all older white women, many of them with mobility issues, judging by the poolside collection of canes and walkers.

At best, there about 30% men in a class, but that’s rare. Usually the ratio is closer to one in 10 (or none at all) in the classes I guard. People of Colour equally rare, as are people under the age of what I’m guessing is about 50.

Why is that?

Generally, aquafit is pitched to older women, with popular American music from the 60s and 70s. While a few older men may join in, it often seems to be because they are addressing a specific medical issue or recovering from surgery. But no younger, fitter men join, perhaps because it is perceived as a “women’s” activity. People of colour, who are often newer immigrants in my area, may not feel a connection to the music that the majority loves to sing along to.

The timing of classes could also be an issue. They are offered during the day, when retired people are more likely to be available. Earlier and later in the day there is competition for pool time with swim clubs and lane swims, possibly because because more of those swimmers have to get to work or school.

We could change the perception of aquafit as being an easy, social activity for elderly women. Some places do offer intensive aquafit, but it doesn’t seem to be an option where I live.

Or maybe I could just learn to accept that these women enjoy having their own space, where they can sing, or chat, or work as hard as they want. This Guardian article has a lovely description of the joys of aquafit.

A photo of older women at an aquafit class, from the Guardian article mentioned above. Photograph: Barbara Alper/Getty Images

Maybe not every sport needs to be all things to all people.

Or maybe we need to have more male or visible minority, instructors and more classes at times that work well for the people who currently aren’t participating.

Or maybe we just need more sports facilities. I can dream…

cycling · equipment · fitness · mobility

My E-Bike is a Mobility Device

Diane Harper

I have written About this before. So has Sam, multiple times, all the way back to 2018. Our focus was on bikes more generally and how they can help with disabilities, but three years ago I predicted an e-bike would be in my future. It was and I love it.

However, it was out of service for nearly a year with some sort of electrical issue. I hadn’t worried about it over the winter. But then I had to take it to Toronto for repair, only getting it back when my son brought it with him for Thanksgiving,

Meanwhile, my knees have been sufficiently sore that I didn’t feel like biking much this year. Plus I’m still nervous about biking too hard or too long with my heart murmur. And I have needed my car much more because I combine work with errands involving hauling stuff, or visiting my mom who lives almost 30 km away.

Getting the e-bike back felt like a gift, especially when two swimming friends invited me for a little ride. One cycles everywhere and the other does triathlons. Did I mention I have barely ridden in a year?

I didn’t have to worry about keeping up or overdoing it; the little boost from my battery was just enough.

Me with my e-bike, along with Florence and Sumiko, enjoying a glorious late afternoon near the Ottawa River.

We rode for a little over 20 kilometres, with frequent stops to admire the views on both sides of the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers. And of course there was ice cream.

Me in a bright blue shirt, enjoying an ice cream cone It was a locally-made green apple flavour.
fitness

Back in the Saddle

Diane Harper

I went for a ride last week. It has been almost two years since I got on a horse. I haven’t even bothered visiting my horse Fancy very often because it’s no fun watching her run around the field avoiding me.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of her on FB and said something about not riding any more. The manager of the barn where she lives offered to let me ride her horse Stella. My daughter made the scheduling arrangements and she joined me on Fancy.

Stella is a lovely placid (lazy) horse and was just perfect. I spent about half an hour ambling around the outdoor arena remembering my posture and how to use my legs and bun to steer. I even got a tiny trot out of her. Her person said that next time I should bring a crop to make her pay attention. There will be a next time – yay!

fitness · self care

Nothing is Ever Wasted

Diane Harper1 Comment

A friend wrote recently about one of the few true aphorisms in her credo – that Nothing is Ever Wasted, Nothing is Thrown Away. She talked about methods of living, and her inability to commit, and how that generated the useless side effect of inertia/indecision in non-critical matters.

“Non-critical means not to do with work, family needs, food, groceries, or paying bills, but stuff like housework, hobbies, and overall the right use of personal time. It’s created a kind of motivational paralysis, trying to decide the next best thing I should do at any given moment while being painfully aware of opportunity costs.

But the aphorism reminds me that it doesn’t matter what I pick because the effort expended, the task I choose, will go to good. Because the things I do are worthy. Even if it’s just petting a cat for five minutes. Relentlessly applying logic/exercising triage on my personal choices isn’t necessary.”

I suffer from anxiety/executive function paralysis all the time, and thought this was a brilliant insight. I think I’ll go pet my cats.

My silly cats in a room that needs tidying.
Dancing · equipment · fitness

I’m a “Real” Dancer?

Diane Harper2 Comments

I have done adult ballet for 20 years now. I did belly dance for an extended period following an injury; and would still be taking classes if I could find one relatively local that fits my schedule. A couple of years ago, I took up jazz.

I only dance a few hours a week, so I don’t wear out my ballet slippers very quickly. My daughter said you weren’t a real dancer until you had bled into your shoes. That kind of misery and lost toenails are not for me. I never intend to dance en pointe, so I am perfectly content to call myself a dancer despite only wearing through the toes on my slippers.

I wore ballet shoes while doing belly dance as I wasn’t keen on bare feet at the local community centre. The same ballet shoes served me well for two years of jazz, but I confess to looking enviously at the jazz shoes others were wearing.

Dance classes are finally starting this week, so I indulged myself in a pair of jazz shoes. It doesn’t matter that I have only one one-hour jazz class each week. I now own two pairs of shoes for two different disciplines.

My new black jazz shoes alongside my pink ballet slippers. I’m secretly excited that my ballet slippers are showing enough wear that I may to replace them some time this year.

I know I’m a dancer even though I don’t fit the stereotype of skinny teenager with big dreams and a tutu. I usually wear leggings and a T-shirt instead of a leotard and tights. I sewed a character skirt more for my own amusement than for actual classes. But different shoes for different kinds of dance? That makes me feel like a “real” dancer.

ADHD · fitness · self care

How Much Productivity is Too Much?

Diane Harper1 Comment

I live with nagging anxiety that tells me I should be productive, because I tend to connect my self-worth to my productivity.

This can be great when I’m planning a huge family meal, or volunteering with a local organization. It’s not so great when I’m also trying to cook everything from scratch (at least some of which I grew myself), get in all the exercise I think I need, volunteer with too many organizations, sew and do other crafts, hold a part-time job, manage elder care, and maintain a house to the standards of a 1950s TV mom. Oh, and sleep!

I have always needed to keep busy, so this isn’t a totally new problem. However, it seems to have gotten worse since I retired. Is it because everyone (including me) assumes I have more time to volunteer because I no longer work full time? Is it because I am slowing down and more easily tired? Is it because I’m a bit of an idiot and don’t know enough to say no? I’m betting on the last one, though the first to are contributing factors.

Meme taken from a TikTok video. It appears to be an older woman moving around her living room.

I wonder how much pain contributes to lack of sleep, which means I spend way too much time at night thinking of things I haven’t finished, or adding to the list. Then trying to do those things, so I don’t do the stretching/strength training/sleeping I need to get better.

I also wonder how common this is. My social media is full of women who have been diagnosed with things like ADHD later in life. Or who are overwhelmed with family and other responsibilities.

A quick Google search of “older women responsibilities” turned up some really interesting research on the responsibilities part. Not so much on the ADHD side. That turns up mostly YouTube videos and sites I wouldn’t trust for solid peer-reviewed evidence.

Another meme, that appears to be from the same TikTok video. It shows a middle-aged woman in a white top and blue and white skirt or shorts in an immaculate living room.

A friend uses the “five things” technique to clean house when she is managing depression or feeling overwhelmed. She cleans or throws out five things, no matter how small. Some days, tossing a pencil stub counts as a thing. Other days deep cleaning an entire room is a thing. When you have done five things, you are under no obligation to do more.

I love this and occasionally use it to motivate myself for cleaning. More often, I use it as a way to limit what I take on for the day. Five things is enough. And I try to remember that if I stop at five things, I am enough.

inclusiveness · swimming

I Got to Use My Powers for Good!

Diane Harper

Back in 2022, I mused about using my power for good by becoming a lifeguard and giving back to the sport I love so much.

Since I started working almost a year ago, I have taken great pleasure in teaching recent immigrants who are five times more likely than people born in Canada to be non-swimmers. I have also had the joy of lifeguarding for a day at the pool for women who are normally excluded from swimming because beaches and pools are mixed gender.

This week was extra special. In the summer, a teen drowned at one of the city’s beaches. Teachers at their high school responded by getting a Jumpstart grant so that girls who had never learned to swim could take female-only lessons. They even bought a big bin full of modest swimwear and sports hijabs to be used by anyone who wanted them.

We blocked all the windows for privacy and I had the pleasure of teaching 20 teen girls to put their heads under water, jump in (a couple even tried it in the deep end), float, glide, and try some basic strokes.

The girls were great – smiling, overcoming their fears and helping each other. The teachers were wonderful too. I really appreciated that both got into the water and worked with students so that a few were able to swim most of the width of the pool by the end of class.

Not “my” girls. These young women wearing modest swimsuits and floating peacefully in a bright blue swimming pool are from a Nike modest swimwear ad campaign found on models.com. The photographer is Paola Kudaki.

It was the perfect way to hit 225 on my 225 workouts in 2025 goal.

Sadly, this was only a substitute assignment for me because the regular teacher was sick. I have put my name in to be called first if she needs to be away again, and offered to teach any future sessions that might be offered.

fitness · swimming

Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage

Diane Harper1 Comment

Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage is a group I would like to join. Sadly, the group works in Cape Cod, so I can’t actually join, but how awesome is their mission statement from their website?

In 2017, Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, OLAUG, was formed. We have been cleaning up ponds on Cape Cod from Falmouth to Chatham ever since. Gathering small teams of swimmers, ages 65 to 85, we sweep along the shallows, diving down to pick up beer cans, golf balls, fishing lures, waterlogged dog toys, hats, jackets, shoes, and occasionally a tire, cell phone or box of spent fireworks.

Whatever we heave up from the bottom, we hand to the Garbage Collector who paddles a canoe or kayak. Our affection and respect for the fish, turtles, and plants that live in the ponds are what motivates us. Well, that and cookies.

Five women stand in thigh deep water holding a toilet they have pulled out of the water. They all have huge smiles and are obviously very pleased with their “catch”. Photo is from the OLAUG Facebook page.

I heard a couple of the members interviewed a few weeks ago and was impressed with the level of fitness required.

Swimmers, without fins, need to be:

  • able to swim ½ mile freestyle in 30 minutes or less
  • able to swim a mile
  • comfortable spending 1.5 hours in the water, with a lot of treading water
  • comfortable and proficient swimming with mask and snorkel
  • comfortable diving down 6-9 feet to retrieve trash.

Kayakers need to be able to:

  • maneuver easily without knocking into swimmers
  • keep your kayak steady while receiving sometimes heavy trash on one side from a swimmer
  • keep your kayak steady in windy conditions
  • keep track of swimmers and tell them if they are getting too far away
  • paddle while a tired or injured swimmer hangs onto the bow
  • right themself or get safely to shore should they capsize.

There are tryouts to ensure everyone can meet the standard.

I sometimes pick up underwater trash when I’m swimming, and I follow various organizations who clean up ocean plastics, or rescue animals snared in fishing gear or other materials, so I have an extra appreciation for the work these women are doing.

The organization is small but starting to grow in new locations. If someone were to open a chapter in the Ottawa area, I would love to join.

A line of women, most wearing red shirts, stands on a sandy beach in front of a collection of trash that probably came from the water in the background.
fitness

Delightfully Bad

Diane Harper1 Comment

I love the elderly swimmers at my pool. I’m not sure of their ages, but I would guess most are 70-90 years old

They are there every day. They have terrible swim strokes (inefficient, barely moving their arms or legs, or both). Some don’t swim at all. They do aquafit movements and stretches. A few like to do pull-ups using the starting blocks.

But the social aspect is the most important thing. They know all the others, hop around a bit in the shallow water while chatting, or tease and sometimes goof around splashing each other like pre-teens.

I treat every swim like a training swim, trying to get more streamlined, pull and kick stronger, aiming to be as efficient as a shark. But I have learned to love the people who have a grand time every day, while swimming as efficiently as a clownfish or batfish.

Clownfish can swim, but settle into their little plot of anemone and early move more than a few feet from there, so they aren’t particularly efficient swimmers.

According to the Bristol Aquariun, “Batfish aren’t winning any races against their fellow fish anytime soon. In fact, these unusual bottom-dwellers can barely swim at all. Instead, they scamper across the seafloor on their pectoral, pelvic and anal fins, rather like a frog or crustacean.”

Top: Clownfish image from American Oceans. Bottom is a Batfish from a Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo post.

Thankfully, my swimmers don’t need to adapt to their surroundings. We have learned to adapt to their needs with things like steps or a ramp into the water, and equipment like flotation belts and aquafit weights available for them to use.

What other equipment and modifications can we make to public facilities to encourage older people to keep active? I would love to hear your ideas.