Charmaine Daley - Zumba

I am mother to 2 beautiful boys and after suffering post-natal depression for the 2nd time 5 years ago, I lost ‘Me’. My confidence was non-existent and to be frank, I hated myself.

I was on anti-depressants for my mental health and receiving psychiatric help but still felt lost. I felt I was being punished by society for being too fat with constant subtle messages that I wasn’t good enough.

It took me 9 months to gain courage to try Zumba® and for the first time, I felt an ounce of ‘ME’ reappeared! Nobody cared what I looked like or that my ‘belly rolls’ wobbled when I shook my booty. I looked around me and there were women of all shapes, sizes, abilities, ages but each wore a big smile. Finally, I fit in.

I lost 3 ½ stone but for me, there are bigger things to celebrate: I got ‘ME’ back! Through exercise to great music and World rhythms, I got happy, giggled lots, forgot the world, ditched the anti-depressants, found my confidence, felt empowered and I felt in love with ‘ME’ again.

I had to share this with other women, so in 2011 I became a Zumba® instructor. It is the biggest privilege to watch so many women grow, get happy and feel empowered through music and exercise in my classes. Living a dream

Feel inspired

We all have the right to feel safe and accepted. I will never forget the first time I saw the National This Girl Can advert on tele. It stopped me in my tracks, gave me Goosebumps and I literally felt like I saw myself: ‘Belly Rolls’, covered in sweat but lapping everyone on the couch. This Girl Can have given us ‘non-conventionally exercising girls’ the licence to get going, made it inclusive. It feels so empowering to be in a non-judgemental place full of lots of different types of women of the same heart, smiling, supporting and accepting each other for a positive cause. The This Girl Can Nottingham showcase is the perfect arena to do this.