Champion Girls

At a time when we are becoming more secular and it’s all about ‘me’ – it is important to have inspiring examples of strong communities that work. With the female only sport of Physical Culture (‘Physie’) at its core – our film explores explores the joy of dance and dancing together, body image, teenage transgressions, the loss and finding of confidence, exercise and mental health, the challenges of motherhood, dealing with ageing, and intergenerational relationships among women.

The film reinforces the benefits of healthy active aging and the importance of belonging.
We also aim to raise awareness about the existence of activities that promote body positivity and resilience for girls and women and to encourage participation. It broadens the media’s representation of what strong, healthy girls and women look like – introducing a more realistic portrayal of women to counteract non-realistic and damaging depictions that girls and women are bombarded with daily.

The sport of Physie crosses many divides – it is good for people old and young for their general health and sense of community. In the short term, we aim to increase awareness of how how being part of such a community can help girls and women overcome physical and emotional challenges that they may face as they navigate life. We also hope to challenge the audience’s perception of who can dance and at what age or shape you should stop dancing (or wearing a leotard!).

Physical Culture (Physie, for short) was originally taught in schools in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart (before PE was introduced). The exercises are thought through in terms of maximum co-ordination and equal body movements. It exercises your brain and is a potential therapy for those who may not have considered it before. Champion Girls may be of interest to health organisations and practitioners who work in the areas of physical and mental health wellbeing and development in children right through to the elderly.

We are yet to form relationships with organisations other than Australia’s largest physical Culture School – The Bjelke Petersen School of Physical Culture. They have been advocates of the film and have helped promote the project through their extensive network.

As the film touches on areas of mental health and disability we would like to have representatives from local health organisations in our audiences or have information to hand about local facilities and resources that audience members can take away with them.

We hope that viewers may consider joining their local physie club or a similar dance group – regardless of their age, fitness level or socio economic situation (physie is a financially accessible sport for most people). Information cards may be handed out at screenings by local clubs.

There is also potential for targeted exercise programs/films to be developed in collaboration with physical culture schools where an area of need within a community is identified. This may be discovered at a post screening discussion or via conversations on the Champion Girls Facebook page.

Viewers who are isolated in a community may also be encouraged to join physie to help their mental and physical wellbeing and sense of belonging.