Maddy's Epic Arctic Adventure

On 5th March 2020, six women will embark on a 200km journey across the Finnmark Plateau in Norway’s Arctic Circle, the most northeastern and coldest part of Norway. The women will camp and ski the whole way, transporting food supplies and equipment on a 50kg pulk (sled).

Mini Mermaids is thrilled that our long-time supporter, Maddy Turnbull, will be part of this expedition and will raise funds for Mini Mermaid Running Club UK. 

“This love of nature and passion for travel and adventure gives me the opportunity to always be learning new skills, meeting new people and challenging myself about what I’m capable of achieving when I put my positive mind to it” said Maddy. “I like to think of myself as an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things.  I want to be an example to every female that this extraordinary power has been and always is, within you. Mini Mermaid leads the way. You just need to reach in and discover her…”

Mini Mermaid Running Club UK , for girls ages 7-11, work in primary schools (co-curricular) and community centres (with a focus on disadvantaged areas/under represented groups), using physical activity combined with mindfulness to strengthen girls’ self-worth and value at a critical time in their lives, when self-esteem, self-confidence and self-compassion begin to decline (age 7). We create safe, judgement-free environments where first and foremost, girls simply have a ton of fun moving their bodies and start to experience the positive impacts of physical activity on their overall well-being.

Why is this so important? Loads of research came out over the past year connecting physical activity with our overall well-being. Both new Ofsted and UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity guidelines correlate physical activity with improved learning, greater resilience and confidence. At the same time, research from Youth Sports Trust and Active Lives Children show that girls, particularly those from disadvantaged areas, start opting-out of physical activity as young as 7, which in turn can negatively impact future goals and aspirations.

When a girl participates in Mini Mermaids, she shows more resilience, opens herself to new experiences and learns to be kinder to herself and others. These create the foundation of a girl's self-worth and value, which begins to erode in girls as young as 7. We disrupt this decline by replacing the fear of failure with the power of possibility!

All funds raised by Maddy will go toward bringing this vital programme to girls in area of deprivation in the UK. 

Thank you Maddy for bringing us on this adventure with you! HIGH FINS!