British cycling star Laura Trott is no stranger to inspiring her fans – the British cycling star not took home the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012, but she has broken world records as well as being a four-time World and European champion in team pursuit. Now, Laura has teamed up with Always for their Keep Playing #LikeAGirl campaign to encourage young girls to stay in sport.
Laura Trott is supporting Always' Keep Playing #LikeAGirl campaign
With research carried out by the feminine care brand revealing that 64 per cent of girls will quid sport by the end of puberty, Laura revealed that she wants to "inspire girls not to give up".
"For me, it's about being a role model and trying to inspire girls not to give up," the 24-year-old said in a statement. "We all go through it, but puberty can be such challenging time for girls, you suddenly feel really self-conscious about lots of things and start thinking you can't or shouldn't do certain activities."
Laura is encouraging girls to stay in sports
Laura explained that she could relate to the girls' concerns, having had her own confidence challenged when she was younger and training to achieve her dreams. "I remember kids making fun of me for cycling and wearing a helmet and that would really knock my confidence," she admitted. "But playing sport taught me that by believing in myself and never quitting, you can achieve great things.
"That's why I am proud to be supporting the Always #LikeAGirl mission to help stop the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty. Sport really is one of the strongest confidence building activities and as a female athlete competing in the Olympic Games I want to encourage and inspire girls everywhere to keep playing #LikeAGirl and never quit."
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She took home the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012
"The Olympic Games is a time when - all around the world- female sports participation is elevated in the public eye, and for that reason, we could not think of a better moment to drive awareness of the critical role sport play in building girls’ confidence," added Michele Baeten, Associate Brand Director and Always #LikeAGirl leader at Procter & Gamble. "We will rally and unite Olympic athletes, the International and National Olympic Committees and other organisations, to spark a change and inspire a world in which every girl truly feels that she can play sport and will Keep Playing #LikeAGirl!"
To help shed light on the issue and encourage girls to pursue their dreams, Always partnered with Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein to find out how girls feel about playing sport.