Kiama's Mila Evans, 53, is one of hundreds of thousands of Aussies that learnt to skate and surf during the pandemic, and she wishes she had done it sooner.
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Collectively, 315,000 people have taken up the two adventure sports since 2019, and most of them women, according to a new report from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).
"My kids think I'm nuts, they thought I was going through a mid-life crisis," Ms Evans said.
When she purchased an all-terrain electric skateboard, she said her adult children were a little shocked until they saw she could ride it: "Then they ended up buying one so we now do it together".
Ms Evans started surfing lessons last winter and regularly enjoys other outdoor sports such as swimming, snorkelling, hiking and the like. She said she hasn't looked back, as it's helped her wellbeing, her mood and her sleep.
"I've really enjoyed not just the social aspects, but it's helped boost my energy and improved my mood and definitely improved sleep," she said.
"When [in lockdown] and nobody could travel I was sleeping horribly, everyone was stressed, you weren't interacting with people."
The ASC report 'How Australians' participation in sport and physical activity is adapting to COVID-normal' found physical health and enjoyment were the top motivating factors, but also socialising plus mental health and wellbeing continue to grow, with women more motivated by mental health benefits than men.
Bushwalking, tennis, canoeing/kayaking and mountain biking were also popular with participation increasing in 2020 and again 2021.
"Adults are also participating in more activities than they did two years ago, and while men and boys are driving the return to clubs, women continue to be physically active more often," said Kieren Perkins, CEO of the ASC.
Meantime, it was revealed older people (above the age of 55) were more likely to participate in a sport or physical activity at least seven times a week than those aged 15-34 and 35-54.
Ms Evans regularly meets up with other females still finding their feet on a surf or skateboard through the group Women Love Adventure Kiama.
Kathe "Kiama" Manansala created the Facebook group after moving to the South Coast and wanted to make friends who were keen to go kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding or enjoy a weekend at the snow.
The 38-year-old too has only been surfing and skating for a year, but now owns seven surfboards and five skateboards.
"Once you move to a beautiful area like this and you realise what it's got to offer and you start to reassess what's important in life," the former real estate agent said.
"There are women in this group who are 55 and 60 and learning to surf and loving it [due to] the way nature heals your soul but also being with a group of supportive women."
Since creating the group in early 2021 it has grown to nearly 1300 members with women meeting every other day to go diving, take bike rides, ocean swims, stand up paddle boarding, surfing, skating and more.
The youngest would be about 18 and the eldest is nearly 70, but age doesn't matter according to Ms Manansala.
"We all hang out and get on really well," she said.
"I feel like people who are nature people or adventure people are the same kind of people, there's never any negativity or bitchiness."
The Women Love Adventure Kiama group is also fundraising for SurfAid - to donate CLICK HERE. https://www.makeawave.co/
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