Good afternoon
I wanted to share a powerful story that spotlights a growing crisis affecting thousands of Aussie kids.
Olympic gtymnast and World Cup gold medallist Emma Nedov is using her platform to highlight how skyrocketing costs are driving young gymnasts from the sport they love. Teaming up with the Y (YMCA) NSW, Emma is advocating for more inclusive, affordable programs to keep kids in gymnastics and other community sports.
Emma shares how her own journey began at the Y Epping and led all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics. She's now urging action as financial barriers push young athletes, often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, out of sport altogether.
With gymnastics ranking among the top three most popular sports for young girls in NSW, the implications of this drop-off are significant for youth wellbeing, gender equity in sport, and long-term health.
The story also highlights the Y NSW's new Gymnastics Fund and its Voices for Change event, which Emma headlined this week alongside ABC's Jacinta Parsons.
I've attached the full release for your reference, and I'd be happy to coordinate interviews with Emma or spokespeople from the Y NSW if you're interested.
Key Facts:
Statistics and Research:
· + UNICEF, Cost of Living Research Impact, 2022
As the cost-of-living pressures continue to bite, a 2022 poll released by UNICEF Australia showed that more than 1 in 2 families are having to make sacrifices in their household budget to pay for their children's sports or physical activities, or face having to stop those activities altogether. The survey also found that parents believe all costs associated with sport or physical activities have gone up over time - most notably session and travel costs, making it the biggest barrier to participating in extra-curricular sports/physical activities.
· Australian Sports Commission (ASC) & Sport Australia Reports
The Australian Women in Sport Strategy highlights that girls drop out of sports at nearly twice the rate of boys by their teenage years. Sport Australia's AusPlay Survey regularly tracks participation trends and barriers in youth sports, including financial constraints and self-esteem issues.
· Women in Sport Research (Swinburne University, Victoria University, etc.)
Studies on body image and sport participation confirm that self-consciousness and uniform requirements are major factors leading to girls quitting gymnastics and other sports.
About us:
About the Y NSW:
The Y NSW (formerly YMCA) is a vibrant, for-purpose organisation delivering cause-driven programs and valuable community services that help strengthen young people's lives, their families, and the communities in which they live. The Y is part of the largest youth organisations in the world, YMCA, which reaches across 120 countries. The Y NSW serves more than 40 communities in NSW and employs more than 1500 people. Each year, more than 2 million people visit our fitness and aquatic centres and more than 10,000 children attend our Outside School Hours Care services.
