by Sofia Paul
Media that promotes female empowerment is always welcomed. This is the case with upcoming documentary series, Strong Women (co-created by Corinne Innes and Alexandra Gaulupeau, co-produced by Ann Megalla).
The story follows some of Australia’s top women determined to take the title of Australia’s Strongest Woman in the sport of Strongman. The sport, which has been given limited media attention, has until recently only focused on males.
Mariko Whyte, Kerryn Siems, Alira Verity and Leigh Holland-Keen are the subjects of Strong Women.
Their strength is shown not only physically but also mentally, most of them encountering issues such as domestic violence, bullying, addictions and eating disorders.
The idea behind the series (which is funded by Screen Australia, the ABC and Film Victoria), sparked when one of the co-creators, Corinne Innes tagged along to a Strongman competition and found herself inspired by the women.
Innes believes that the series will tap into experiences all women can relate to. “Mental health affects all of us,” she said.
Being part of Strong Women has caused the filmmaker to consider her own strength.
“My thought process was, what can I do to empower myself?”
She is excited about the launch of the STRONG BODY/ STRONG MIND campaign, along with the series.
“I’m really happy about moving onto the next step: extending the conversation, further chat about women’s mental health and encourage people to see how strong they are.”
The campaign’s goal is to empower women through encouraging them to consider things such as how sport can assist in building confidence and accepting their bodies for what they can achieve, as opposed to reducing it to a number on a scale.
Fundraising through the Australian Sports Foundation, STRONG BODY/ STRONG MIND will allow screenings of the series to share uplifting messages, distributing fitness and mental health toolkits and putting forth an optimistic and impactful social media strategy to inspire females throughout Australia to partake in sport.
“It’s a great way to reach more women and let them see what they can do.”
