A keen (but slow!) triathlete, Fiona has taken part in sport throughout her life and knows the benefit, both physically and mentally, of being active. She is keen that exercise, in whatever form it takes, should be open to all, regardless of their financial situation. It is essential for people’s wellbeing.

With two teenagers, Fiona sees first hand the financial cost of trying to kit children out with sports gear they quickly grow out of. Clearing out their wardrobes over lockdown, she saw just how many pairs of sports shoes they were going through in a season. And not because they were wearing them out, but they were growing out of them. Realising there must be thousands of families with a similar pile of sports shoes, she thought if she could start collecting the shoes, then they could be passed on to families who were struggling financially.

Fiona has been delighted with the support the community has given to One Impossible Thing. She said, “the local community have made my vision of helping out those who were struggling, in to a reality, with their kindness and generosity.“

Fiona has worked in the charity sector for over 10 years, both in the UK and in Australia. She worked in fundraising, organising both large and small scale events. Previous to this she worked in the corporate world as an events manager.

Ray sees sport as something that helped him both physically and mentally through the ups and downs that life inevitably threw his way. It's why he was keen for both of his children to be involved in sport. And it’s why he is keen to be involved in a charity that enables anyone and everyone to be active.

It was because of Ray’s children that he is now a black belt in taekwondo. He started lessons to encourage them to take part. They were eight and ten at the time. Ray was the oldest in the class, even older than the teacher. But now, having achieved his black belt, it means he can help out with his son’s classes and encourage more young people to be involved in the martial art.

Sport has been a constant throughout Ray’s life, whether it’s been taekwondo, rugby, basketball, squash, cycling or even darts! His first passion was rugby, which he started as an U16 at Welwyn Rugby Club. He went on to play for them for almost 30 years. He finds rugby the most inclusive sport he has ever played. Whatever size you are, whatever age you are, whether you are fast or slow, there is a position for you on the rugby team. At one point, his rugby team consisted of a 14 year old, a 73 year old, and all ages in between!

Ray was an entrepreneur who ran a successful IT company for seven years. He worked predominantly within the charity sector, so he understands the way charities operate. He is now retired and enjoys playing golf and spending time with his children.

Lynsey became involved with One Impossible Thing when her school sent an email out to the staff, looking for football boots. As part of the PE curriculum, all the girls at the school were to start playing football. Many of them hadn’t played before, so they didn’t have any boots. And for many families at the school, the cost of a pair of football boots was a stretch on their family budget. As Lynsey had been a keen footballer, she played for a local football team for over 10 years, she knew that sliding around in trainers was no fun when you’re trying to tackle the ball off a player. You really need a proper pair of boots. So she got in touch with One Impossible Thing to see if we could help. She then set up a form on her school website for parents to request sports shoes for their children. It has proved to be a great system, with the number of families at the school accessing free sports shoes, growing by the day.

As well as football, Lynsey loves to swim. She finds it’s the perfect way to switch off and decompress. When she swims, she doesn’t have to think about anything. The stresses of the day seem to disperse in to the water, setting her mind free. Running has a similar effect for her. She likes to be able to switch off and enjoy the peace of being outside, surrounded by nature. It doesn’t mean that she doesn’t love a challenge though! She took part in the Cancer Research Mud Run, a 5km run with lots of obstacles and lots and lots of mud. She ran the St. Albans 5km with her son, when he was only six years old. And she took part in a 5km swim for charity.

Lynsey works at a Chiltern Academy in Luton, as a medical assistant and a first aid instructor. She loves to be able to make a real difference to the students she works with. With 1,200 students at her school to care for, it’s a busy job. Previous to this she was a dental nurse for 17 years, her last role being a Practise Manager for three dental practises. She had always been interested in the medical side of dentistry, so her role as a medical assistant was a perfect fit.

Growing up with a Welsh football and rugby loving father, meant Sam couldn’t avoid sport. During her childhood she was either on a five-a-side football pitch or in a dance studio. This was at great expense to her parents, so much so that her mum had to get a part-time job in catering to cover the costs. These days Sam is mum to two boys whose own worlds revolve around sport - athletics, football, rugby, swimming and everything in between. It means she now spends a small fortune every year to provide these opportunities to them.

Sport inclusion, particularly economic inclusion, is therefore a subject close to Sam’s heart. Other characteristics that exclude people from sport are talked about - sex, sexuality, race, age and disability, but economic exclusions are missed out from the conversation. As curriculum pressures on schools grow, participation in sport has increasingly been based on the capabilities of families to provide. This is why Sam got involved in One Impossible Thing. She sees that too many kids are missing out, and sport is missing out on the talent out there. If one of the economic barriers can be removed, then this is a good step to getting kids more active.

When not driving her kids to matches, or standing on the sidelines of pitches trying not to shout too much, Sam works in communications as an English Language Executive Coach for professional football clubs in and around North London. She teaches everyone from Academy players to Directors and brings a wealth of business know-how from a career in marketing and copywriting, particularly in the charity sector.  

Whilst her own hopes of playing (or dancing) for England (or Wales) have been dashed, Sam now enjoys the physical and mental benefits of running - clocking up 20km a week. She does Park Run when she can fit it in around her son’s activities and, lower-back issues allowing, she also plays Touch Rugby. But she hasn’t forgotten her activities from her childhood. She is always up for hitting the dance floor or having a kickabout with a football.

Rebecca loves running. She has run a number of marathons including London, Chicago, New York and Stockholm, but to her it’s not about the time. To her it’s about the challenge, a target to aim for and the overwhelming achievement at the end. Appropriately, her love of running has drawn her to Park Run. She has run over 250 of them in various corners of the country, but you can normally find her at the Dunstable Downs event in her volunteer role as the Run Director.

Rebecca works as the Director of Operations at Active Luton. Previous to this she was the Managing Director of Dacorum Sports Trust (DST). They run the XC Centre, Little Hay Golf Complex and Our Gym. She worked there for over 30 years. She started as a teenager in an admin post and is ended up running the show!

The thing that really drives Rebecca is how to get as many different people as possible, from all walks of life, more active. The way her and her team did this at DST was by appealing to the things people enjoy, not by forcing everyone to the gym. The XC Centre is a great example of this. By bringing together a skatepark, caves and a climbing wall, Rebecca and her team have encouraged a younger crowd who probably don't think of themselves as sporty in the traditional school team sport way, to get active.

Rebecca sees the amount of sports shoes that people donate through our recycling bins based at Active Luton. She is constantly amazed by the generosity of the local community. As a trustee of One Impossible Thing, she has also seen the impact the charity has made in such a short space of time. How it has helped many children and adults already. As Rebecca says, “being able to play a small part in this charity that makes such a huge difference in the community, fits in with my desire to break down barriers in sporting participation for both children and adults”. 

Paula has always been active. She doesn’t let a day pass without a run, a cycle ride or a three mile walk! This is probably why, over the years, she has participated in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride three times and the annual Berkhamsted Walk, raising money for The Children’s Society.

When Paula was younger she enjoyed playing badminton, tennis and hockey. She even did a 24 hour tennis marathon for charity! For Paula, playing a team sport or just exercising by herself, is vital to staying healthy. That’s why she says, “I’m really happy to be helping One Impossible Thing achieve their purpose and mission, enabling more people to benefit from being active.”

She has passed her love of sports down to her three children. Her twins play netball for both the school and a club, and her eldest is a keen swimmer. Paula has spent many a night cheering her on at various swimming galas!

Paula has previously been a trustee of Dacorum Sports Trust (DST). They helped Dacorum residents stay active through all of their sports venues - sports centres, swimming pools, climbing facilities and golf courses. Born and bred in Dacorum, Paula learnt to swim in the local pools, so being involved with DST was her way of giving back to the community that had helped her on her sporting journey. As a member of their board, she supported the leadership through tough times with contract changes, Covid and ensuring the future of the facilities and employees.

With a career that has spanned supplier management, product management and marketing, and her previous experience as a charity trustee, Paula is looking to bring this together for the benefit of One Impossible Thing.