Happy International Women’s Day. In cities across the globe, every week, some really badass women are waking up early and getting a little bounce going. For the rest of the month, we’ll be highlighting some of the women in leadership at November Project as they share how being a woman influences their leadership, and what their representation in their communities means to them. To get us kicked off, today we travel to NP London and check in with Co-leader Laura Hamilton (she/her).
Who are some of the women in the world of running/sport that you look up to?
There’s a lot of well-known women in sport who I look up to, but for me the most inspirational women are the ones I’m lucky enough to know personally. The friend who won her first 100 miler running race; the one who trained as a running fitness leader; the housemate who got me into my first triathlon. The friends who helped me learn to descend on a bike, and get back on the roads after an accident. The women who will always say yes to a sporting adventure; the ones who train (and then smash their goals) at an ironman; the ones who practice yoga on a daily basis. The one who smashes her mountain bike races, even when coming back from injury. The runner who tackles an ultra marathon. The female cycling coaches putting on sessions which have built my confidence in crit racing and cyclocross skills, and the women I met at these sessions. My training buddies in all the sports I take part in. The other NP co-leaders past and present, and, of course, our members too.
When did you first #JustShowUp to NP? How did you come across NP? What is it that you were looking for in a fitness group? How did NP provide that? What was an “extra” that NP has that you found value in?
I first showed up to NP in November 2018. I can’t quite remember how I first came across it, but I know I followed the London group for a while before building up the confidence to go. The reason I kept coming back was the community – London is a pretty small group compared to other cities, but I love that everyone is super friendly and it genuinely doesn’t matter how fast you are, you’ll be welcomed in. Also, as I’ve since found out, most people are likely to say yes to adventure suggestions, so that’s always fun too!
What apprehensions did you have as you considered coming for the first time? What was your first impression? Why did you keep showing up?
I was worried I wouldn’t be fast enough, or strong enough, or that I wouldn’t fit in. However, I shouldn’t have worried – I was made to feel super welcome and it soon became obvious that it didn’t matter how fast you were, or how many burpees you could do, that if you wanted it to be your community, that NP London was there for you.
What does it mean to you to be a woman co-leader? What does it mean to your community? What does it mean to our global community?
For me, it feels like a privilege. I think it’s cool to see more women taking on the co-leader roles, and I feel super lucky to have been asked to lead. It has helped me in so many ways and I think that while it is just one area of diversity, ensuring a good gender mix is super important. I do think I’m conscious of the role I hold, and I want to ensure that I’m doing what I can to take that privilege and use it positively. I can’t claim to have mastered how to do that yet, but all I hope to do is keep trying (probably keep failing) and keep learning how to do better along the way.
How does being a woman influence your leadership? What was it like to be a woman in your community before you stepped into leadership?
I don’t know if it actively influences my leadership, and how much is more my personality, but I think I’m always conscious of what the community members need from the workout and knowing that it varies on an individual basis. That tends to include figuring out what that encouragement looks like for them personally. I think my community was always super welcoming to women before I stepped up as well.
Did you have any apprehensions to lead this group? Did you experience imposter syndrome when you were asked to lead?
100% – my first thought was that I wondered if I would be strong enough or fast enough to inspire and lead our community (similar to the thoughts that I had when I first showed up). I was asked to step up by a brilliant female co-leader and I knew filling her shoes was going to be a big ask. However, I was super lucky in that she was brilliant and lovely and super encouraging. I’m also very lucky to have two amazing co-leaders who support me and help counteract the doubts when they start to creep in on an on-going basis.
How do you celebrate International Women’s Day? How can others celebrate you or celebrate with you this day? How can we celebrate you all year long?
This year I’ll be on holiday in Cabo Verde, so won’t be officially celebrating, but I’m also on the leadership team for an organisation called Women in International Security (WIIS) UK, who are doing some really cool things to celebrate and promote women all year round. I would recommend celebrating IWD by finding something out about a woman who did – or does – some really cool things. Look for the gaps – find someone who isn’t well-known and learn about them if you can.
What else do you want people reading this to know?
My main advice is that you should try and not hold yourself back. We are often our own worst enemies, so try to go for the things you want, even if you don’t feel qualified for them. You’ll often find that you’ve got exactly what you need. Also, find people to lift you up and lift others up whenever you get the opportunity – there’s enough space at the top for all of us.
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