Meet Joan: How Walking Football Changed Her Life

This summer, our Act Now, Age Better campaign encourages mid-lifers to stay active and try something new. Everything from wild Swimming to Pilates to Walking Football. 

As we count down the final days until Scotland’s first game in the World Cup since 1998, Age Scotland caught up with some of Scotland’s national walking football team ahead of the UEFA International Walking Football Festival in Switzerland on 25th June.

Walking football has become increasingly popular. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a standard game of football where players walk instead of run. It's designed to help people get fit or maintain an active lifestyle, no matter their age or fitness. It is a great way to support people getting back into football if they have given it up due to age or injury. 

Today we caught up with Joan, 59, from Perth. As well as being a member of Scotland’s national team, Joan plays in defence and is captain for Jean Field Swift's Women's Walking Football in Perth.

How did you get into Walking Football?

I played as a kid, and I loved football, but then you had to forget it because you were a girl. I was also into horse riding, which I'd done since childhood, but I had a bad accident in December 2013. I was thrown off and crushed one of my vertebrae, so I didn't want to go back to horse riding because I'm self-employed. My life was chaos thereafter.

I had no spinal cord damage, so I could still walk, but I needed a lot of rehab. I chose the gym and swimming, starting off just walking in the pool to build myself up, and then the swimming, and then the gym. And I hated the gym but knew I had to do it. One of my colleagues saw an advert in a local magazine about walking football. Initially, I thought it sounded a bit rubbish. I mean, walking football, what's that all about? And then I just thought I’d give it a go. The women in the photo were all ages and all shapes and sizes, so I went along, and I've never looked back.

“My neighbour visited me after I broke my back and told me good things will come of this. At the time, I thought she was crazy; I was in agony. But she was right. My whole path changed. It's been life-enhancing, life-changing.”

My path changed, and my life is 100 times better. Not that it was bad before, but walking football has been just life-enhancing in so many ways. I'm fitter and healthier now than I was in my 30s.

What position do you play?

I love to play at the back; I played at the back when I was a kid, protecting the goalkeeper. That's my very defensive mind! I also get played in the midfield, but I'm at home, being the last man standing at the back.

How often do you play?

Our women's team trains weekly, so we have an hour and a half training session on a Thursday, but we can play another two or three times a week. On top of that, we sometimes get involved in community sessions.  I was at one this morning with Saints in the Community, who have mixed abilities and sometimes adults with learning difficulties, and we love it. And everybody's out in the fresh air, in a beautiful setting.

What benefits have you experienced since taking part in Walking Football?

There are so many benefits, including weight loss, feeling fitter, healthier, and mental health benefits too.  The mental health benefits are just as significant as physical health benefits. You switch off, you're focused, and you're also having a lot of fun. I've met a group of women, like-minded women around my own age, and even women in their 30s, and it keeps you young.

It is that time of week when you are not thinking about any of your life problems, your family, work, or whatever. You're just focusing on the ball.”

How has walking football helped you connect to more people?

Definitely, and I didn't expect that. We joined to play football and get a bit fitter, but the social side of it is just phenomenal. Having this support network around is incredible. We're always trying to promote and encourage more women to come along to our sessions.

Has anything surprised you since starting?

It’s easy to forget how life-changing it's been because this is just the norm for me now. I’ve met so many lovely women that I’m really glad are now in my life. We have various football tournaments a year that we all go to, but we also go on holiday together.

It brings us together, unites people on a level that's nothing to do with work or social status, standing, whatever, and lets you really find true and like-minded friends. It’s like being kids again, where there is no time for one-upmanship, nothing like that. You're just all in the team”.

How did you get into International Walking Football?

Well, I didn't think I'd be in the running; I was not even thinking about it because I’m six months too young. I received an email from Matt at Walking Football Scotland and couldn’t believe it.  It turns out that there can be up to two women aged between 55 and 60. I'm just so pleased. I have not stopped smiling for a month now.

Representing Scotland internationally is stuff that dreams are made of. That's it in a nutshell. I'm so proud, and I will work hard, and I'll do my very best for my team, and we'll see where it gets us.”

Photography: Phil Dawson

If someone was on the fence about joining Walking Football, what would you say?

Life is short. Give it a go. Every team, every club I've turned up to play in, any competitions, any festivals, it's a family. Everybody's so welcoming. You would regret not going. You have to go once, and you'll be hooked. But you have to give it a go.

It could be life-changing for you too. And at best, it could be life-changing. At worst, you'll get a bit fitter, and you'll meet new friends, but it could have a major impact on your life that you're not even aware of yet.

As the Scottish National Football team kicks off their first game at the World Cup. What are your score predictions for Scotland v Haiti?

I'm going to say Scotland 3, Haiti 1, and it will be Scott McTominay with two and John McGinn with one. That would be a joyful, joyful first result!