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She spends her days pumping metal as one of Jersey’s top – and youngest – weightlifters… But what burdens would she lift from the island’s shoulders?
Amid various competitions, young athlete Charlotte Neale drew on her own experience as she considered how she would make island life better for everyone – so perhaps her first two ideas are no surprise.
The ‘Power to Podium’ prodigy, who also has a passion for gymnastics, told Express…
Almost all Jersey children play sports outside of the school curriculums when they are young, but by the time they are 10 years old they stop enjoying them.
I think that a larger range of sports should be given for children to try, rather than the mainstream sports introduced in schools. There would therefore be a higher chance of a child enjoying at least one of them.
Pictured: Let kids play sport for enjoyment, and don't just focus on results - that's the key, according to Charlotte, to keeping them keen.
Sports should also be should be less performance-based at an early age and done because of enjoyment, not talent. This will take off pressure and people will be more likely to try sports they believe they are not talented at.
There is a lot of publicity about sports like rugby, netball and football but not so much sports like fencing, archery, martial arts and weightlifting where the athletes are doing exiting things just like the rugby team.
Pictured: Weightlifter Charlotte believes activities outside of the sporty mainstream should be encouraged.
All sports should be equally publicised when interesting things happen like international competitions as this will encourage more people to try new sports.
Healthy snacks like fruit should be cheaper than chocolate bars and crisps.
Pictured: Charlotte worries that the sometimes high cost of healthy snacks might be holding some back from a healthy lifestyle.
Given that obesity and high sugar levels are a rising problem, having cheaper snacks that are still healthy and taste just as good as a chocolate bar will help people to choose a healthier option over convenience.
There is a direct correlation between wealth and health - this includes access to exercise and healthcare, but food is a major part of living a healthy lifestyle and some people cannot afford food that has sufficient nutrients and tend to buy cheap and unhealthy food.
No one wants litter on our island so why do some people leave it? Either they are too lazy or believe it is not their job to do.
Pictured: Charlotte draws attention to the problems of plastic in the ocean, as she urges islanders to pick up their litter.
If everyone picked up their own litter and put it in the bin, everywhere would be so much cleaner. Ocean plastic is a big problem, especially when we are surrounded by beaches, but it is not hard to use a reusable water bottle or cup. It would be great if there were drinking fountains around the island to stop the need for buying plastic bottles.
Everyone should always try to find the positives in anything we do. Many people – especially teenagers – complain so much that they sometimes forget the things that make them happy.
Pictured: Islanders ought to complain less and appreciate the beauty of where they live, Charlotte says.
This isn’t something I think just Jersey should change, but everywhere. That being said, I think that Jersey residents are not completely grateful for the safe and beautiful island we live on.
Besides, when you complain a lot it can affect your wellbeing or the wellbeing of others (although I accept the irony of this article being me talking about things I would change!).
The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not Bailiwick Express.
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