Walking into the weight room can be intimidating for everyone, but girls often find themselves more afraid to go inside. This issue is by no means new — a Circle Voice article from 2017 discusses the problem as well. To help alleviate the issue, Maya Varkey ’22 has created an all-women’s open lift to foster a supportive environment where girls can participate in weight lifting.

Maya drew inspiration from her Fifth Form theatre project, which explored the “gender-based power structures of the communities [she] is part of.” As part of her project, she surveyed female-identifying members of the Groton community about what they would do on-campus if there were no men for twenty-four hours. While the range of responses was wide, a common response from particularly lower school girls was to use the weight room. 

To make the all-women’s lift happen, Maya reached out to Ms. Harlan and Ms. Wall, who both supported the idea. Ms. Harlan helped organize the lift and make sure there would be a female faculty member on duty. 

In describing the first open lift, which happened on November 7th, Maya said that it “was honestly just a lot of fun! There was great music and an even better turnout.”

Since then, lots of girls, especially those in lower-school, have enjoyed the chance to learn how to use the machines and lift in a comfortable environment. Eliza Kingsland ’25 had been hesitant to go into the weight room because she feared “comments, stares, or judgments.” She has found, however, that these lifts are “a safe, comfortable place for women…to workout in an environment that supports them.”

Similarly, Anna Duggan ’25 commented that “the women’s lift has been really great because the whole atmosphere is very welcoming and not judgy at all. Everyone [is] super supportive and happy to help you out if you need it.”

One important issue with the all-women’s open lift is that many boys who frequent the weight room feel that they are losing an hour during a popular time slot. Many boys are supportive of “trying to create a less intimidating environment and encourage more women to work out often,” said Tyler Bowden ’23, a regular to normal open lifts. “Despite the good intentions, if you want to restrict an area on campus that was previously open [for all], it would be more considerate to do it at less busy times,” Tyler explained.

Although some male weight room regulars have felt inconvenienced by the all-women’s lift, it continues to be an exciting opportunity for girls to feel welcome in the weight room.