'I'm changing the world with a hijab on my head and a ball at my feet'

Lipa Nessa is a former semi-professional footballer-turned-grassroots coach and sports activist. Here, the trailblazer talks about using her voice to break down some of the barriers preventing women and girls from enjoying exercise, plus her collaboration with the Sweaty Betty Foundation to develop a new sports hijab

- Joanna Ebsworth

'I've always been super active, and started running as soon as I could walk! Growing up in Bedford, I had the desire and curiosity to try every activity available to me and was privileged enough to have access to amazing sports facilities and inspiring sports teachers to support me on my journey. I was a part of every single sports club at school, and the only issue I had back then was that the teachers would fight over me to play for them when tournaments clashed which was a delightful problem to have!

'My sportiness was also inspired by the TV shows I watched. I thought Josie Jump from Balamory was so cool, and I wanted to hold a football all the time like Milo from The Tweenies. But Sportacus from LazyTown was my favourite. He changed LazyTown into an active town, which I thought was amazing. I think all these things combined to influence me to pursue the field I'm in now.

'I think I was a sports activist from a young age without even knowing. I remember, at around the age of 10, the boys I played football with asked me to grab a football from one of the dinner ladies. She told me "no" and said I should go play with a skipping rope or make a daisy chain instead - so you best believe I brought my own football the next day so it couldn't be taken away from me! That's when I realised that if people were going to put obstacles in my way, I was going to break them down. Not just for me, but to make sure that doors stayed open for everyone.