DECATUR, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A group of women over 40 are proving that Double Dutch jump roping isn’t just for kids. They are getting together to have fun and be kids again, leaving the responsibilities of adult life behind.
“Many of these women have never jumped rope and a lot of them haven’t jumped in 20, 40 years,” said Catrina Dyer-Taylor, co-founder of 40+ Double Dutch Club. “Most of them say, ‘I wasn’t able to do this when I was a kid. How am I able to do this now? I am 58 years old. I am 69 years old.’”
Caretaking, bills, errands— they’re leaving it all behind with the snap of a jump rope against the street.
Members have T-shirts that have their name written on the top and their age on the bottom. They wear them with pride. Members can jump with a team, by themselves, they can cheer their friends on, they can line dance, they can hula hoop. Anything to keep them on their feet, following the rhythm.
“Any Black girl that you met back in the 60, 70s, 80s, early 90s knew how to jump rope so it was an automatic friendship builder,” said Pamela Robinson, co-founder of 40+ Double Dutch.
The club was started by Pamela and Catrina, who are friends, to get Pamela through a rough patch. Now, their temporary therapy is a global movement.
“This had nothing to do with Catrina and I and everything to do with God using something as simple as a plastic clothesline to connect women all over the world,” said Robinson.
The club is for women 40 and older. The oldest member is 89.
For more information on the club, click here.
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