MEET: Sarah O’ Donnell – 6 months as a Player!

In Instructor Stories by Charlotte

Who are you?

I’m Sarah and I’m an Irish lass recently moved to Edinburgh, well I suppose six months isn’t thaaat recent but you get my drift! I have a keen interest in travel, hiking and just generally getting outdoors so I thought Edinburgh, with the Highlands and the rest of Europe on it’s doorstep, would be a good location to settle down in for a while!

What drew you to Rabble?

I joined rabble within two weeks of moving over in April – so have been a ‘Rabbler’ for six months now!! Coming over here alone I really had to put myself out there! I had seen rabble on the meetupp app but what gave me the extra push was seeing the online website when I researched further – it looked like a mixture of exercise, fun, competitiveness and social events! I wanted to find a group that were social outside of just the scheduled exercise meetups so this seemed ideal!

“Coming overe here (Edinburgh) alone I really had to put myself out there!”

What is it about Rabble that keeps you coming back?

I remember my first session, an eager beaver I arrived at 10:40 to the Saturday 11 am session even though I only lived a 5 min walk away – rookie mistake!! Just at the point where I was about to bail and chicken out Ali, our instructor arrived on and popped up the rabble flag. From there, people arrived on from all angles of the park and a group formed – the entrance could have been staged it was so well timed!! The group was so welcoming and lovely, I knew straight away it was a group I’d like to get to know better!
The session was great fun and I didn’t even feel like I was exercising, even though squats, burpees and all the worst were involved!! I enjoyed rabble and its people so much I went to the extent of inviting them for drinks at my house that evening, risky move maybe some would say but I still live to tell the tale 🙂

“The group was so welcoming and lovely, I knew straight away it was a group I’d like to get to know better…”

How has your fitness changed since starting Rabble?

Moving to a city alone was always something I wanted to do. I had accepted that the start was going to be lonely and I’d feel overwhelmed moving to a place where I knew not one soul – but Rabble definitely had a lot to play for in making me feel settled. Not only did my fitness begin to improve but my happiness too, from doing exercise, getting fresh air and having these social outlets – I do love a good table quiz, even if I am useless at answers, it’s about the taking part eh!!

“Not only did my fitness begin to improve but my happiness too…”

Words of wisdom for people starting as, or considering getting involved in Rabble?

For someone in my shoes, moving to a new place, or even for someone just looking to get fit without having to traipse to a gym (not my number one choice clearly), I’d recommend Rabble straight away and just tell them to give it a go! It makes your transition way easier and opens up great opportunities.
Rabble suits all ages, fitness levels and personalities and is a great place to meet people from all different places and backgrounds. I’m so looking forward to this year’s Intercity Games and getting to meet other Rabblers from all over the UK to hear their stories!

As the slogan ‘Play Hard’ suggests – we all may be adults but definitely still children at heart! <3

“Rabble suits all ages, fitness levels and personalities and is a great place to meet people…”


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