A former Westholme School student – who aspired to be a professional golfer – has launched her own luxury sportwear brand with the hope of inspiring young women and girls to achieve in sport.
And the venture has propelled Jessica Picton, 22, into the finals of the I Love MCR ‘Young Person of the Year’ 2023 awards – and she is now seeking your vote before Monday, October 9!
After graduating from university and using her experience and extensive research Jessica decided to develop her own sportswear brand SheSwings, with the aim of relating a garment’s appearance and functionality to performance.
Jessica said: “My brand is based on my understanding of the effects of clothing on mental and physical performance. My hope is that by using SheSwings garments women and girls will play with the confidence they need.”
Jessica is one of eight finalists in the I Love MCR Awards ‘Young Person of the Year’ category which recognises a remarkable young person from Greater Manchester, looking at their exceptional achievements, extraordinary efforts and have made a significant impact on their community and inspired others to follow in their footsteps.
The winner will be an exceptional individual who is a true role model for young people everywhere, inspiring others to dream big, work hard, and give back to their communities.
Apart from being chief executive of SheSwings Jessica travels the world as a senior executive for the ladies’ tour operations team and has recently visited Saudi Arabia, Oman, Florida, Spain and courses around the UK.
Bolton-born Jessica, attended Westholme from 2012 to 2017, and was the first student to major on golf for her GCSE physical education study.
About the future she added: “I feel this has been a few years in the making and really hope to be successful in the awards.”
As a member of Hart Common Golf Club, Westhoughton, she began playing golf at the age of 14 and despite her achieving success at county level her dream of becoming a professional golfer was dashed aged only 16 when she was suffering from a spinal injury.
During her recovery she enrolled at Myerscough College and University to study for a Bachelor’s Degree in Golf Management.
Jessica has built up a following of thousands by celebrating her love of golf on TikTok which she has used to promote her SheSwings brand.
She said: “While I worked really hard to achieve my ambitions on the golf course I always felt I was hampered by the availability of appropriate gear both from a practical sense and from a feeling of being confident out on the course.”
Jessica’s dissertation at university enabled her to thoroughly research the issue and she interviewed a number of high-ranking female athletes about their perception and attitudes towards sports’ garments and how they impacted on their performance.”
She said: “Having taken all of my research on board I wanted SheSwings to provide a line of sports clothing that empowers women to feel good and play their best.
“The intention is that SheSwings provides a range that combines affordability and choice at the same time as encouraging girls to continue to engage with the sports they enjoy long after they leave school.”
SheSwings’ first collection featured leggings, skirts, polo shirts and half zip tops all manufactured in the UK to achieve quality, comfort and performance.
Carla Hornby, Senior Deputy Head at Westholme commented: “We are so proud of what Jess has achieved since leaving Westholme. She is a true advocate for the 21st century skills we promote at Westholme, displaying determination, resilience, hard work and entrepreneurial flair! We wish Jess all the best of luck in the awards.”
To vote for Jessica visit: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/85ff442e/lH5BKAR0FEK6PePIe_9lpw?u=https://ilovemanchester.com/awards%23shortlist. The deadline for voting is Monday, October 9.