Sam Taylor, a 38-year-old mother of three from the U.K., simply wanted to buck the trend.

That trend being the “designated” sports assigned to young boys and girls in the U.K. as they make their way through grade school. For the girls, there was netball. For the boys, soccer.

If these students find that they are not particularly skilled at these sports, they simply give up.

But Taylor came up with a different idea.

She figured if she could try 100 different sports in a year, she could show students and adults that there is something out there for everyone.

Sam Taylor giving it a go at American football. Photo c/o Sam Taylor

So, she made that her goal. Starting in May of 2014, Taylor vowed that she would try 100 different sports, ending the process the same time the following year.

So, her journey began. Along the way, she learned that sports are a very individualistic entity, much like the arts. There are limitless possibilities. Not one person is perfect, and everyone has his or her struggles.

The Beginning

Taylor had some experience with team sports in the past, but that was a long time ago. And at 35, she wasn’t in the same shape was then.

“I didn’t know if I thought that I was too over-the-hill for it or what,” Taylor said. “But, I thought I’d just give it a go and see what happens. I figured if I put it out there and set the goal, I’d have to keep myself accountable.”

Her friends laughed and wished her “Good luck.” Not many thought she would do it.

“They said they would give me a couple of weeks,” Taylor said. “I mean, that’s what had happened before.”

Taylor learning Parkour. Photo c/o Sam Taylor

But Taylor was determined to make this time different. She began her journey, trudging along through the various sports including archery, powerlifting and underwater hockey.

As time went on, the struggles became more apparent. Winter months were the worst.

“In January, it was tough to motivate myself to get out and find new places,” Taylor said.

What made matters worse was that her 35-year-old body struggled to hold up through many of the more physically straining activities.

Taylor strained her back twice, once performing the martial art of Tang Soo Do, and the other tire- lifting a tractor tire in an activity dubbed “Tire Fit.”

Other factors influenced Taylor’s struggles, most namely the ones involving elevated surfaces.

“I have a fear of heights,” Taylor said. “Even getting on a horse for horseback riding scared me.”

That fear made costeering, or jumping off 40-foot cliffs into the sea, quite difficult. But Taylor wanted to keep her promise, so he braced herself, jumped, and continued to the next challenge.

‘Why Not? Life’s too short’

About two-thirds into her journey, something changed.

Taylor was trying underwater hockey. She put her flippers on, stepped into the water, and pretended she was a mermaid.

All of a sudden, all of the back pain from before simply just went away. And that’s how Taylor was able to continue on through the last two-thirds of the challenge.

“I thought, I’m going to embrace everything fully and then I just completely lost all inhibitions,” she said. “I pretended in everything that I was in the Olympic finals.”

That method seemed to work, and as time went on, the activities got easier, and she began to excel, particularly at shooting and golf, which she said where her best sports.

Taylor tracks her ball at the driving range. Photo c/o Sam Taylor

Taylor was reeling toward the finish line of her goal, and before she knew it, she was at No. 100 –wakeboarding. This one drew a particularly large crowd.

“Television crews, the press and my family were there,” Taylor said. “By the end of it, when I finished, it felt like a huge sense of relief and as well an achievement.”

When Taylor looks back at her accomplishment, she hopes that women, children and men realize that just because they aren’t good at a particular sport doesn’t mean they should give up, but rather just try a different one.

And if you never need a reason to go out and try something new, think back on Taylor’s motto:

“Why not? Life’s too short.”

Check out Sam Taylor’s site, HerMojo, which offers others opportunities to try new fitness classes in the U.K.