New Book Series Focused on Body Image and Empowerment for Girls with Researcher and Social Entrepreneur Vanessa Coulbeck

January 13, 2025

Strong Girl Publishing has announced ‘The Mirror Diaries,’ which will focus on themes of empowerment and body image through movement

/ENDURANCE SPORTWIRE/ – Strong Girl Publishing is excited to announce a new series, The Mirror Diaries, which will focus on themes of empowerment and body image through a lens of movement and sport in a way that speaks to the girls who need this information the most. The first book in the middle grade fiction series will launch in Fall 2025, with books 2 and 3 releasing in 2026 and 2027.

Author Vanessa Coulbeck is a recent Masters graduate focusing on body image and physical activity promotion for young girls. She currently serves as the Director of Research Project Management for The ReThinkSport Project—a groundbreaking national research initiative working to change knowledge, innovate sport practices, evolve sport access, and improve sport participation in youth sports, particularly among girls—as well as other national initiatives at the Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre, housed at the University of Toronto, and will be pursuing her doctorate beginning in the fall. She is also a dynamic leader in youth empowerment and social impact initiatives in Toronto and worldwide, and is the founder of a physical activity tech startup focused on connecting individuals and building communities through movement.

The Mirror Diaries: Finding Grace invites readers into the heart of junior high through Grace’s own diary. Grace is navigating the challenges of growing up, where changes in her body and self-perception make her question everything she thought she knew about herself. Her reflection feels unfamiliar and she wonders why she struggles to see her own strengths when others seem to shine effortlessly—whether as star athletes, top students, or ‘popular’ classmates.

Amid pressures from social media and school life, Grace embarks on a journey guided by her health teacher and her mom, learning the power of being kind to yourself. Through relatable struggles and uplifting moments, readers will see Grace confront doubts and discover how to embrace herself fully—flaws, fears and all. Can Grace learn to look in the mirror and see herself as she really is?

“My hope is for girls to see the Mirror Diaries as more than just stories—they’re guides for embracing their individuality and building a foundation of self-belief and empowerment that will not just serve them in school and sport, but for the rest of their lives,” Coulbeck says. “These are the books I wish I had growing up. The stories of the three girls that we’ll follow as they navigate challenges in junior high dive into the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that are often not talked about. They’re an honest and relatable look into the struggles many face, paired with tools and activities to help navigate them. I want these books to create a space where readers feel seen, understood, and inspired to embrace and appreciate their unique strengths.”

The book will also weave in exercises that Grace is learning from her health teacher that can serve as prompts for young readers, so that they can not only see Grace take her journey, they can take it alongside of her.

Through partnerships with national and international organizations, Coulbeck has already worked to develop impactful resources, including sport engagement frameworks, body image programming, and school-based physical activity projects promoting wellness for youth, which she has presented in international spaces to drive systemic change. As she engaged in this work with various charity organizations, including one of Strong Girl Publishing’s favorite organizations, Fast and Female, she has facilitated programming for girls and continues to work with the organization as they develop more initiatives around body image. She also saw this shift through leading sessions with Big Brothers and Big Sisters youth. In doing this work and connecting directly with young women, she has seen how these shifts in thinking could help them embrace themselves and recognize their potential. The idea for the book series stemmed from her desire to share these messages and resources with a broader audience.

“Having an author and researcher like Vanessa Coulbeck come onboard with Strong Girl Publishing is a perfect fit,” says founder Molly Hurford. “We know from the research—some of which Vanessa spearheaded!—that girls drop out of sport for many reasons, body image and self-doubt being some of the most frequently cited. I’m so excited that we’re now able to develop a book series that doesn’t just address these topics but also provides valuable resources for girls.”

Coulbeck’s own athletic journey began early, excelling as a provincial soccer player and competing in national championships. She also thrived in basketball, volleyball, and track and field, holding the 100m sprint record in London elementary schools for five consecutive years. However, her path was not without challenges. Injuries distanced her from competitive sport, but she reconnected with the transformative power of physical activity through volunteer and research initiatives during university.

The books, while fun and fictionalized, will be based on the best current research. They’ll pull from Coulbeck’s own work with body image and self-compassion, which has built on research first done by Dr. Kristen Neff, and has been inspired by her supervisors including Dr. Catherine Sabiston and Dr. Eva Pila, and her mentor Dr. Zali Yager.

Utilizing research-based tactics for improving and developing a better relationship with self to the pages so that girls can not just read about other girls experiencing similar challenges, they’ll also discover tools to help them through the tough moments. These books are part of a larger mission to dismantle barriers to mental and physical well-being for young girls, particularly within school and sport settings. By fostering this sense of self-compassion, Coulbeck aims to create a ripple effect of empowerment that extends far beyond the page.

Coulbeck believes sport is a powerful platform for girls to express themselves, build resilience, and experience joy. Combined with education, it equips them to challenge stereotypes, dismantle barriers, and lead meaningful change in their communities. She envisions a future where every girl has the confidence, resilience, and opportunities to reach their full potential, with sport serving as a catalyst for growth, empowerment, and equality. Through her work, Coulbeck continues to champion initiatives that empower girls to believe in their abilities, appreciate their bodies, and build supportive, inclusive communities—a mission that Strong Girl Publishing wholeheartedly shares.

The Mirror Diaries: Finding Grace will be available at StrongGirlPublishing.com in the Fall of 2025, and media samples including essays that can be used in print or online will be available upon request (email info@stronggirlpublishing.com).

Currently, Coulbeck and Strong Girl Publishing are actively seeking brands and organizations interested in sharing this work with their communities and spreading the message of empowerment and resilience for young girls. Contact info@stronggirlpublishing.com to learn more.

Get on the pre-release notification list or inquire about workshops, bulk orders and more here: https://forms.gle/uYk9F8SzWULb9vnZ7

ABOUT STRONG GIRL PUBLISHING

Strong Girl Publishing creates books and content to inspire girls in sport, written by young women who’ve been there. The new small publishing company was founded by longtime author, journalist, and athlete Molly Hurford, who has been writing stories for young women athletes for years—including the popular Shred Girls series. Strong Girl Publishing aims to increase visibility of girls in sport and outdoor adventure, while also providing an outlet for young women athletes to share their stories authentically.

Reading is one of the best ways for girls to be able to see themselves in sport and in activities traditionally dominated by boys, but girls are wildly underrepresented in books, especially in the middle grade and young adult age range where the dropout rate in sport is highest. Strong Girl Publishing helps girls see themselves in sport and outdoor adventure, inspiring them to try new activities by creating engaging stories around girls in sport, all while holding space for young women athletes to share their voices.

More info: https://stronggirlpublishing.com/

CONTACT: Molly Hurford, info@StrongGirlPublishing.com

IMAGE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZRP6nHxujosIH0r9hAFygN2w8D2Q7VLI/view?usp=drive_link