Three Roncalli College pupils are hoping judges warm to a winning idea.
Krishna Shah and Alexis Miller, both 16, — along with exchange student Oliwia Sobocinska — are set to produce leggings to help ease menstrual pain.
The year 12 pupils had been pondering on what to produce as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme.
Krishna said she was sitting with a heat pack while they had brainstormed ideas.
Advised to find a solution to problems they have in their everyday life, the concept struck them: leggings with discreet pockets on the abdomen and lower back in which gel heat packs could be inserted.
Both she and Alexis had firsthand experience with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
‘‘Due to this, we both know the struggle of having to deal with period cramps in our daily lives,’’ Krishna said.
‘‘We also know that many women have to deal with the same issue in their day-to-day lives.’’
Alexis — who suffers from endometriosis — has endured a lot of pain, with one period in particular lasting over a month.
Alexis said the leggings would provide comfort at home, school, work or playing sport. ‘‘Everyone we’ve talked to loves the idea.’’ She felt the product had the potential to help a good number of women.
‘‘We know that hundreds of thousands of women suffer from painful periods.’’
Their teacher Jordan Hooke and mentor Gavin Hamel had been extremely supportive, despite not having lived experience of periods.
Alexis said there was ‘‘definitely less stigma’’ around menstruation than there had been in previous decades.
‘‘It happens to half the population.’’
The Young Enterprise Scheme was a national competition, with no class time allocated to it.
‘‘I’m hoping — if it is a success — to continue with it after school,’’ Krishna said.
The pack could help with stomach pains and period cramps but — thanks to the back insert — it could be used solely for back pain as well.
Their website would go live when the product was launched, but until then they were still sourcing a fabric and manufacturers.
She encouraged people to follow their social media accounts at Neoma.active if they wanted to ‘‘follow along for the ride’’.
‘‘We think we have what it takes to win.’’
