Using Story Completions to Understand Lived Experience

Story completion is a simple and creative way to gather people’s thoughts, ideas and experiences. Participants are given the beginning of a story—known as a story stem or prompt—and asked to continue or finish it in their own words.

The story prompt usually describes a fictional situation or character, and participants can decide what happens next. They may be free to take the story in any direction or follow a few simple guidelines.

This approach helps people express their views, feelings and perspectives in a natural and engaging way, often revealing insights that might not emerge through direct questions alone. It can be particularly useful for exploring sensitive topics, understanding different experiences, and encouraging creative thinking.

Across all three story scenarios, participants described movement and physical activity as:

• Something that happens with and around other people, not just an individual choice.
• A natural part of everyday life, rather than a separate activity.
• A way to build identity, purpose, and meaning, not just improve health.
• Shaped by people’s circumstances, environments, and support systems, not simply their motivation.

The stories also highlighted several important needs within veteran and military communities:

• Clear and easy-to-follow routes into being active.
• Opportunities to connect with others and feel part of a community.
• Flexible ways to be active that can adapt to changing needs and circumstances.
• Ongoing, local support based on relationships and trust.
• Recognition of the challenges that come with changes in identity and the emotional and social aspects of life after service.

These findings suggest a different approach is needed. Rather than focusing mainly on providing activities, increasing participation, or encouraging individual motivation, support should:

• Help people find and follow pathways into activity.
• Create opportunities for connection and belonging.
• Make movement part of everyday life.
• Support people to rebuild their sense of identity and purpose.
• Be flexible, accessible, and responsive to individual needs.

Overall, the findings suggest that simply improving current programmes is unlikely to be enough. Instead, a more fundamental shift is needed—from delivering sport and physical activity opportunities to helping people reconnect with movement in ways that fit their lives, relationships, and personal journeys.