Athletic Bodies are Beautiful: Love Yourself

Everyone is different. Every body is different.

Growing up, I fell into the trap of our society where we compare ourselves to others. I would scroll on social media, day after day, looking at pictures of others and wonder why their legs were thinner than mine, or why their sizes were so different than mine. I lost sight of myself and went in a downward spiral where I placed unrealistic expectations for myself. I didn’t realize that everyone is built differently, and that body types vary tremendously.

I lost sight of my athleticism, and put it at harm trying to fit a certain image. It took a lot of self-discovery and support, but when I realized that comparing myself to others was affecting my health as well as my performance in my sport, I snapped out of that mindset and began to focus on myself. I fell in love with cooking, lifting, working out, and living a healthy lifestyle. I cleansed my social medias and turned to look up to athletes who took pride in their athleticism and promoted a healthy lifestyle. I began to fall in love with how my body was made, the muscles I had, and appreciate it. The more I focused on myself and living a healthy lifestyle, the more I saw myself succeed in happiness, life and sports.

This is a message I want everyone to embrace, especially the athletes out there. You are built how you are made to be. There will be times where you may struggle with how you look, or be upset with yourself, but be kind to yourself. Your body works in crazy ways and does so much for you, never take it for granted. It can be easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, or becoming fixated on how you look, but instead, try to focus on your health and how you feel. Explore new recipes, new workouts, fall in love with becoming healthy and the best version of yourself.