Sporty and Beautiful

I read a tweet yesterday that made me really sad. Here it is... and some of the replies

It seems rather timely that just as campaigns such as UK Sport's #thisgirlcan and teams like the England Football World Cup team are making a difference towards female participation in sport we are reminded of the vast challenge that still lies ahead.

My immediate response, like those above was to blame the media. We need more female sporting role models I declared back via Twitter. But there are (at least) two ways to look at this issue. I shall look at them both...

My reply

1. Proclaim that female sportspeople are beautiful and to prove that point make a photo board. Because the claim that playing sport somehow makes you ugly (or at the very least not beautiful) is preposterous and there are plenty of examples to be seen across a wide variety of sports. The media could (and should) devote more space to women in sport. Magazines could profile successful sportswomen instead of useless reality TV stars. Exposure is one way to try to address this horrendous misconception. And if we are being shallow (and I am biased because I am an athlete) since when is being toned, having a bum and no bingo wings unattractive?!

2. Ask the question, what is beautiful anyway? And this is the wider problem. Is skinny fat the new beautiful? Having a thigh gap but poor health at it's cost. I hope not. Exercise is SO protective for health and it is so accessible. Doesn't having drive, commitment and a desire to better yourself through playing sport make you beautiful? Team work and friendships that last forever from playing sport. That is beautiful and goes further in life than a pretty face. Isn't an Olympic medal a beautiful thing? I think so. 

This young girl as she strives to be beautiful and starts to skive PE, stops running around the playground is jeopardizing her health and her happiness as she looks to conform to the media's definition of beautiful. Unrealistic women adorn magazines and men fill the sports pages. Will her self-esteem grow or diminish as she fails to look like Taylor Swift or Millie Mackintosh? And do you know what the irony is? They both exercise to look like they do. Millie to her credit (although this is a bug bear of mine) promotes healthy living through exercise and diet on her social media. But her image is achieved via money to pay for a personal trainer and expensive products, and a professional team. Sport is a far more accessible way to exercise and needs to be promoted as part of everyday life. 

This misconception that you can't play sport and be beautiful has to stop. Beauty is not only skin deep; parents and schools need to wage this war with the media because it won't change anytime soon. I remember going through phases where I disliked how my body changed because of training but the support from my family and the success I achieved soon made me realise that this was me and every part of me was better for it. For me one of my favourite things is finishing a hard training sessions or competing as part of a team; it makes me smile and feel great. The satisfaction I get from achieving goals I set is huge and I honestly don't know what I'd do without sport in my life. I realise sport at that intensity isn't for the majority and that's cool. But go and play locally or recreationally and encourage kids to take part in all sports at school; no skiving PE! There are always barriers to exercise; particularly for teenage girls but with innovative ideas, encouragement, support and team work they needn't be put off. 

The PE/school thing is so important. Exercise (so I hear) is bloody difficult to form a habit of once you're an adult. I train 5-6 times a week no bother. And people are always like 'oh my god, how do you manage that?'. It's just what I do. So start the habit young, it's much easier! And for the girls that want to stay beautiful... I know people who don't do sport or exercise and they are either moaning about being 'fat' or on a diet eating salad; they don't like their bodies and have low confidence. Me? I'm in the restaurant eating steak feeling awesome because I trained really well and having a dessert because I know I will be training the next day. And my biggest body woe is whether my abs are as good as they were x months ago. Who's the winner here? 

Said photo boards (from point 1). Apologies for the track and field bias! There are many many more!

L-R, top-bottom: Amy Williams (Skeleton), Ivet Lalova (athletics), Jess Ennis-Hill (athletics), Maria Sharapova (tennis), Emma Coburn (athletics), Alex Morgan (soccer)

L-R top to bottom: Darya Klishina (athletics), Anna Rawson (golf), England Netball Team, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (athletics)