When we see athletes on stage, in front of a camera, on magazine covers, or on the field, we see a finished product. The flawless makeup. The toned body. The perceived effortless perfection. Our eyes are glued to everything outside of the inner struggle. Everyday self-consciousness still lingers.
When an athlete, or anyone in the public eye for that matter, opens up and reveals issues with his or her body, it reminds us that we’re all human. Seeing the elite work through and overcome the struggle with their body image, can motivate and inspire us even more.
Take Gabby Douglas, an Olympic gold medalist and history maker who had to deal with severe media scrutiny about her appearance as an impressionable teenager.
We saw the public victories, but there is more than what meets the eyes.
Behind closed doors stood a girl with a great passion for the Olympics and the pressure of unrealistic beauty standards applied by critics.
Someone even suggested that Gabby get a nose job because of her flat nose.
Because she knew she wasn’t in this alone, Gabby’s confidence and accomplishments reached new heights.
Gabby’s mother and manager, Natalie Hawkins, told Teen Vogue, “I remember when everyone was talking about her arms, and she became very self-conscious about how muscular they were. Then Gabrielle saw the elegance with which Serena Williams handled all the negative criticism of her own body. It was liberating for my daughter to see that. She said, ‘I don’t have to apologize to anyone about my body. My body is beautiful.’”
Simone Biles, recently hailed as the best gymnast in the world, has had her fair share of internal struggles as well.
Despite being a record-breaking stellar athelete, she has not been immune to criticism over her physical build or her race in the predominantly white world of professional gymnastics. Simone admits to being insecure about her self-described stocky physique in comparison to other gymnasts. However, she now sees this as an advantage.
“I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it,” she told Teen Vogue.
Simone’s struggle is also reminiscent of the same issues Misty Copeland, the first black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, faced. She details her experiences in the documentary A Ballerina’s Tale. Copeland was told by the company to lose weight, and she had a more muscular body than the other dancers that caused her confidence to diminish.
And let’s not forget about Serena Williams who is constantly slaying us with her confidence and body positivity. Serena’s looks have long become more of an issue to mainstream media instead of her knockout, record breaking performances on the court. She’s overcome the challenges and found a way not to let the criticism overshadow her glory.
Black women aren’t the only ones that have had to deal with criticism about their bodies, though. Men are also objectified and ridiculed for their natural build. Vince Wilfork, decorated nose tackle for the Houston Texans, graces the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue and let us all know how confident he is about his body.
📸 time for number 7⃣5⃣.
Here’s @wilfork75‘s @ESPN the Magazine cover for the ‘Body’ Issue. (h/t Peter Hapak). pic.twitter.com/rDUBii3niH
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 30, 2016
“I’m proud of who I am. I’m proud of my body,” the two-time Super Bowl champion told ESPN. “People can talk about me all they want, I don’t care. I never lose sleep.”
“I just think it’s a good idea for people that are bigger-boned,” Wilfork said when asked why he posed for the cover. “If people can look at me, a guy that’s 325-plus, doing an issue like this, I’m pretty sure that they might have a little confidence.”
He’s even ready for the modeling world!
Tommy Boi where u at? Now that I’ve done @ESPN Mag #BodyIssue I’m ready for the modeling world. Pics out tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/kVLFInAG8M
— Vince Wilfork (@wilfork75) June 29, 2016
All of these athletes have had to deal with criticisms about their body whether it be from the media, themselves, or a mixture of both. Yet at the end of the day, all of them have come out at the TOP of their game (no pun intended). They’ve proven that even the cream of the crop can struggle with the same issues that we do. Because of their drive to succeed and transparency about hangups involving body image, they inspire us all to come out on top as well.
Mind over matter.
