Haters, Cellulite and Bikini’s

Before you do anything else, click on this link and read the Facebook post by the Olympic gold medal winner and legendary downhill skier Lindsey Vonn.

I had a different topic in mind for this weeks blog but after reading this a few minutes ago I felt compelled to write about Lindsey. I was saddened by what I read, both her words and those of others in the photo attached, saddened because she felt the need to justify her bikini posts, justify her body, and somewhere in her mind she had the need to justify why people would say such cruel things about her.

Can you imagine how she feels and how this has affected her life? It takes a mind of steel to be able to shut these things down and not let them bother you. I imagine, luckily for her, she has the mental fortitude to be able to deal with this, she will have had mindset coaching throughout her sporting career, but I’m sure she wasn’t prepared for the personal attacks.

Have you clicked the link and seen Lindsey Vonn‘s body in the pictures?
If you don’t have Facebook google some images of her.
Does she have the figure of someone who is a pro athlete?
Some of you may say yes, and some no.

I have to say, I looked at the photos and thought that perhaps her calves would be more defined  and her upper body more muscular as a pro skier, and that she is very attractive but that was about all I thought. I knew she would be in the healthy weight range because  hers was a power sport.  I didn’t expect her to be skinny, I just expected her to look healthy – which she does. She looks normal and fit, in fact, I think she looks fantastic and I don’t see why people are being so mean.

Why am I writing about this today?
Because I’m pissed.

I am fed up with women bringing other women down.
Women should lift each other women up, not bring each other down.

Why do we do this?
Why do women feel the need to bitch about other women?
By the way, I’m not suggesting you do, I’m talking about women in general.

It makes me so cross and often very angry when I see women who try their best to be their best be beaten down by others who have absolutely no right to do so.

Who do these people think they are? 

The type of person who makes these comments lacks confidence, they probably don’t have much success (I’m not limiting success to career and finance, it includes marriage, sporting, in fact, all aspects of life). These people do not love themselves, are unhappy and jealous of someone else who has accomplished more than they ever will. They are jealous and full of hate for another because that someone else has what they want… and they can’t have it… or they believe they can’t, because they don’t try, won’t try, and if they have tried they have failed. So they take it out on someone else. 
One woman wrote that she’d had two children and was in better shape than Lindsey who had no children.
So ‘f’ing what?!?!
Has this woman ever won a gold medal or championship? Has she got the courage it takes to be the best female downhill racer IN THE WORLD? That will be a flat NO.

The type of people who try hard and have a happy life, the successful and those content in their own skin are far too busy making the most of themselves and their own lives to worry about Lindsey’s body. They would never attack, bully or belittle someone else’s success or their desire to succeed. 

SUCCESSFUL, HAPPY PEOPLE WILL NEVER HAVE A DIG AT SOMEONE ELSE FOR TRYING TO BE THEIR BEST SELF. 

These people APPLAUD you. 

Professional sports people have the bodies for the sports they train for; ballerina’s need a specific body type in order to dance with grace and agility, weightlifters need large amounts of muscle mass to lift the heavy weights, and they generally have a shorter stockier build, pro marathon runners are long and lithe and do not carry bulk of any type, triathletes (whom I think have some of the best bodies around) train for swim, bike and run so they tend to have balanced bodies compared to a pro cyclist who will be leg heavy. You get the picture.

So, does Lindsay need to look like a Victoria’s Secret model? NO, because she’s not one. Does she need the body of a ballerina? No, because she’s not one. Did she need to body of a pro skier, yes, because she was one, and it just so happens she had the body of someone who is one. Her body is perfect for her.

** I know  she has retired, and will no longer train like she used to, but she won’t look much different in those photos to how she did at the peak of her career.

I will now step off my orange box and get on with my imperfect life with my imperfect body, for I have the body of someone who does bootcamp not barre or yoga. I look strong rather than skinny, I can’t run fast but I can run, I can’t lift heavy but I can lift heavy enough, and I don’t have the pert little bottom and cellulite free thighs I would like, but boy, can I do squats and lunges and lots of them!

Let’s live our perfectly imperfect lives and leave others  to lead theirs, and if we don’t have something nice to say about someone, let’s not say anything at all.

Let’s be the power of SHE and remember, if someone says something unkind about you, the problem lies with them, not you.

Zoom in to look at my cellulite, the veins on my legs, the thighs I wish (oh how I wish) would be less lumpy and any other perfect imperfections I have, I don’t mind, really I don’t. I’m proud of my body and I work hard to keep it strong and functionally fit.

Cheers to imperfection and keeping it real!

Zoe x