I was one of the thousands of young girls riveted to my parents’ television set as Mary Lou Retton vaulted into the record books. Not much later, I was precariously tip toeing across a balance beam myself, determined to be the next gymnast on a Wheaties box. Spoiler alert: that did not happen. I did, however, remain in the sport for the majority of the next 20 years, including competing for my high school team and then coaching girls and boys from 18 months to 18 years (including a competitive team).
I love the sport for so many reasons: its beauty, its strength, its focus on the individual and the team, and its high flying joy. But, the sport has many detractors. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of our local newpaper columnists wrote a book calledLittle Girls in Pretty Boxesabout the hardships and pitfalls found in gymnastics and figure skating: injuries, eating disorders, emotional abuse among them. I read it cover to cover and found multiple factual errors, conflicting statments and then, encouraged by my father, wrote her a seven page letter listing all the problems I found along with my heartfelt feelings on the sport. I received a very nice letter back.
I know that our female culture has long been affected by body image issues, and athletes, especially those in sports that require a certain body 
type to excel, may be more susceptible than others. I worked with young girls who faced those body struggles, who didn’t like what they saw in the mirror, who fought with demons and it broke my heart. It took them time and hard emotional work to see the beauty and strength in their body, no matter what form it took. As a coach and as a woman, it was my duty to help them feel confident, to feel safe, to feel worth. And I am proud of that.
So, as the Olympics are upon us, little girls everywhere will tune in to see the likes of Jordyn Wieber and Gabrielle Douglas flip across a beam and tumble explosively through the air. They will watch swimmers, divers and track stars with little to no body fat compete on the biggest stage. Will girls see the tenacity, the dedication, and the passion on the world’s largest athletic stage? Or will they see bodies they might never have? I imagine there wil be plenty of both.
If I had a child old enough to understand, I would let her watch in the hopes that she would be inspired to be great in whatever talent he/she possesses. I would be prepared to talk about the sacrifice it takes to be at the top, and the love of what you do. My son isn’t old enough for me to teach him that during this Olympiad, but I hope one day to be able to do so. In the meantime, I ask of you, will you be watching? Are you worried that the athletes might inspire unhealthy views? Or do you think the inspiration transcends body image?
Elizabeth is an attorney by day, entertainment blogger by night, and a new mom to an impossibly cute son. When she’s not fending off the paparazzi who think she’s Tina Fey, she enjoys sleep, wine, exercises in elaborate procrastination, invoking her acerbic wit, and using words like acerbic. She’s written for the entertainment sites SqueeTV, Xfinity, and Snakkle, and her posts have been featured on the Huffington Post, Wet Paint, Good Morning America, and (it is rumored) her parents’ fridge. Elizabeth can be found working on her night cheese in Chicago where she lives with her husband, baby, and two beautiful DVRs. You can follow Elizabeth on twitter.
Image Courtesy of WSENetwork
I watched Mary Lou Retton too and I was 13 at the time. I thought she was awesome and I didn’t compare myself to her. I was overweight, have always been overweight, even had one pediatrician tell my mother in front of me that I was fat – at the time I was slightly pudgy now when I look back at pictures of myself but I was not fat. Seeing Mary Lou Retton, I felt awed by her and I absolutely loved her but I didn’t feel bad about myself at all because of her.
Other girls may have and I’m sorry for that. I felt bad about myself because of that pediatrician. Even my classmates didn’t tell me I was fat. But his pronouncement made me ashamed and food obsessed and I gained weight. I’m still ashamed and food obsessed and haven’t figured out a healthy way to handle stress and my emotions.
I love the Olympics. When I look at those athletes, I occasionally wish for their bodies, but mostly I’m impressed by their determination. They are all beautiful people, hardworking people, but they are not perfect and its their imperfection that I think I love the most about them. They are willing to test themselves and push themselves, cry and laugh and win and fall and they are so much more human than almost anyone else on TV. I feel their successes and failures with them more than I compare myself to them.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you talked about how much sacrifice and hard work it takes to be at the top. I work with adolescents, and one of the things they don’t realize is how much hard work and dedication goes into success. Hell, I don’t even think some adults realize it, given that people who are good at something always make it look so easy. It is my wish that our youth could be taught lessons regarding goals and hard work, and our olympic athletes are perfect examples of that.
I’m not in good shape now. But the worst moment came when I was 7 months pregnant and my daughter heard me refer to my baby belly as “fat”. When she asked me if her belly was fat (she”s actually quite small), I broke down. A five year old should not hear or ever ask such a question. I made a promise to myself that not only would I get healthy again, but i’d do it by modeling healthy behaviors. And I wouldn’t look in a mirror and call myself fat.
My five year old daughter watches me as I exercise (joining in on runs/walks) almost daily and has particpated in the overhaul of our family’s eating habits. My son is five months old and with determination on my part and support from my husband – he will not have to see me struggle to get fit. By the time he remembers daily life I will be fit and exercise and healthy eating will just be part of our daily lives.
My daughters watches the gymnasts and thinks they’re awesome. She tumbles in our yard with her friends and they hold their arms above their heads and shout “USA!”. So, I don’t worry that watching high level athletes will encourage my daughter to develop body dysmorphia but that my own relationship with my own body will.
Its fantastic as your other content : D, regards for posting . “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it” by Steven Wright. Create Special Occasions With Vintage Rings http://masscore-lt.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=77278
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 1 trackback }