01/07/2025
"Wow, this story is so upsetting. The things people think it is ok to say to women is astonishing... you're too fat, your face doesn't fit, you're too loud.
I am not a particularly sporty person - but it took me ages to realise that was partly because of societal stories. Health and wellbeing is IMPORTANT - It's something I'd like to reclaim for myself. This is me saying it aloud as a form of self leadership.
I love how one woman's story can inspire us all"
- Zoe
“I didn’t realise you had to be stunning to be an Olympic athlete”
Former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has spoken out about the immense pressure and criticism she faced from the media whilst competing.
Becky, who is our charity’s Patron, recently told the Independent: “I had won an Olympic medal – but the media was saying I was too fat. That I wasn’t in shape. I kept thinking: What am I too fat for? Yes, I’ve got big shoulders, but they’re my power.”
These messages sink in, not only for the athletes they’re directed at, but in the minds of every woman and girl who hears them.
Our research shows it too. 45% of teenage girls feel they don’t have the right body shape for sport, increasing to 52% of girls who used to be sporty but dropped out in their teenage years.
We must put an end to the harmful narrative that women and girls must look a certain way to take part in sport. Everyone, no matter their shape or size, has the right to thrive in and enjoy sport.
