Women everywhere are critical of their bodies. Even the most famous actresses and top models of the world have things they don't like about their appearances.
Often, we don't think about the fact that athletes can also struggle with body image. Dana Vollmer, an Olympic swimmer and gold medalist, is speaking out about the issues she's had with her own appearance.
Dana made her Olympic debut in 2004. She won a gold medal as part of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. That relay team also set the world record.
At the 2012 Olympics, Dana set another world record in the 100-meter butterfly, which she won gold for as well. She also won gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay and the 4×100-meter medley relay.
At the 2016 Olympic games, she won three more medals.
In 2015, just a year before competing in Rio, Dana gave birth to a son, Arlen, with her husband, Andy Grant. In 2017, she had another baby boy, Ryker.
Now, Dana is speaking out about body image and how it affected her throughout the years.
Thumbnail Photo: Instagram / dana.vollmer
Despite winning several of Olympic medals, Dana Vollmer admits she struggled with her body image for years.
In an interview with Women's Health, she opened up about her self-confidence.
Dana said:
Being a swimmer all your life, you’re exposed. You’re always in a swimsuit. It’s easy to be critical of yourself.
I wasn't as lean as some of the athletes I saw. I wasn't as toned. I didn't have as much muscle mass.
You look at other swimmers and you think, Their body is why they’re successful — I need to do exactly what they do.
But my body is not their body. I can't eat the same way as other people. My body is not going to respond the same way.
It took the disappointment of missing the Olympic team in 2008 to realize that I wasn’t happy.
I wasn't enjoying competing, or training, and it was because I was picking apart every single thing I did and picking apart my body.
It took that disappointment to realize this is not a way to live.
From that point forward, I tried to step back from that mindset and learn to appreciate all that my body does.
Dana also explained that being pregnant actually helped her have a better relationship with her body.
She said:
Being pregnant was a positive for me, too — the realization that my body has created a new life.
That’s one reason why coming back to the sport after the birth of my son went so well.
I had Arlen, and it wasn't about getting back to my prepregnancy weight. My top priority was being able to nurse him.
That meant that if I was going to train, I couldn’t just quickly lose weight. I had to view getting back into shape as this healthy, nutritious process.
It made me love training again, and it made me embrace my body, embrace life. All of that made getting back into Olympic form easier.
It's important for all women to remember that our bodies are powerful things, and they don't just exist to look good.
The next time you start to scrutinize your own body, try to think about all the amazing things your body can do.
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