Professional athletes have to train constantly. Staying in shape and working their bodies is part of their craft. Which is why you might assume that they would be immune to online bullying about their bodies. But sadly, that's not the case.
Lindsey Vonn gets some of the harshest criticism. Known for being an Olympic skier, the 36-year-old still gets targeted online. Any type of photo she puts out of herself often gets destroyed. Typically, bullies tend to pick on people based on their own issues with self-confidence. And even though Lindsey might know this, comments still hit her hard. We're all human, and we all deserve to be treated with respect.
Lindsey addressed her criticism in a recent Instagram post. "I've posted quite a few swimsuit pics lately, which is scarier than it seems," she said. "Even as an athlete there are ruthless comments and media stories that tear apart my body and I admit it sometimes hurts me."
That said, she still acknowledges the love she has for her body. "I'm a normal person and sometimes I slouch, my stomach folds over, my cellulite shows on my butt, or I don't fill out my swimsuit top just right," she said. "But I always remember how my body has helped me achieve amazing things in my life, and I am proud of how strong I am."
Lindsey has nothing to prove to anyone. But by putting her message out there, she's taking back control and reminding her 2 million followers that her body is her own. "I am proud of how strong I am," she said. "I'm not a size zero and that's perfectly fine with me. One thing I can promise all of you is that I never Photoshop my photos and am proud to officially never had any plastic surgery of any kind."
She is uniquely her, and she's proud of herself. "No Botox, no fillers, no mini surgeries," she exclaimed. "Literally nothing. I am 100% natural and 100% Lindsey. So to anyone who is feeling self-conscious or down about their appearance; stay strong, stay healthy, and love yourself no matter what the haters say."
Along with Lindsey's pictures, she showed a collection of many of the hateful comments she's received. All of them weren't asked for. And all of them were cruel. "She thinks she's a lot hotter than she is," writes one troll from the United Kingdom. "Fat knees."
Another post she shared read, "I'm in my 60's and birthed two kids and look better." Other comments call her "Boob-less" and say "she seems to need constant attention." The nicer thing to do would be to ignore Lindsey's feeds and headlines — but instead, someone commented right where they knew Lindsey herself could see it.
For a celebrity like Lindsey, she knows that every bathing suit photo or revealing photo she chooses to post will end up with possibly negative feedback. And that can really hurt. Even though Lindsey is now retired, she has worked her body so hard and likely knows more about fitness and nutrition than most of the people leaving comments.
But it's also a reminder that on the internet, nobody is safe. One unflattering picture or still can turn into a meme. One paparazzi photo from an unflattering angle could lead to fat-shaming headlines. It's something that many celebrities are used to, but they still shouldn't have to tolerate it.
One of the biggest swimsuit "scandals" happened to Tyra Banks years back. While Tyra isn't an athlete, she's a supermodel and current television host. Years prior, some paparazzi photos came out showing Tyra looking slightly thicker than usual. The model was still beautiful and stunning, yet people couldn't help but give her a hard time about it.
These instances are important, since they affect not only celebrities like Tyra Banks and Lindsey Vonn but also anyone who's currently struggling with how they look. Plenty of people looked at that fabulous photo of Tyra Banks and could relate — but ended up feeling bad about themselves based on what the public cruelly had to say. Others weigh far more than Tyra. The negativity may have made them feel worthless, especially if they saw the true beauty in those candid shots.
Tyra addressed the incident on her daytime talk show, while it was still on air. "To all of you who have something nasty to say to me or to women built like me … I have one thing to say to you," Tyra said. "Kiss my fat a*s!" The moment was important for many, especially since Tyra was well-aware of the importance of body positivity.
"I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful,'" she told People magazine. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?" The same can be true for Lindsey Vonn fans. She should be an athlete whom young women look up to, for all of her incredible achievements.
But instead, she's bombarded with negativity. That negativity may take away her impulse to post the photos she wants to post. It can also make her doubt everything she's ever known. It's comments like these that often fuel eating disorders or other mental health issues. And it's simply not fair.
Every body is different. Everyone carries weight in different places. Most of us have cellulite, and most of it won't suddenly disappear with weight loss. Many moms have stretch marks, and plenty of women have birthmarks and freckles. These attributes make us all unique, and they should be celebrated.
Unfortunately, Lindsey's wise words on the topic won't necessarily shut people down. But they will help others who feel insecure about the way they look. This isn't the first time that Lindsey has dealt with the opinions of others, and it won't be the last. But by speaking up and admitting it can take a toll, she's reminding people that at the end of the day, she's still human.
Just because a woman is in the spotlight doesn't mean that she deserves the nasty criticism she's getting. Even if you hate the photos that Lindsey posts, the better move is to stop following her and move on. By trying to drag down her looks, you're doing a lot more harm than you may realize.
