On March 24th I will be attempting to run just
over 13 miles on forest trails for no reason other than bloody mindedness; I
didn’t think I could do it so now I have to prove myself wrong. Twisted, I know. The upshot of such recklessness is that I
have been training pretty hard in an attempt not to embarrass myself on the
day.
In the last few days, several people have assumed that I am
exercising regularly because I want to lose weight. I comfortably fit into size 12 clothes –
below the national average size of 14/16 – and am a healthy weight for my
height, with a BMI in the normal range; why would I want to lose weight? I am strong and supple with a wonderful
wardrobe that I’d hate (and can’t afford) to shrink out of. Sure, I wobble, and there are bits of me that
aren’t as perky as they used to be, but that would still be the case if I were
smaller, I’d just be colder and less well dressed.
If intelligent grown-ups are still buying in to the idea
that women should be trying to be thinner then what hope is there for young
girls? How can we show them that healthy
and strong is what matters? The Olympics
helped but there’s more to be done. The
average person in this country is overweight so I suppose it’s reasonable to
assume that most people should be trying to lose some poundage, but when
skinniness alone is the goal, it is often achieved (or not) at the expense of
health.
One of the things that I love about roller derby is that
there is a place on the team for anyone who is fit enough and dedicated enough
to earn it. The teeny blocks of solid
muscle who don’t present a spare inch to hit; the long, lithe girls who pass
you with one slippery step; the powerhouses of unshiftable mass who are speedy
and nimble enough to always be in the way – a group of roller girls is like a
campaign poster for all the different ways that strong and healthy can manifest
itself.
I’ve been fat and unhealthy.
I’ve been slim and unhealthy.
Being strong brings confidence and happiness. Busting out a hand clap push up makes me
ridiculously proud, as does knowing that I am in control of my body, it isn’t
in control of me. Come the 24th
March I will run that half marathon with my super fit friend and I will not let
her or myself down. She’ll beat me, but
that’s fine; my competition is with myself.
Physical strength and mental strength feed off each other and this
spiral can serve to strengthen or weaken – take control of the direction yours
is going in. Be strong.
