Professional Ballerina Colleen Werner Wants to Create a Body-Positive Dance World
Activism, Athletes, Body ImageColleen Werner, a professional ballerina in New York City, first got involved with dance when she was only three years old. Today, after overcoming body hatred and an eating disorder, Werner hopes to inspire others to stand up to an industry…
Nancy Kerrigan’s Upcoming Documentary Sheds Light on Eating Disorders in Athletes
Athletes, News & CultureSomething I’ve always stated in my talks and workshops is that eating disorders thrive in secrecy. This rang true for me during my eating disorder and through recovery. If someone cannot talk about their eating disorder or share how they’re…
Exercise Is Not My Identity
Athletes, RecoveryIn college, I found comfort in something I could control. I found comfort in something that allowed me to get on a higher platform in running. I dropped my time by four seconds in one year and for the 800 meters, that was a lot. I was on the…
6 Ways Fitness Instructors Can Promote Body Positivity in the New Year
Athletes, Body ImageTerms such as “bikini body” and “shrink down” have been thrown around so much, it can feel as though they’re a part of our daily lives. But what are we feeling when we hear them? What impact do they have on us?Exercise classes and…
Friday Links: Olympic Swimmers Open Up About Their Eating Disorder Struggles
From key body image surveys to Olympic swimmers, this week was full of important eating disorder-related stories. Check out our top picks of the week below! Men and boys struggle with body image, too. A recent report showed that nearly…
They WHY behind WARRIOR, my book
I was a talented athlete. I won accolades in high school, and pitched on the softball team for Villanova University. I was voted All-East Pitcher of the Year, Academic All-America, and later I pitched professionally in Italy.I became…
Learning to Feel: A Therapeutic Approach to Eating Disorders
In November, I turned 30 years old, which meant that I could no longer say that I had done gymnastics for the majority of my life. 15 years in the sport, 15 years out of it. I had a great gymnastics career… state titles, national championships,…
On the Need for an Intersectional Look at the Body Shaming of Serena Williams
On July 11, Serena Williams won her sixth Wimbledon championship. After 21 Grand Slams and this milestone, Serena has quite clearly made history as one of the greatest athletes of all time.On July 10th , The New York Times ran article about…
Peeling the Orange
I just peeled an orange and ate it. Bright orange, citrus smell, juicy, pulling the sections apart and popping one at a time in my mouth and savoring the fleeting fresh flavor. It was a thoroughly enjoyable moment. It isn’t that simple for…
An Athlete Discovers Her True Strength – Imperfection
Life is often defined by measurements. Our age, income, hours we spend working/sleeping/watching TV - the list could go on and on. These external measurements become the way we define success. And in sport, being defined by a specific measurement…