This has definitely been the Year of the Plus Size Athlete.
From the growing plus size yoga community on Instagram sharing images of their poses to plus size runners proudly entering marathons, hearing these stories and seeing the images are both inspiring and empowering. A plus size model graced the cover of Women’s Running Magazine this year and Olympian Amanda Bingson graced the cover of ESPN, nude.
There’s now DVDs and books specifically for plus size women who want to get active as well as support groups and resources. We’re seeing more plus size women riding bikes, dancing professionally, swimming… there’s even plus size ballet dancers out there!
What’s even more amazing is the size diversity of the athletes, especially the women who are not a size 12/14. Seeing women who are above a size 18 being active defies the myth that fat women are not active. These women are certainly not sitting on the couch with a half gallon of ice cream in hand. They’re out there living life, conquering fear and showing that anything is possible, if you try.
Here’s some empowering words of wisdom from 7 plus size athletes you should know – Get ready to be inspired!