February 23, 2014 - Written by: Lauren Williams

A Note To The Girls

The other day I was at the swimming pool. Up down, up down. 64 lengths. One mile. I do this four times a week to keep fit whilst the weather is too vile to go running or cycling or to tramp across the coast path.

There were two girls leaning against the wall at the shallow end. Every time I reached them I smiled, turned and pushed myself off the wall to go again. Not once did I get a smile in return, just scowls or blank faces. “Whatever, I’ll carry on being friendly,” I thought.

And then I heard this:

“Why does she keep smiling? She’s obviously smug because she’s really skinny and we’re not. Why is she here anyway? She doesn’t need to lose weight.”

Whoa.

I wanted to fall into a rant that fitness for me isn’t about losing weight, that it’s about being healthy so I can enjoy life to the fullest. So I can go climb mountains and keep up with the rowing team and to be full of energy. That I’m proud of myself for being able to swim a mile without stopping or needing to gasp for air. And who the hell were they to judge my size anyway?

It was a bizarre moment. Completely flipped from the days when I was conscience of how big I was when I was a kid. Those days when going to the beach was a nightmare of baggy t-shirts and knee-length board shorts. And now I was being made to feel like I should hide my body when I thought I was happy with it.

But as I was pounding the chlorine trying to get out of my rage and feeling more and more self aware every time I went past these two girls, I had a thought. Would I have reacted the same way to me if I were in their shoes (or goggles)? Probably. Us girls can be horrible when we want to be.

So I’m going to put it out there to every girl hating on another: you are beautiful. Us girls have enough hatred and pressure coming at us; we don’t need this from each other. Have you seen what happened to Pussy Riot in Sochi this week!? That shit is bad. We need to support and embrace, no matter your body type, sexual orientation or skin colour. This is about girl power.

Stop bitching about your friend’s achievement and celebrate it with her. Stop sneaking glances at your friend’s new weight around her thighs and ask her if she’s OK. Love your body – lumps, bumps and all those jiggly bits. You are female and you are wonderful, gloriously complicated and so very individual – and so is every other lady around you.