You know what’s awesome? Women getting healthy and fit and strong and not giving even a tiny shit about muffin tops and thigh gaps. Here are three amazing ladies who are going the distance, inspiring us all, and proving that plus-sized gals can whoop ass, too.
Leah Gilbert, founder of Body Positive Athletes
Leah is, in a word, amazeballs. She’s actually the inspiration for this entire blog post. I started following her on Instagram last weekend and I’m just so in awe over what she has accomplished. A sponsored triathlete, Leah is not only an amazing inspiration for what she has achieved in her sport but also for what she promotes through the Body Positive Athletes movement. Her latest blog post really rang true for me–so often I worry about what others secretly think about my goals or how they might be judging my performance based on my weight, but she encourages us to give zero fucks and own how awesome we are. That’s advice that reaches well beyond the realm of sports. Also, she’s a mom with an adorable daughter, and it makes my heart happy to think that her little girl has such a great role model to demonstrate self-love and body positivity every single day.
Julie Creffield, running coach and founder of the Too Fat to Run? campaign
This UK-based marathoner and coach has taken great strides (puns!) toward getting more and more plus-sized women out on the track to run for better health and bigger confidence. As a beautiful round-bodied woman, she’s not what you might think of as your typical athlete, but campaigns like hers are aiming to change that stereotype once and for all. After being told by her doctor that she was “too fat” to run a marathon, she proved him wrong and went on to inspire others to shed the misconception that fat girls can’t rock the pavement. She empowers other plus-size runners through her #onebigfatrun virtual 5k series, where women from all over the globe can enter, print out a bib number, and race together on the same day. Her ultimate goal is to get a million women involved in #onebigfatrun. Learn how to join the race here, and follow Julie on Twitter for updates on the campaign!
Krista Henderson, founder of Born to Reign Athletics
Most people wouldn’t guess that this plus-size Canadian is a multi-sport award-winning athlete and a personal trainer, to boot. A fierce competitor in several sports, including triathlons, duathlons, and rowing, Krista began her athletic career in 2004 when she shifted her focus away from weight loss and began concentrating instead on training hard and fueling her body right. It was hard for me to embrace the term “athlete” at first, because I am such a beginner and just don’t fit the stereotypical athlete body type, but Krista’s blog aims to bring out the athlete in all of us, regardless of our size. In addition to inspiring blog posts, Krista’s website also has great resources for plus-size women for everything from training advice to apparel options. This is definitely a blog to watch as it grows–it’s gonna be a big deal! You can follow Krista on Twitter here.
And the list doesn’t stop there! Who’s on your list of inspirational plus-sized athletes? Share your faves in the comments!
