Elite swimmer gets super real about hate she receives thanks to sexism
Some internet trolls may only know Laura Sogar as comedian Matthew Broussard’s girlfriend, but she’s way more—being a renowned swimmer and having completed her third Olympic trials this year. However, after Broussard appeared on Conan recently, some fans took to Reddit and praised him while dissing her. So not cool, people, so not cool.
Why, internet trolls, why?
“Women of my generation are given a lot of crap for being obsessed with their appearances,” Sogar writes. “Swimming has helped me avoid many of these pitfalls and find confidence in my abilities, not in what my body happens to look like. “
She was shocked that while her boyfriend was praised for being cool and funny, there was only one thing that mattered to critics of her:
“The internet looked at Matt and deemed him to be an all-around admirable man and, as a result, they assumed his girlfriend would be one thing–hot. The scale used for Matt measured many things; the scale used for me measured one.”
The talented swimmer wouldn’t let critics keep her down for long, finishing her statement with a fiery determination:
“In the coming weeks, you’ll watch female Olympians break records and achieve their dreams. Yet under every picture, video, or interview you’ll see more comments on the size of their thighs than what they can do with them. No girl can escape this judgement, and it is felt every day. I am not ok with being defined by how I look and I don’t want future generations of young women to be taught to value that above all else.”
Woo-hoo (!!) for Sogar writing this post, but it’s sad she even had to in the first place. Ya know?
So, since redditors didn’t seem to look up Sogar and her stats as a swimmer, we did instead and are ~super impressed~.
A few highlights include:
In 2016, she swam in her third Olympic Trials—in addition to 2012 and 2008.
In 2015, at the Phillips 66 Nationals, she won the 200m breaststroke and was third in the 100m breaststroke.
In 2013, at the World University Games, she won silver in the 200m breaststroke, bronze in the 100m breaststroke, and bronze in the 400m medley relay..
She’s the tenth fastest all-time U.S. swimmer in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
She swam at the University of the Texas — her senior year was 2013 — and competed in and outside of the U.S.
Dear Laura Soger, rest assured: we see you for all the talented and amazing things you are. Thank you for spreading your message of body positivity with us!
Check out her full statement on Facebook here.
