This marathon runner wants us to rethink what an athlete’s body looks like
A super-mom marathon runner has some strong words to say about body expectations put on athletes.
Marathoner, blogger, mother of three, and running coach Dorothy Beal posted two side-by-side photos on Instagram. Though they were both taken at the same race, one featured smooth legs and one featured cellulite on her thighs.
“In one I looked happy and strong and in the other I was left questioning if there was a part of my body that didn’t have cellulite, Beal said in the post.
Beal stressed that running is not about looking great – it’s about doing what you love, pushing yourself, and staying physically and mentally healthy.
“Most times we don’t look great while we run, but that’s not why we run anyways, we run to FEEL like I look in the photo on the right - HAPPY.
Beal’s photo sparked a “MOVEment,” with several other runners using the hashtag #IHaveARunnersBody, which is the best middle-finger to people who assume only rail-thin people can be runners.
“We are thin, we are thick, we are small, we are tall, we are black, we are white, we are every color in between, some of us have abs and others of us have bellies, and many of us have cellulite BUT we are ALL runners, she said.
Preach it.
