Girl Power of Olympic Proportions

I have been keeping a close eye on the 2012 Olympics, not just because of Nathan Adrian, but because of all the incredibly talented female athletes who are competing in the games. Watching Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor tear it up on the volleyball court or Allyson Felix gun it in the 200m is nothing short of inspiring*. But here is my problem: not all women agree with me on this. I’m not one to pout when I don’t get my way (OK, sometimes I do, but that’s usually involving my family or boyfriend), I just don’t understand why so many average non-Olympic females have become catty about this year's female athletes. In the Self article, Why Focus on Olympians’ Looks Misses the Point, Robyn Silverman, Ph.D., a body image expert and author discusses why women do this. She says "there is a tendency to want to cut people down… We try to cut them down to make them more like us.”

But ladies, COME ON. These women workout 6 days a week for hours at a time to be on top of their game – they have made this their lives for the past 4+ YEARS. We should be focusing on their overall performance, not their appearance. This cattiness may be the cause for the lack of female athlete endorsements, as well. A University of Delaware article discusses a study conducted in which “Ads that focused on athletes’ attractiveness often elicited negative responses from female participants.” Are we that intimidated by women who are at the top of their physical level? If I had a daughter, I would much rather she look up to Kerri Lee and Misty May than Kim Kardashian.

And yes, I will be the first to admit that I have days when I feel physically inadequate. But I go for a run and feel better because I DO WHAT I CAN. We need to keep in mind that if we work hard, we can reach our ideal fitness levels. And above all, we need to stop comparing ourselves to other women. "The only person you'll ever have to be better than is the person you were yesterday." I spent a few minutes looking up who said this (to no avail), because it is so true. It's true for all of us.

*Note: I wrote those post before I knew all three women had received gold medals for their performances, as I've been avoiding Olympic outcomes until I can watch the games at night. BOOM.