Body Image Shouldn't Matter in Sports

Every individual should have the freedom to make choices about their body and appearance without fear of judgment. As long as they are happy and fulfilled, others' opinions should not matter. Fran Kirby, a renowned English footballer, exudes confidence when discussing body image in women's sports, but her journey to self-acceptance has been challenging. As a key player in England's European Championship victory in 2022, Kirby has been an advocate for addressing sensitive topics in women's sports, including mental health and social media abuse. With 77 international caps and 14 domestic titles under her belt, she has also spoken candidly about the impact of body shaming throughout her career. Now, at 32, Kirby uses her experience to support younger players and promote body positivity. 'I'm happy to have those conversations because ultimately, we want everyone to feel confident and safe in their environment,' she told Sky Sports. Kirby's comments in a documentary for Chelsea's official channels sparked discussions when she revealed that she is often called 'fat.' Then Chelsea manager Emma Hayes praised Kirby for speaking out, emphasizing that the media must be mindful of the insecurities that body shaming can create. Kirby believes that the media have a greater responsibility to be considerate of editorial decisions, such as the images they choose for articles. 'Not everyone is going to look the same,' she said. 'I might do the same weights as someone else, but we are going to have completely different body types, and that's OK.' Ilona Maher, a rugby superstar, has also made significant strides in tackling body image stigma in women's sports. With 5.4 million followers on Instagram, she has called out online provocation and shared her own vulnerabilities regarding body insecurities. Earlier this year, Maher responded to a troll who claimed she looked pregnant in a dress, saying, 'That's just a normal woman's body.' England's World Cup-winner Ellie Kildunne has also spoken openly about her struggles with body dysmorphia. In her autobiography 'Game Changer,' she explains how the Covid lockdown led to disordered eating and unhealthy weight loss. Kildunne said she would exercise excessively to compensate for her eating habits. 'I could probably see myself getting a little bit smaller, but then I was still trying to chase being smaller on top of that,' she said. Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has faced criticism for her social media presence, but she uses it to show her true self and connect with fans. However, she has recently grown tired of the toxicity online, saying, 'People just being rude and mean to all of us, and I feel like it's just not really worth reading and going through.' The message this sends to young sportswomen is that they should not let body image concerns affect their pursuit of success. Kirby is desperate for young girls to focus on their performance rather than their appearance. The Women's Super League has developed guidance to highlight the importance of female-focused fuelling for female athletes. Andy Hudson, Head of Performance Support for WSL, said, 'We want to empower players and club practitioners to feel confident in understanding the role that nutrition plays, and the way they fuel themselves can enhance their performance.' Kirby reflects on how far the game has grown in terms of nutrition, saying, 'When I started, a lot of research was around the men's game, and now we have nutritionists who just work in women's sport.' She emphasizes the importance of fuelling for performance, saying, 'If you want to be able to sustain a 90-minute game of football, plus being able to recover to train, plus being able to do it again, you have to fuel yourself in the right way.'