Body Image in Women's Sports: Breaking the Mold

"Everyone should have the freedom to do what they want with their body and look how they want without fear of judgment. As long as you're happy and fulfilled, that's all that matters." These words of wisdom come from Fran Kirby, a prominent figure in women's football, who has been a vocal advocate for speaking out against taboos in women's sports. Kirby's journey to self-acceptance has not been easy, having battled depression, anxiety, and burnout, as well as facing criticism for her body type throughout her career. Now, at 32, she uses her experience to support younger players and promote a positive body image. "I'm happy to have those conversations because ultimately, we want everyone to feel confident and safe in their environment," Kirby told Sky Sports. Kirby's comments come at a time when the media are being called out for their role in perpetuating body shaming and unrealistic beauty standards. "The media need to be mindful of the insecurities that might be there, and body shaming is a real thing. The players feel it, and I was proud of Fran for saying that because as women, we're judged enough to look a certain way," said Emma Hayes, Chelsea manager. Ilona Maher, a rugby superstar, has also been open about her struggles with body image, sharing her vulnerabilities with her 5.4 million Instagram followers. "I had an interaction recently that made me feel self-conscious of my shoulders. Afterward, I looked in the mirror and got worried they were too big. I flexed and checked them. I wondered to myself if anyone would find them attractive. If they are too much," Maher wrote. Ellie Kildunne, England's World Cup-winner, has also spoken out about her struggles with body dysmorphia, revealing that she suffered from disordered eating and unhealthy weight loss during the Covid lockdown. Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1 tennis player, has faced criticism for her social media presence, but uses the platform to show her true self and connect with her fans. However, she has recently spoken out about the toxicity she faces online, saying, "For some reason, I see more negative than positive about myself. 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 impact of body image concerns on young girls pursuing a career in sports is a worrying trend. Kirby is desperate to ensure that these concerns do not hold them back, and believes that education around nutrition is key. "When I started, a lot of research was around the men's game, and what works for them, and how we can implement that into the women's game. Whereas now, we do have nutritionists who just work in women's sport. I think it's so important because growing up, a lot of these girls don't know how many calories they should be eating a day. They don't know how many carbohydrates. They don't know how much protein," Kirby said. The Women's Super League has developed guidance to highlight the impact of female-focused fuelling for female athletes, and Kirby reflects on how far the game has grown in terms of nutrition. "It becomes a problem because you have to fuel for performance. 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. And sometimes young girls, especially, and even more experienced players, probably experience this, they go 'well, I don't want to eat that much because I don't want to feel heavy tomorrow. I don't want to look like this in the kit.' Obviously, with the way the women's game has grown in terms of the media, the TV is amazing, and what we've always asked for and wanted. But it's the flip side now of letting go of what people think about you. As long as you're performing, as long as you're playing well, it shouldn't matter how you look."