Body Image in Women's Sports: Breaking the Mold

"Everyone should have the freedom to do what they want with their body and look the way they want to look. As long as you're happy and fulfilled, it shouldn't matter what others think." These words of wisdom come from Fran Kirby, a renowned English footballer who has been a vocal advocate for body positivity in women's sports. Her journey, however, has not been without its challenges. As a key player in England's European Championship win in 2022, Kirby has used her platform to speak out about the pressures of body image in women's sports. She has been open about her own struggles with mental health, including depression, anxiety, and burnout, as well as the impact of social media abuse on her self-esteem. Now, at 32, Kirby is using 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," she says. Kirby's comments come at a time when the media's treatment of female athletes is under scrutiny. The Chelsea player recently made headlines when she responded to a comment about her weight, saying, "Because I get called 'fat' all the time." Her manager, Emma Hayes, praised Kirby for speaking out, saying, "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." Kirby believes that the media have a responsibility to be more mindful of their editorial decisions, particularly when it comes to the images they choose to publish. "Not everyone is going to look the same, and that's okay," she says. "I might do the same weights as someone else, but we're going to have completely different body types, and that's fine." Rugby superstar Ilona Maher has also been a vocal advocate for body positivity in women's sports. With 5.4 million followers on Instagram, Maher has used her platform to share her own vulnerabilities and insecurities about her body. In a recent post, she spoke about how she had been made to feel self-conscious about her shoulders, but instead of letting the negative comments get her down, she chose to focus on her strengths. "I love my shoulders, I love myself, but it's normal to have some negative thoughts at times," she says. "To combat them, I talk to my family and friends, I go work out, or I look at hot pictures of myself in bikinis." Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has also faced criticism for her social media presence, but she believes that it's an important way for her to connect with her fans and show them the real her. "I show everything on social media, and the main reason is that I look really aggressive on court, and I cannot look at myself, watch myself playing," she says. "I feel terrible about myself because I'm super aggressive, and I wanted to be connected with people. I wanted to feel support in the stadiums, so I felt like I need to share myself." The impact of body image concerns on young girls who want to pursue a career in sports is a pressing issue. Kirby is desperate to ensure that these concerns do not hold them back and believes that education and support are key. The Women's Super League has recently developed groundbreaking guidance on female-focused fueling for female athletes, which highlights the importance of nutrition in optimizing performance. "These are elite athletes who require elite performance environments to perform at their best, and make the women's game the best it can possibly be," says Andy Hudson, Head of Performance Support for the WSL. "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." For Kirby, the growth of the women's game has been remarkable, but she knows that there is still work to be done. "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," she says. "Whereas now, we do have nutritionists who just work in women's sport, and 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." As the women's game continues to grow, it's essential that we promote a positive and inclusive culture that allows female athletes to thrive. By supporting and educating them about the importance of nutrition and body positivity, we can help them reach their full potential and achieve their goals.