Growing up in the beach culture was crazy. The pressure as a female pro surfer to have a perfect beach body was pretty intense.
I practically live in a swimsuit on the beach here in Hawaii and even as an adult, I think the surf culture is very physically exposing.
You’re just constantly showing your body – whether you want to or not. It’s a lot to live with! Naturally, it’s easy to find yourself comparing a little bit and becoming self-conscious. This was especially hard for me in my teen years.
I’m not the only one who had a tough time with it.
There aren’t a lot of female pro surfers in the world – probably about 300 or so – and within that are probably 30 to 50 girls that are the best of the best. Since the community is so small, I know everyone and I know without a doubt that so many of these girls are struggling or have struggled with the beach body pressure.
I definitely have a heart for all of them because they’re just in swimsuits being photographed all the time! I can totally see why if they don’t have the right tools, they resort to under-eating and over-exercising.
You would think that athletes would have the best kind of access to information about eating, working out and nutrition, but I feel like athletes sometimes have the hardest time and make some of the worst decisions in these aspects. They end up kind of going through the yo-yo of binge eating and starving and just trying force their bodies into submission. It’s really sad.
Many of the girls can hardly feel comfortable in their own skin and can’t celebrate the way God designed them.
In the midst of all of this, I think being of faith and being a Christian helped ground me.
I always knew that my sense of worth was way more than how I looked and that I was so much more than my body.
It’s not that I didn’t have insecurities. They came up all the time during competitions and photoshoots, especially because I looked so different than everyone else I saw.
However, I’m thankful that God protected me from letting my fears and insecurities control me.
I think I did a good job of not dwelling on them too much and pushing them away as best as I could. I never had a special tool to help me get through it all, but I really focused on my surfing and other things that were life-giving rather than my so-called imperfections or the way I looked.
I know many girls are struggling with this too, even if they aren’t in the pro surfing environment.
My biggest encouragements for these girls are to:
Minimize time on social media.
Social media has made the comparison issue just SO much worse!! Get off the screens and go focus on other fun, energizing activities!
Love your body for what it can do.
Celebrate your strengths and your talents and thank God for them!
Choose strong community.
Surround yourself with friends who love you for your personality, skills, passions, and character rather than the way you look. Those friendships will be much more long-lasting and uplifting!
Practice healthy habits.
Educate yourself about what proper nutrition is and how to care for yourself in the most loving way! My Optimize Health Course is a great place to learn some very practical and easy health practices.
I know how tough it can be, but you don’t need to stay stuck in a negative body image mindset! You are made for so much more! 🙂
