Member-only story
Why Girls Should Be Athletic
It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about loving their bodies
I ran cross country and track when I was in high school. My coach was focused on getting us to win, and he treated us differently based on how fast we were. The stars of the team got preference.
I didn’t care.
I was doing it for two reasons:
- I wanted to pad my resume for getting into college and having a sport listed would help
- I loved being out in nature and running cross country gave me a chance to do that
The camaraderie I found with my fellow teammates was an unexpected bonus.
Another unexpected bonus — how running taught me to genuinely love my body.
I think many women will understand what I am about to say next — it’s hard being a teenage girl. Not just because of the emotions and the hormones and such.
People treat you differently. In particular, men treat you differently.
Before I got boobs, walking down the street was not a big deal. Adults ignored me. After, however, I could not walk anywhere without being looked at by men. Their eyes felt free to look and to judge.
