Beauty Pageants or Balance Beams? You Choose.

While doing homework one day, I had my TV on and couldn’t help but stop what I was doing to zone into what I was seeing and hearing. Most people recognize the TLC show Toddler and Tiaras… I mean who hasn’t heard of Honey Boo Boo.

These crazy mothers and fathers spending thousand of dollars on these pageants for their children just to have them throw a temper tantrum right before stepping on stage.

In one episode, this mother had taken her daughter out of gymnastics to solely do pageants. Honestly, saying I was a little offended is the understatement of the year. Now there is nothing wrong with pulling your child out of gymnastics but the underlying reason is where the issue resides, and it is something us “muscular” girls will relate to. This little girl, who was just like me when I was younger, was involved in gymnastics and as most fitness buffs know that if you work out…. you will start to get some serious GAINZ.

This mother felt the need to pull her daughter out of something she loved to force her into doing pageants. The main reason was because her daughter was “getting to bulky and building muscle” and she wasn’t fitting into her pageant dresses.

I can only imagine if I was forced into something like this. Being a female who is naturally born with the ability to gain muscle fast, I already have trouble finding shirts that fit my arm, pants that fit my legs, and all the above. To force a 10 year old girl to obsess over her looks to please some judges at a pageant is mind-blowing to me.

Today, we seem to focus on what the world perceives as beautiful instead of just loving who we are, and how we look. For young girls and women who often get the most shaming on how we look, it is crucial to change this culture and it starts with us. Shocker, I’m referring to Crossfit but this video explains exactly how I feel. 

This mind set can be changed and it starts with us in the fitness community. We have the perfect platform because exercising and eating right means feeling and looking good by raising our endorphins, the hormone that makes us happy. Having a positive outlook on ourselves is so important and especially for young girls who in 2016 see so many negative things on tv, social media. So as JB said…..”Love Yourself”.

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