Viral TikTok Proves Olympian Bodies Don’t Come In One Size
"How can society tell us there's only one healthy body type?"
A TikTok user has gone viral on the platform for highlighting a huge misconception in society: that there’s only one way a so-called healthy body can look. People believe we can tell a lot about someone’s health by glancing at someone’s body. That people with more size can’t be fit or athletic is actually a myth that’s done so much damage to people’s mental and at times physical health.
That’s why we love this TikTok that highlights that lie and celebrates the truth, and the comment section shows why this type of content is necessary.
On August 4, Julianne M, who goes by the username @findingjulianne, shared a video highlighting different athletes competing in this year’s Olympics while the song “Queen” by Jessie J plays.
“Being an Olympian has more to do with what your body can do than how it looks,” the caption reads. And she included several hashtags like #bodyneutrality and #loveyourbody.
The video shows women who participate in the highest level in various sports like gymnastics, Taekwondo, shotput, basketball, rowing, weightlifting, swimming, and more.
None of the athletes look the same. There is so much body diversity between the sports, and that’s the point of the video Julianne was trying to make. “How can society tell us there’s only one healthy body type,” the video caption reads. “When Olympic athletes come in all shapes and sizes?”
It’s not possible to tell how athletic a person is by their body shape. Likewise, we can’t deduce anyone’s level of activity based on their body makeup. So we can’t continue to believe the lie that there’s only one way to “look healthy.”
And for anyone who might not be sure why a message like this is necessary, all you need to do is read through the hundreds of comments. “This comment section proves there’s no way to have an acceptable body,” one person said. “Someone’s always gonna say something.”
However, there’s also a mix of people thanking Julianne for putting the video together, reminding us, and strengthening the idea that all bodies are valid and we can’t tell much while judging. Also, it’s nice to see some of the other athletes get some spotlight and praise for their strong bodies and impressive feats.
