Yet as female athletes, we feel the pressure to hold ourselves to this same standard, but the life that we choose to live has different requirements. Not every female can wake up at 5 a.m. on a daily basis, squat 250 pounds, or continue to get better despite fatigue, injury, or even the repetitive nature of the sport.
One of my guilty pleasures and the worst thing for my bank account is that I love to shop. What girl doesn't? Shopping brings out the girly side of me that two-a-day practices and sweat sessions in the weight room don't exactly do. But as we become more muscular, our bodies change shape, leaving us feeling insecure when shirts are too tight in the shoulders and jeans that fit in the thighs are too big in the waist, while long sleeves suffocate biceps and skinny jeans hug calves. And this can sometimes prompt us to avoid certain outfits or styles until we finish this new diet that we try in an attempt to become socially "thin" again.
But I've come to realize one specific thing about being a student-athlete: what is important is not the shape or size of your body, but what you are able to do with it. Take pride in what your body can do.
Most collegiate sports' seasons last, on average, and including preseason and postseason, between 4 and 6 months. That is between 122 and 183 continuous days of lifting, running, practicing, and playing (and this doesn't even include the work put in during the off-season). Our bodies are able to take the fatigue and turn it into progress. Our bodies are able to take the sweat and turn in into a hard-fought victory.
Girls that play at the highest level of competition should not and cannot look like the women walking the runway at the Victoria Secret fashion show or the girls that highlight our Instagram explore pages. But our bodies are able to do so much more than what we give them credit for. Our bodies are STRONG. And that is what makes them beautiful.
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