What inspired you to begin this page? What are your goals as you run the “Fat Athlete”?
“It came out of my own personal journey to body acceptance.”
Marci Braithwaite struggled a lot internally when she first came across the idea of starting her own group. She faced a lot of challenges already through being held back by doctors and childhood traumas, to the point of feeling like maybe people would not feel obligated to listen to her because of the way she looked.
“Why would someone listen to someone that looked like me? Well, that’s why. They want to be able to see people who look like them do things that they want to do.”
According to Braithwaite, her work really came down to the idea of acknowledging that she is good at something and acknowledging that she could help others with it too.
When did you really get into athleticism and have your goals for yourself changed over time?
“Absolutely. Way back in 2009, after my second child, I started developing major back pain. I could go into the treatment I received, but that’s a whole nother story. I was told I was 20 years ahead of where I needed to be and that I needed to lose 100 lbs through weight loss surgery.”
To those of you who are unaware of this type of toll, weight loss surgery, otherwise known as bariatric surgery, is not just a cut and snip of fat around the body. The Mayo Clinic reports that bariatric surgery goes further and readjusts the body’s digestive system which can result in short-term effects such as blood clots and infection as well as long-term effects like malnutrition and bowel obstruction. Weight loss surgery is far more drastic and inevitably highly dangerous. With several consultations and after-surgery follow-ups, bariatric surgery does not only take a physical toll, but also a toll on your wealth and mental health.
Braithwaite said that after loads of research, she found it medically unnecessary.
“I decided to say f*ck you to the doctor and instead started running.”
Marci Braithwaite spent the next 4 years beginning her journey to running for weight loss. She found herself stuck in this massive and draining cycle of getting hurt, then healing, and then getting hurt again. It wasn’t until 2012 when Braithwaite moved to Falcon, Colorado, where she joined a mom’s running group that gave her the right resources and kept her consistently motivated. She felt it was “the right place, right time.”
In the course of 5 years, Braithwaite ran her first race and learned almost everything she knows now about running. After moving back to Washington in 2017, she became a chapter leader in her town for running.
As you can tell, Marci Braithwaite’s goals started with weight loss but eventually changed into a love for running that she felt she could improve and lead on.
“I ran a marathon and gained 10 lbs during training! It doesn’t matter how big you are, you can run, and you can do it without losing weight.”
Your page account is titled “the Fat Athlete.” Many people would say that the word “fat” is a negative connotation used to put people down. What was your reasoning behind using this term to define your business?
“Reappropriation. It really is me reclaiming a term that many have used to make me feel like sh*t.”
By using the word “fat” to define herself, Marci Braithwaite is taking away the power that other people have to put her and so many others down. Just because someone may be considered fat, does not make them any less worthy of respect.
“It’s not going to bother me anymore and keep me from doing things.”
What are your thoughts on dieting? More specifically, were you ever pressured into dieting throughout your childhood, and has it affected your outlook towards the process today?
“Diets don’t work. Dieting doesn’t work no matter what you call it. And no matter what people call it and your body is programmed to respond to famine and want to bulk you back up.”
At the age of ten years old, Braithwaite was put on her first diet and these diets continued up until she left the house at 18.
Excessive and unnecessary dieting can do damage both physically and mentally. Berkeley University says that “dieting rarely works. 95% of all dieters regain their lost weight and more within 1 to 5 years” (Berkely 1) and has proven that it can also contribute to the loss of oxygen in the lungs, weakened strength and endurance, hair thinning, and loss of coordination. These effects then lead to affecting brain power by decreasing concentration and “working memory capacity” (Berkeley 2).
“I’m obviously still fat,” she says.
Braithwaite told a story of how she came home crying after school because other children would taunt her over her body size. This worsened as her parent’s only response to this was by helping her lose weight.
“What does it say to a kid when you tell them to feel inferior because of what a bully says?”
They’re right, you’re wrong. That is what Marci was taught as a child.
By feeding into a bully’s harsh and derogatory words, children “who are victims of weight-related teasing or bullying are 2-3 times more likely to report thoughts of suicide or to engage in self-harming behavior, such as cutting” according to the Nationwide Children’s Pediatrics (Nationwide Children’s P7).
The best solution to combat these self alarming behaviors, aside from the obvious weight loss tactic, is for parents, guardians, and teachers to promote healthy relationships with food that aren’t aimed towards staying thin. Ana Reisdorf from Mental Health America writes in their article, “How to Teach Your Child Body Positivity” that straying away from labeling foods as “good” or “bad” can prevent feelings of security when eating less as well as feelings of self-doubt when indulging in a treat (Reisdorf P8). Another tactic provided is to focus on internal attributes rather than external. Reisdorf suggests “practice stating what positive attributes they (children) have and what they are capable of doing or becoming” (Reisdorf P10).
Have you ever felt as though gym classes throughout your schooling made you stray away from continuing with physical activities?
“It wasn’t until high school when I stopped enjoying gym classes because I felt like I was being compared to everyone else.”
Marci Braithwaite goes into detail about how she has spent her entire life being an active person. She did dance throughout her entire childhood and many other activities that encouraged her to stay moving.
Her only “problem”? Braithwaite never did sports so she was never competitive.
“Fitness tests are all pitting children against an ideal and there are so many children who are going to be negatively affected by that. I never passed any of those tests. I’ve been a very active person my whole life, but never participated in sports. PE classes should be revamped and less sports-focused and more movement-focused.”
In order to maintain not only the need but the active want, for health and wellness, children should not be forced into a competitive learning style, rather they should be taught that movement is important and be given options. Continuing with Mental Health America’s “How to Teach Your Child Body Positivity”, “try exposing your children to different ways of being active and engage their curiosities” (Reisdorf P7). The goal for children to pursue an active lifestyle, they must be given the chance to choose how they would like to move.
It’s no surprise that body-positive activists receive backlash for uplifting people of all body types and promoting inclusivity in the fitness world. How do you deal with these negative comments and what do you have to say to others who may be affected by them?
“Since I have been using the word ‘fat’ to describe myself, and since I’ve actually been running, people don’t seem to care about me being fat.”
Looking back on this statement made by Braithwaite, I’ve realized that it really ties back to the idea of reappropriating a negative term. In a society where the word ‘fat’ can be seen as one of the highest insults, labeling yourself as so takes away the one weapon that people have.
“In terms of dealing with it, it’s really just me using a term to describe myself. It’s my body, my business, and what I do is far more beneficial for others.”
For Braithwaite, there is nothing that someone else could do or say that would bring her to the point of calling quits on everything she’s worked hard on. Her goal is to help others, and that is far more important than one negative comment aimed to bring her down.
Your account/business focuses almost entirely on running, what would you say is your best piece of advice for those just starting?
“Running should not hurt! That is the number one thing I tell everybody, and if you are hurting while running, STOP! If you want to be able to run for the rest of your life, you have to be able to do it in a way that honors your body and, well, your being really. Even if it means taking some time off to get physical therapy! It’s ok to take a break and do other things.”
Braithwaite later mentions that her goal is to continue running until she is the age of 95, and I believe her advice goes to show she is well on her way. Whether it's your lower back, shin, knee, or even ankle, running while injured can further damage your ligaments as well as cause splints. According to John Fawkes, a personal trainer and nutrition coach, from Health Journal explains that excessive running can create chronic stress and tension as well as attribute to poor nutrition and illness.
Want to get in contact with Marci Braithwaite?
Follow her Instagram: @the_fat_athlete
Join her Facebook group: The Fat Athlete
Check out her website: http://thefatathlete.biz/
