In this episode, I will be speaking with an old teammate and good friend of mine, someone who wishes to remain anonymous. Her story is special to me because of its rawness as well as it’s familiarity. As a college athlete myself, I am uniquely aware of the body image dysmorphia that exists within the female athlete community. I lived it myself. We are conditioned to assess ourselves every day, because that is how we become the best, we live by our performances. And thus, our perceptions of our bodies change. We learn to tear apart the very parts of us that allow us to be athletes to begin with. It’s sick and twisted, but it’s real.

Even more than just the athlete community, I cannot think of one woman who at one time or another has not struggled with body image issues. Carb cutting turns to anorexia, anorexia to bulimia without you even realizing it. I am telling you, it happens all the fucking time, and it is definitely a problem that needs to be talked about. So, I hope the rawness and vulnerability of this episode inspires you to have conversations with the women in your life, because we all need to support each other as we continue to transform the perceived body image that a woman is supposed to have. That perception needs to be slashed and I’m ready to join in the fight, so I hope you are too. As we move through this story, what I hope you walk away with is how she learned how to release the control and found a way to love herself again without the identity of being a collegiate athlete. Today, she is a musician and physician, a beautiful combo that allows her to see life in a really unique way. Listen to a song she wrote at the end of the podcast! And with that, let’s get Ellavated! 

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Ella Rae James: @ellaraejames
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast