Let's Talk About Nike, baby...
I will get into the meat of this in a moment…but firstly I want to say…
THEY HAVE PARA MANNEQUINS TOO.
They have roundly supported a more proportionate slice of society. And I can’t help but feel the para mannequins need to be front and centre of all articles written on this too.
I have worked with a Para-Athlete for over a year now, and to simply say they are lost and forgotten in the world of rehab, fitness and fashion is an understatement.
NB: Having been to the Nike Store, I found only one Para Mannequin. So good. But not great.
A for effort from Nike anyway. Shame on every other media outlet, columnist and fitspo influencer who has briefly missed this point and taken the fight up either for or against the *fat* people.
A side note to the Tanya Golds amongst us: You can’t chose one part of society to support or slander if you are fighting for equality. Equality belongs to all.
Now that’s done…I will progress onto my views on the rest of the argument.
In a wholly divisive moment Nike’s marketing department has installed Plus Size Mannequins into their London Store for the world to see and talk about.
This has meant columnists around the world both on #bodypositive side of the equation and the #fightfat side are now arguing the merits and the not so merits of this move.
Is it promoting a bad body image? Is it fully inclusive?
Well…any sane human being with a right and salient mind should welcome the fact that this move has happened.
Is it perfect? No. Is it a clever bid for more money and marketing. Yes.
But does fitness wholly belong to everyone in every way shape and form? Yes.
Nike. Myself. Sky News or the Government have no right to tell anyone what exercise should be in someone’s life. And if that means someone who is clinically overweight wearying Dri Fit Sports Bras and Leggings…
You go girl! You do you!
Fitness is a human right. Not a god given right. It’s something we have to fight for.
Because if this mannequin helps you feel more powerful. If wearing these clothes makes you feel more confident, and you feel wholly a lot less judged by society for doing so.
Go and be the Athena you are and smash the shit out of anyone who says otherwise.
Fitness is a human right. Not a god given right. It’s something we have to fight for. It’s something we have to work for. And it’s something the human body deserves to be asked to do.
It’s not something that should happen naturally to us, and we should expect it to just “happen”
Therefore if this mannequin helps one person find a bit more courage to have a go at fitness, to find her human right and make a change then it can never be viewed as a negative thing.
The Daily Telegraph Columnist Tanya Gold said this about the mannequin:
“The new nike mannequin is obese. She is not readying herself for a run in her shiny new nike gear. She can’t run. She is more likely pre-diabetic on her way to a hip replacement”
Other than the only response words like that deserve which is a strong and firm : “Fuck right off”
The empathy and knowledge of Tanya Gold is very alarming. Even more alarming as Tanya herself is no stranger to having to fight addiction herself.
Firstly no one said this Mannequin had to run. She could go for a walk. She could do any movement. Because rather than blaming her and shaming her for these made up health conditions that Tanya seems to know about the mannequin…why don’t we encourage her to do something to help with these conditions.
Why are we not putting the message out there that this woman’s past does not have to dictate her future.
And that if she just does just one thing, makes one change it will help.
My other point is this.
Just because a human is “fat”, “overweight”, “obese” or any other body shape that’s not “healthy” it does not mean you cannot move. It doesn’t mean you can’t change and it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with them.
It just means that’s who they are at this moment in time.
And you know what.
That’s ok.
And anyone can wear what the hell they want. Anyone can do fitness in anyway shape or form that they want.
And no one has a right to tell them what is right or wrong about their choices.
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Coach Adam