“Being an athlete isn’t always easy with some beauty standards that prefer women that don’t look strong” – Alison Stephens

Alison Stephens is an NCAA Division I track and field athlete for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Here is what Stephens had to say for International Women’s Day:

“Sports have always been one of the biggest parts of my life, if not the biggest part. Doing sports is a massive confidence booster and has been a very helpful tool in preparing me with character building for the world outside of sports (leadership experience, determination, perseverance, learning to lose, etc,) 

I used to be compared to boys all the time because I was an athletic girl. I was told many times growing up in school by my peers that I was “basically a guy” for being strong and fast. Being a thrower means I need to be strong and powerful and therefore we are typically larger people. It has always been hard to listen to people body shame athletes in my sport because they don’t realize throwers are healthy and they ignore the fact that throwers come in all shapes and sizes. 

I said something like this last year and I’m saying it again because I think it’s incredibly important. No matter what you choose to do with your life, whether it’s in sports or not, know that you belong in that space there and deserve to have a seat at that table. Find something that makes you tick and run away with it. Let it take you as far as you will let it. There is a sport for everyone. 

Being an athlete isn’t always easy with some beauty standards that prefer women that don’t look strong, but I want to remind girls that we should love our bodies for what they are capable of doing, not just how they look.“