Women in Sport

The idea of sport has always held male connotations, with many sports being male-dominated or even entirely in the male domain. But many women have recently started participating in traditionally “masculine” sports, with some even competing at the same level as their male counterparts.
Every Sunday, Pam Ewen has the same routine. Upon arriving at the shooting range, she pulls out her hooped earrings; ties back her hair and lies motionless behind a rifle, waiting for the target to appear. For the last five years, ever since she started her rifle hobby, it goes without saying that her false fingernails have been thrown in the bin.

“I love to shoot,” Ewen says. “It’s not a normal hobby for a woman but I fell in love with it, although I end up with a bruise on my shoulder and have to keep my nails short. That’s a small price to pay when you get a good score though.”

Traditionally it has been seen as “un-ladylike” for women to participate in certain sports, especially those that are primarily male-dominated. However, over the last decade women have started taking a keen interest in traditional male pursuits – and that trend is growing.

The sports experience for girls and women has grown dramatically in recent years. A variety of women involved in sports has generated attention in the media and more and more have started to actively participate in local sports groups and clubs. Sport has become an essential part of the culture for women. Health issues are always important and everyone, male or female, needs to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.

Football is now the UK’s favourite female sport, with a 2011 Sport England Active people survey highlighting that 1.38 million women and girls up and down the country are playing the game regularly. Golf has also increased in numbers since Catherine Zeta Jones and Gerry Halliwell were pictured playing the game. Membership figures for the ladies Golf Union have increased by 65 per cent in the past 20 years.

But surprisingly, one of the fastest growing male sports that women, including me, are infiltrating is shooting. According to statistics from the National Sporting Goods Association, 3.8 million of America’s 17 million target shooters are women - and those numbers are fast increasing in the UK.

I started shooting three years ago when my godfather took me to an open day. A coach there noticed that I had a natural talent, and asked me to try out for his club, of which I have now been a member for two years. I have had a lot of support from family and friends especially when I bring home medals. This year the club, consisting of 23 men and just four women, has put together a ladies’ shooting team, and the four of us hope to compete in female rifle shooting Olympic competitions. 

Norman Edwards, my coach for the 27th Rifle club Putney, has been coaching full bore rifle shooting for over 30 years. “Over the last few years the NRA UK (National Rifle Association) has had a lot of new females taking up the sport, but it is still very much male-dominated at a senior age level,” he says. “I think the shooting industry as a whole does not hold any bias at all. Target shooting is a relatively small sport compared to others and it is more concerned with keeping the sport going and encouraging everyone to get the most pleasure as possible. Males and females are both able to put up good scores.”

There isn’t much difference between the men and women’s scores or shooting ability, I myself shoot higher scores than men who have been doing it for years. The only difference on the range is women removing earrings and pinning back loose pieces of hair that could get in the way, along with the often high-pitched whoops of success.

“Females can be quicker learners than the males due to the element of strength,” Norman says. “They have to rely on kit supporting the weight of the rifle and therefore concentrate more on the sight picture and trigger release. Unconsciously, males tend to use their superior strength, which has disastrous consequences on scores.”

This is another difference between males and females: the kit. It is rather difficult to get gloves, jackets and guns to fit comfortably to the petite female form. One of my shooting teammates, Lorraine Pearson, has been looking for a shooting jacket for a while. “I would love a really nice warm padded jacket for shooting but unless you want cammo or any other variety of green it just doesn’t happen. What really angers me is when you ask if the stock comes in any other colour and they reply, ‘I suppose you want it in pink?’ No I don’t want pink, do I look like Barbie?” 

Lucinda Bailey, another of my teammates, nodded in agreement recently over a glass of wine after a day’s shoot. “Personally, in such a male dominated sport I don’t want to wear anything that’s revealing, but I don’t want to look ugly either,” she says.

Pearson added: “Surely there has to be a market for more choice for us women who take on challenges and have a go at a sport which 50 years ago would be completely male. It’s about time the shooting fraternity dragged itself in to the 21st Century. Women will spend their money on these things.”

With the sudden interest in shooting shown by women, however, some shops have started to sell female jackets off the peg. G E Fulton & Son have tapped into this growing market and have started to produce jackets to fit the curves of a woman. Collin Shorthouse of Fulton’s said: “The main difference is the shape of the hips and chest; we have a man that makes them for us and adds in space for women’s curves. They are the same price as the men’s and are made from new. We sell roughly 10 male jackets to every one female but the market is slowly increasing so we keep about 10 female and 50 male jackets in stock at any one time.”

The problem that many manufacturers face is the cost and keeping up with yearly trends. Since the quantity bought is so small, to have jackets designed and transported to warehouses is not cost-effective. This is a great relief to me and my shooting buddies. It proves that males don’t cater to the female needs because they are biased or against female competition but because they don’t understand the female wants and needs and it’s not worth the money. So ladies, it seems the more of us that get involved in a male sport, the more choice we will have. If there are more of us, the sales may correlate with the demand.

There are many positive aspects to women competing in non-traditional sports. They open the door to something new and unexpected, something that may not be socially acceptable at the moment, but might be in the future. Women who are taking the plunge now are opening new opportunities in sport up for younger generations. Eventually this hard work and effort will make it easier for women to enter into sports that they typically wouldn’t have chosen and perhaps this will create more funding for women’s sports and organisations. 

“I found that a whole new world opened up to me when I started shooting, it was unexpected and I didn’t think I would take it up when I went for the open day. But I’m glad I did as now I’m competing in competitions and winning medals. I also love the surprised looks I get when I tell people about my unexpected hobby. I think women should try and partake in sports and not worry about any connotations they may hold, it’s worth it,” said Ewen. 

Thin Privelege and why it doesnt exist!

Thin privilege, why this is another way for women to attack others.

Today I read an article on “Thin Privilege.” Now, although I can understand what the woman who wrote the article is explaining, I don’t think it is a privilege to be thin. This is another way for one group of women to point out differences, attack and blame another.

The ignorant closed minded argument is that Thin privileged exists because in society thin women are not frowned upon. Apparently they can eat in public without being looked at with disgust, get jobs, can fit in seats and can buy clothes from any store. But if you are a thin woman you will know not all of this is true. Clothes are to big at most stores and they do not stock many size 8's so often you cant get clothes that fit, You can fit in to seats but often they are too big and you end up with bruises from them, instead of people looking at you with disgust you often get people thinking that what your putting in your mouth you are going to throw up straight after.

Each and every one of us have faced criticism at some point in our lives, not just as women but as humans. The reason behind this is because its human nature to seek out differences in individuals, and although wrong, make snap judgements on individuals because of these differences. Each and everyone of us has privilege in different ways to point out thin privilege is unfair, if we are starting to point out who is better off than someone else because of looks or bodies the list is endless.

How about the not thalidomide privilege? You can buy clothes from shops without having to change bits to fit your arms.

The big boob privilege?  Your not seen as a small boy and an unattractive female

The pretty privilege? You get more help and people like you because your face is appealing

The thick long hair privilege? Men are more likely to find you attractive because your hair is luscious

The big eye privilege? Its proven women with big eyes are more attractive and easier to trust because their baby eye appearance

The hearing privilege? You can hear things

The seeing privilege?  You can see things 

The leg privilege? You can walk unaided and find it easier to get around

Each and every one of us have privileges so to point out just one is ridiculous.

We need to stop persecuting and stop thinking the grass is greener on the other side. We can do that by not "fat shaming" or pointing out "Thin privilege". Stop comparing, just realize we are all "Real women" not just the ones with curves, we all "hug well" not just the ones with more meat, we are all beautiful not just the ones who are "fit" ALL OF US! Beautiful and different in our own ways. We should embrace these differences and not use them to attack each other.

I have been both and gone from a size 24 - 6 and I have faced the same amount of Shame in both sizes and all the way in between because someone will always find something to use against you. Names went from “Fatty” and “Big Burtha” to “little boy" and “Skelitor”. At no point did I feel womanly and feminine. At this point some of you may argue "you have trouble finding potential mates when fat" Its the same when your too thin also if you have no arse or tits or curves. "The media make you feel less of a woman they always photoshop women to be slimmer" This is a common misconception, I have worked in a magazine company and in actual fact they don't, they photoshop women to an unattainable cookie cutter shape. If the model has no breasts or legs which are sickly thin, no arse they will enlarge them. They will also make waists smaller, eyes bigger, and remove any cellulite or skin tags. So this is unattainable to all women.

I know that many people will not take this in to consideration and stay in their little bubble of hatred. Its funny but the bigger frame, through the ages has been seen as the ideal body type, only in the last 50 years has thin been in. But now the tables are turning again and the fuller figure is coming to the forefront. But instead of all of us calling a truce after both body types having their time at the top, learning from the past that putting each other down in a never ending viscous cycle is pointless and coming together to idealizing all women, we choose to continue in the same vain.

This point was put across on a magazine called VolUp2's website only yesterday. VolUp2 being an online French and English quarterly magazine “showcasing diverse beauty, with an emphasis on curvy women, and exploring the generosity of Mind, Body and Spirit. Brought to you by supermodel Velvet d'Amour.” The person who posted this was told she shouldn't be reading this magazine and it is not for her as she is not fat, she must be an ignorant skinny, cry baby troll and a racist, because if she wont accept thin privilege she wont accept white privilege.

So because someone has worked hard to be thin and is not big anymore she is not in your cool gang? She has no plight nor right to fight for women and beauty? This whole article is aimed towards the privilege thin people have and how big women are teased and segregated by society and yet read above, you are also the ones segregating, bullying and hating.

You see we all have problems, we all face this, and we need to stop comparing and just be who we are except ourselves and each other!

Fashion

Fetish has finally crossed over in to mainstream, causing a stir on this seasons catwalks. The weird and wonderful however,does not stop there with PVC and latex effects transcending on to the make-up and beauty scene, but continues with the larger lady being the fashionable body type.

People have been unhappy with their looks for years. Since the advances and availability of surgery it has become a trend to change these dissatisfying natural features. But has it gone too far?
At the moment curvy is in.We are seeing a huge change in the media and fashion industry with plus sized women such as Tess munster being snapped up by modeling agencies. This, some say is a step in the right direction, but are we not just swapping one extreme for the other? We are yet again letting the media pigeon hole what is perceived as beautiful and condemning those who do not have the right attributes.

People who suffer from Body Dysmorphic disorder are excessively concerned and pre occupied by a perceived defect in his or her physical features.  This unhappiness can cause psychological distress, sever depression, anxiety and complete social isolation.  The need to fit in to the norm and present themselves as the idea of perfection is becoming harder, it seems, with every new trend. With the constant criticism by the media and other women competing to be better than the other with comments like "real women have curves" and "fat means ugly" we will never be content.
Perhaps we should all just stop and put forward the fact that all women are beautiful in their own way. How far are we going to go?

Fashion icon Lady Gaga has been seen sporting flesh coloured spikes on her face and shoulders that look like sub-dermal implants in her new video ‘Born this way’ and on Jay Leno. This is apparently the latest trend in body modification in which metal shapes or even items of jewellery are implanted under the skin. It is questionable whether these are convincing prosthetic or surgically implanted.
She claimed on Gayle King’s US chat show that ‘They’ve been there this whole time but I waited until I’d put Born This Way out for you to see them’.  Fans have questioned her new look and the hypothesis they have come up with is that she is referring to a new race of humanity in which there is no discrimination and equality for all is prevalent in society.

Lady Gaga’s new look has been seen for years in magazines like Bizarre with articles further back than 2008 on Dennis Avner the human ‘tiger’ and Erik Sprague the Lizard man who have now found fame for their unusual looks. The question is with all this publicity surrounding sub-dermal implants will it become the norm and soon the desired look?

Facial piercing, branding and scaring have been popular throughout the years in primitive and modern cultures. Some tribes use body modifications as a right of passage. Today we see these piercings and modifications amongst our culture but they serve as an aesthetic purpose. These looks, which have become the norm, would have been frowned upon years ago however, now they have become almost desirable.

The constant development of body modification forces people to conform to the desired look and makes perfection harder to reach. People are fighting to fit in and this constant need results in plastic surgery and an increase in body dysmorphia. When the sizest nature of today's society is combined there is no way anyone will be happy.

Its one thing to change your nose, get a facelift or get breast augmentation surgery if you are unhappy, but to implant objects under your skin to reach an, as some would say, unnatural perfection is a step to far. It seems we are traveling down a road of which there is no return, the desired look becomes more and more eccentric and further away from our ancestors. Could this be seen as evolution or merely self-mutilation?

Curvy Vs Skinny

Lately I have been feeling quite angry at the female population. Not all women, but those who try to increase confidence by creating self-loathing in others, perhaps they are not doing this purposefully, but they do it none the less. Women are promoting their bodies via social networking sites in a way that has never been done before. Perhaps to give themselves an ego boost, perhaps to help others, or maybe it’s just for fame.

Website after website have been popping up giving "curvy women" confidence in their bodies. "Real women have curves" is one of my favourites, I mean really? I thought that if you had two of the same chromosome you were a women? Obviously I was wrong and it’s the size of the meat on your chest and bottom.

I understand the need to fight back against the media portraying size zero as desirable. But to transcend from one look to another does not help women suffering with body issues. Curvy is as unattainable to as many women, if not more, than curvy women wanting to be slim. In promoting a single physique we are destroying the natural beauty of women who do not fit in to that box.

Some have been putting up pictures of themselves “showing their flaws” that they hate because “this is why (they) have no confidence” if you had no confidence you wouldn’t be able to show your body to anyone, let-a-lone the entire world. It’s this competitive nature that is naturally in all of us, we feel the need, even on some deeper physiological level, to put others down to make ourselves feel better. It’s like as kids when the bullied became the bully. 

I know how it feels to be on both ends of the spectrum and all that in between. When I was a child I was underweight and was poked and prodded with needles to make sure I was healthy. Then I was put on a strict high calorie diet and I started to put on weight. This worked too well and as I transcended in to early teens I started gaining excessive weight and was considered morbidly obese, at which point I was sent to a dietician who told me I was fat and needed to lose weight. She put me on a strict low calorie diet and no matter how much I tried to stick to it, I never would. One day I snapped, I was fed up of being told I was fat, ugly and unhealthy by everyone, the media, friends, teachers, family, doctors, I decided to go on a strict diet. Admittedly not the healthiest of diets as it involved taking all food out of the equation and excessive exercise. That brings me to today and I’m still considered unwomanly and ugly but not for being curvy and voluptuous like I was, no, now it’s because I lost my curves and I’m slim.

See this is what we do to each other, we rip each other apart because were not the same. No matter what flaws you feel you have, someone will always look at you and want something you have got. We are all women, we give birth, we strive for equality, we can multi task, we are strong, we carry on the human race for gods sake. Whether we be skinny, fat, slim, curvy, apple shaped, pear shaped, big busted, flat chested, big bottomed, or bottomless we are beautiful.

So put an end to all of this shape and size bullshit!  

Breasts

Breasts, everyone loves them right? I mean, all you see is big breasts everywhere from the internet, social media, magazines, TV, Films, to the general outdoors. It does make me laugh when women complain that they have to shop at Bravisimo or that their womanly curves get them down, that they can’t shop in 'normal' shops or that the media should use women with 'more healthy' proportions.

Well as far as I know women with flat chests are healthy too and have problems buying bra’s that A. fit and B. look decent with what we have been given. In fact, all I can see in the media is women with big ol’boobs. Maybe we should promote all types including the small ones. But continuously I see a woman’s sexuality depicted by the size of her breasts. The most recent one that pops to mind is on Saints Row where you can decide how sexy your female character is from: not at all (flat chested) to the sexiest woman in the game (Huge chested).

With all this titty hype it is no wonder why so many women go under the knife. I myself have been saving up to get a boob job since I was 13 and the first person to see them, a doctor, told me how repulsive they were because I was born with “constricted, tubular, uneven, saggy breasts”. But that’s just it, I myself am making it worse by buying in to it. But I would like to have some sex appeal, why should I suffer or be classed, by society, as ugly because I was born defected and different?

I defy you to spend one day looking at every pair of breasts you see and the ones on people with any type of power or in the media will have a decent rack. The one film I have seen with a woman with a flat chest or small “in-perfect” boobs was the Swedish version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ and America had to remake that with Rooney Mara with bigger, perkier, “more attractive” breasts.

At the end of the day they are for primarily for feeding our offspring so why has a woman’s sexuality become based on them? How dare we tell someone that they are unsexy because they have smaller lumps of fat under their skin; how dare we make women feel un confident with their natural beauty; how dare we make women who have undergone mastectomies, or had cancer, or been born with a defect feel like they have to hide, because they are “unsexy and ugly” merely for not having the right amount of flesh on their chests.

Fad Diets

Fad Diets, we go through them like anything. From one to another with a binge break in the middle where we make excuses and put on the pounds we just lost. The diet industry makes thirty billion dollars yearly on people looking for a weight loss programme. That’s right, a whopping Thirty Billion on people like you and me, insecure and looking for that magic cure.

So why do we let them make money on our insecurities? Do you want the harsh truth? Laziness.
Let me explain, every time we pick up that new diet book we do it because it promises to be an easy way to lose those excess pounds. We wouldn’t pick it up, let alone follow it for a few weeks if it said “This is the hardest, longest most monotonous thing you will ever do.” No! We don’t want to work hard. We want to take a pill that will make us slim quickly without having to change our routine or life style at all. Unfortunately you can’t, so stop letting this industry make money from your insecurities and selling you lies.

You know deep inside that you’re not going to stick to that new diet and you know it’s not going to work, deep down you know the truth. I watched my mum do it and followed in her footsteps for years. I did the Atkins Diet, The Beverly hills diet, Weight watchers, No carb, Slimmers World, the fast diet, the cabbage diet, the list is endless. The truth is when you approach a diet like this you put pressure on yourself to stick to it, this unnecessary stress makes you want to eat. The more you tell yourself you can’t have something the more you want it, and what do we turn to when times are hard? Bad food!

So what should you do? If you really want to lose weight for yourself, not for anyone else; not for your boyfriend; not for that guy you fancy; not because you should to fit in or look like those girls in magazines; not to conform to whatever is considered beautiful at that time. If you want to do it for you, to be healthy , to feel better in your own skin or for whatever reason then it’s simple:
Eat Healthy and excersize.

That is it ladies, seriously, it’s not easy, but it works. All you have to do is make sure you stay away from bad foods that are high in fats and sugars, I’m not saying cut them out totally, you can treat yourself every now and then. You should have equal amounts of food from the three main groups, so a third of each:
Protein – Meat, cheese, Milk etc
Fruit and Veg – Fruit, Salad, Vegetables
Carbohydrate – Potatoes, pulses, BROWN pasta, rice, etc

Only eat when you are hungry and make sure you are not over eating. What you should do to begin with is eat slowly and drink water while you eat, when you are full stop. Swap your whites for your browns (carbohydrates), your sweets for fruit, your chips for salad, your pudding for a low calorie hot chocolate.

Get at least an hour of exercise in everyday, this is easy; you can walk to work instead of using public transport or driving; walk up the stairs instead of using elevators or escalators; Squat while your brushing your teeth; sit ups when laying down before sleeping at night; use every opportunity to get that extra bit in. I found the Insanity challenge really gave me a boost to begin with and after the two months I started running to and from work, the weight just fell off and has not come back.

Don’t forget, this is something my best friend told me and it stuck:
“Your weight is a constantly changing thing if you put on a few pounds one week work harder the next. Don’t punish yourself and allow yourself treats once in a while. You are a project that’s ever changing, learning and developing, keep at it and have fun.”