Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi Needed Therapy To Counter Body Shaming

Mental HealthJuly 8, 2019

Katelyn Ohashi came to the limelight after a video of her enthusiastic, joyous floor routine at the 2019 Collegiate Challenge became viral. She scored a ten out of ten from it. What most people don’t know is that the rigorous exercise came at the backdrop of injuries and undue body shaming that almost made the young gymnast quit her career. In 2013, Katelyn sustained severe shoulder injuries and back pain that demanded urgent surgery, thus prematurely stopping her Olympic dreams.

After recovering from that, Ohashi became over-conscious of her body and tried not to heed people’s comments. While speaking during a BBC Sport‘s interview, Katelyn admitted that she was working hard despite great anguish and sobbing from every strenuous turn she made. But rather than encourage her, her coach took offense at her hurting joints, saying her pains were a result of her over-weight.

This As a result, Ohashi started to hate taking photos of herself, and even hate herself. The gifted athlete felt very embarrassed about getting back to the gym. Jokes made by her coach as well as comments on the importance of skipping meals to offset excess body weight made her even more ashamed of her body.

Now ready to take on gymnastics with a new spirit, Ohashi has expressed her concern to her new coach, about her fears that she may not be as successful as before. Luckily for her, her new coach has been very supportive of her, advising her to see a therapist. Ohashi is expected to graduate in July 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in gender studies. She is now committed to self-acceptance regarding her body size no matter what.

“Everybody’s bodies are different and there’s not a single body that is the perfect body because there are constant trends,” she says in an inspiring speech. “Being comfortable with the only person that matters, yourself, is something that you can forever work towards. You’re the only person that has your back and you’re the only person that has your skin 100% of the time.”