Bravo Alysa Liu & Elizabeth Smart
For embracing challenges and telling others to do what they want to do for themselves
In February, I was thrilled to watch Alysa Liu skate in her Figure Skating Solo Competition. She had fun. I loved hearing about her story: quitting for a time and coming back on her terms because it’s fun and she loves a challenge. However, when I became a fan was during her post Gold Medal interview with NBCSports commentator, Mike Tirico.
Mike said to Alysa, “I think that hairstyle might be copied by a few young women around the country.”
In response, Alysa smiled, looked right at the camera and said, “Guys, do whatever you want with your hair.”1
BRAVO!
I’m adding: Do whatever you want with your hair and your body.2
Speaking of bodies
Many survivors of sexual assault experience shame, in particular regarding their own body. Like somehow their body attracted the abuser, which is nonsense. Abusers abuse because of their own brokenness, it has nothing to do with you. You merely got caught in their flurry of evilness.
Relating to this shame and trying to control what goes in and out of their body, many survivors of sexual assault develop eating disorders, 3
Kudos to Alysa for saying,4 “No one is going to starve me, or tell me what I can and can’t eat,” in an interview with 60 Minutes.
This past week, Elizabeth Smart shared her celebration of her body:
“My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it’s created and nurtured three beautiful children, my body has risen to every single challenge life has presented it with, and carried me through so I refuse to be ashamed of it. I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can. I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness.”5
You are a Miracle.
You don’t need to achieve extraordinary success to feel like you belong.
As I wrote in my reaction to the movie “Nyad” You don’t need an academy award, a Gold Medal, or even get a first place medal to compensate for the shame you felt from your abuse. If you want to climb the highest mountains, swim across the ocean, win a body building competition, or get an Olympic Gold Medal, you can. But, if you don’t want to do that, you don’t need to do those exceptional activities. You are enough. 6
Even giving a little boy back his cowboy boots is enough.7
Remember, you don’t need a Gold Medal or a First Place Finish to have fun and enjoy your pursuits. “…do whatever you want with your hair”8 and “…find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness.”9
Or just give a little one back their cowboy boots. You are enough.
https://www.nbcolympics.com/videos/how-alysa-liu-won-figure-skating-gold-her-terms
For the less sensible or civilized, the qualifier is: “as long as it doesn’t hurt another.” By hurt, I mean a direct hurt or assault. Meaning, don’t use your body to dominate and/or inflict physical harm on another.
That doesn’t mean all who have eating disorders were sexually abused as children or sexually assaulted or physically abused at any time in their lives. It simply means it is quite common for survivors to have eating disorders.
Merely the USA’s superficial commercialism can confuse some women to think they are insignificant compared to the glossy made up images of Hollywood, Models, and even AI generated Social Media glitz.
Alysa has never said she has an eating disorder or was ever abused. I simply applaud her for publicly saying that no one is going to tell her what to eat! BRAVO!
Quoting Alysa Liu
Quoting Elizabeth Smart