In Her Own Words: Sydney Staier's "Body Image"

This poem “Body Image” was created with a simple thought about looking in the mirror.  

Oftentimes, if I have an idea or thought worth remembering, I write it down, and this was one of those.  I think the most important part is simply that it came from a passing thought. I realized, if I can think about this out of nowhere and jot it down, I know at least some of my teammates may be able to relate. 

Women, men, girls, and boys all have societal ideals of what the “perfect” body looks or feels like, and as an athlete, that is oftentimes an unrealistic, and unhealthy expectation. 

This poem was written to acknowledge the strength and beauty behind athletic bodies, and people. It is really meant to give credit to being able to feel confident knowing that if you’re an athlete, your body has been shaped and molded to be able to perform at the highest levels. 

As well as shed a light on the importance of recognizing what you can do as a result of your body, rather than shaming yourself for not looking like other people, whose bodies simply do not play the same role. 

It wasn’t written with an intent to share, or really for others to see, as I would have considered it a draft ... but as a couple more people saw it, and our wonderful dietitian, Paula Karamihas, got to read it, she helped me realize there might be something more to it than just a personal thought I had while sitting at my desk.

Body Image 
By Sydney Staier

I look in the mirror 
And you know what I do?
I smile.

Every 

Single 

Time 

I want to train myself 
to associate seeing my body with positive emotion 
When I see me
I greet myself with a smile
I am worth a smile
Every
Day

Long gone are the days where women 
Where girls 
And boys
Where elite athletes 

Walk by a mirror,
Pausing to critique what they see

Long gone are the days where we 
Stand there together comparing 
Making self-degrading remarks 
in efforts to make our friends feels better 
While missing the effect those words have on our own souls

Long gone are the days 
Of examining your arms by your side 
That you’ve been hiding since that boy in 4th grade made fun of you for them 
Or seeing your legs as too small 
When they are the very reason you are able to run for miles 
Able to last 120 minutes when the game goes into double overtime 
Why your bursts of speed allow you to get stuck in and to read passes 

Stop worrying 
About whether your arms look big at the bar 
Or if the sunburn from your game doesn’t work with the outfit you’ve just put on 

At the end of the day, it is your soul in your body 

You choose how it feels 
It’s your responsibility to show that smile 
Especially when days are not easy 
Especially when you’d rather stare for 10 minutes 
Instead of commit to 10 seconds, then move on with your day 

Give yourself a smile 

How cool would it be for your smile to be the first and last thing you see every day. 

For the little girls who look up to you, who see only your perfect, unmatched 
balance of beauty and strength 
who don’t see you stop to gaze into the abyss of your own reflection 
if they knew how you felt about your body 
they’d never have the confidence to want to be like you 

so decide today 
to BE that strong woman today 
to love your body today 
and your soul today 
because one day 
you were that little girl 
and that little girl is you 

so what version of you do you hope she becomes? 

SS