A WOMAN WHO was heckled about her weight by a man in a car while she was out running has hit back with an excellent open letter.
While out running with her boyfriend, Lindsey Swift was jeered by a man who drove by, leaning out of his window to shout insults about her weight. Swift told Buzzfeed that he also sarcastically sung Mika’s Big Girl You Are Beautiful.
Angry, she went on Facebook to vent.
I am indeed a big girl, and I am indeed beautiful. Thanks for noticing. I’m not sure who you were telling I was fat, you clearly have eyes, and the only other people present were me and my boyfriend. I assure you that despite your concern I do own a mirror, and my boyfriend has seen my fat body as he too has eyes. Don’t tell anyone but I think he might even like it.
She went on to say that she can take it, but can’t approve of people discouraging others.
Normally I don’t get militant about these things, idiots are idiots. However, I can see why comments like these might put a person less confident than me off from running, and that is shameful. Everyone starts somewhere.
Swift continued, telling her heckler just how many things her body has done that he could only image.
Let me make one thing very clear, I am not ashamed of my body. It has never stopped me from doing anything I want. My fat body has done things that you, hanging out of the window of your babe-magnet white van could only ever dream of.
My fat legs have carried me up mountains on more than one occasion. My fat brain speaks languages you probably don’t see the point of learning, which is why you spend your time hanging out of van windows since you have nothing better to occupy it with.
So, what does she think he should do now?
Recently I made the decision to get fit as I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and good for my health. Not that I have to justify my body to you, but I have a goal to run 10k, and I will get there.
Excuse me if my assumptions about you are wrong, but I only have your actions to go by. If my fat arse running (quite slowly I might add, I was bloody shattered) offends you and spoils your journey, try driving with your eyes closed, into a lamp post.
She said she wrote the letter in order to encourage others who have been harassed while out running to keep on going, ignore the negative comments, and ‘carry on with what they are doing’.
