00:00 Three-time Olympic diver Annabelle Smith first experienced body image issues when she hit
00:08 puberty at 17, which coincided with her moving to Brisbane and away from her family.
00:16 As an elite diver, I was surrounded by other elite divers who had a specific body type
00:21 and I think feeling the pressure to have to look like everyone else was a common occurrence
00:26 amongst a lot of our athletes.
00:29 Reports from support staff and others in the diving community didn't help either.
00:33 You're looking heavy or you look like you need to do some more cardio or then on the
00:37 flip side you're looking really fit and really strong when I was probably at my lightest
00:42 and unhealthy as well.
00:43 Poor body image can lead to mental health issues, disordered eating or eating disorders
00:49 and it's not always easy for athletes to accept their body.
00:52 I think it's taken me a long time to be okay with myself and my body, like being disabled
00:56 and having a severe scoliosis, there's not many people that look like me out there I
01:01 would say, but for me now it's how do I perform, how do I feel strength wise.
01:08 Coaches and support staff are being encouraged to be mindful of their language when speaking
01:12 to athletes and focus on performance over aesthetics.
01:16 Physically, am I able to do my job?
01:19 Do I go to training?
01:21 Am I able to make that sprint?
01:23 Am I able to push off and make that dive that's going to win my team the game?
01:28 That's what we should be looking at.
01:29 Rather than lean or thin, you talk about being strong and being capable of performing the
01:36 activity in the right way.
01:39 So focusing more on those performance words rather than how you look words.
01:45 We're not supposed to look like we looked when we were 12, when we were 18 and everything
01:50 that's happening with our bodies is perfectly normal.
01:52 Smith says greater education and awareness for everyone involved in sport is needed to
01:57 create a positive environment for all athletes.
02:01 For more information, visit www.FEMA.gov.
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