Only recently have I been able to call myself an athlete without feeling like an imposter. For most of my life, I had a very specific image of what an athlete looked like; professional players, Olympians, those impossibly fit people who seem to run marathons for fun. Athletes were people with six-packs, lightning speed, and perfect form. They competed. They broke records.
Me? I’m an overweight, middle-aged woman who took up fitness later in life. I make sound effects when I get up from the couch and must give my knees a minute (or two) before I can move.
But then, a small voice inside me spoke up: “But I AM an athlete.”
It took time for that voice to grow louder. Several years, if I’m honest. But today, I say it with confidence: I am an athlete.
What changed? I didn’t wake up one day looking like the athletes I once idolized. What changed was my understanding of what it means to be an athlete.
By definition, an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” Nowhere does it say an athlete has to look a certain way. The definition doesn’t mention age, size, or a specific level of achievement. It simply describes someone who trains, who builds skill, who commits to movement and physical challenge.
And by this definition… I qualify!
For years now, I’ve shown up for myself. I do CrossFit, and I love lifting weights. I walk regularly, and I have my own silent dance parties to keep my body moving. I train with consistency, I push my limits, and I keep coming back for more. All things an athlete does.
But for the longest time, I couldn’t claim that identity. I was still holding onto the idea that an athlete had to fit a certain mold, look a certain way; young, lean, and effortlessly powerful. Now I know better. I had to unlearn that belief and recognize that what makes an athlete is not a magazine cover body; it’s commitment and consistency.
This shift in mindset didn’t happen overnight. When I started, it was humbling. I was so out of shape, and there were countless times I wanted to give up. I used to doubt myself constantly, feeling exhausted, wondering if I was doing it right, or comparing myself to others who were younger and in way better shape. But I eventually realized that it wasn’t about being the fastest or the strongest. It was about showing up for myself, pushing my own limits, and setting goals to keep getting stronger and better.
An athlete isn’t defined by appearance. An athlete is someone who trains, who commits, who keeps going.
And by that definition, I can proudly say, in my imperfect, somewhat chubby body, that I AM athlete!
