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Here's Lookin' at You: Body Image with Brandi Chastain
Soccer, Three-time Olympic medalist, two-time World Cup champion
I’ve known that I was a good athlete ever since I was a little girl. I’ve always loved the way my body feels playing sports. Even when I was a kid, I was confident about that. But when I was 14, I started losing that confidence in myself as my body image changed.
My dad had a cute nickname for me—“Chubby Cheeks.” It never really bothered me. That was, until my freshman year in high school. I knew that Dad loved me. And Mom would try to get him to quit teasing me. I would just blow it off—but inside it began to hurt. On top of that, I had a high school soccer coach who emphasized weight. She would have us do team weigh-ins. And then, in front of everyone, she would criticize the girls who were heavier and make us run laps after practice. Can you imagine?
Okay, I was chunky. But sports had always been the place where I felt accepted. On this soccer team, we had to wear these small uniforms that weren’t exactly flattering to my teenage body. The coach would tell me that I was too fat for soccer. I started to become totally uncomfortable about my body. I thought that something was wrong with me. For the first time, I didn’t like myself. So, did I go on some crazy diet? Nope. I just ate more junk.
I began to think about being big all the time. I didn’t go out with friends as much. It was an awful feeling. It was so stressful to always be worrying about my weight. In my mind, it was such a huge problem.
At college, I had teammates who were super healthy. I learned about nutrition and started to understand how the body works. I started to feel good about myself and eating healthier. Sure, it was hard at first—I love fatty foods. But I got stronger as an athlete. And best of all, my self-image improved along with my health and fitness. I found the ideal me. I stopped listening to everyone else and learned to give myself a break. Now, my philosophy is “Be happy with who you are. Celebrate yourself!” and every once in a while, get down with a big ice cream cone!
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