Through my teenage years and in becoming a woman, I’ve come to realize that there is no perfect shape or body type; some might think that to be hopelessly cliched but I genuinely believe that’s the truth, especially in the relatively enlightened era in which we live. When I first accepted that, I was waking up every morning, not comparing myself with other bodies out there, and it was a blissful relief. Instead, I chose to focus on pursuing physical and mental wellness, and eventually made it my profession. As women, I think we spend far to much time scrutinising ourselves relative to the facets of others, by virtue of the pressure to live up to a ‘standard’ or an ‘ideal’, but in my mind, the most important thing is simply to be the healthiest version of you.
Growing up on a farm in the south of Sweden, I was treated no differently to the boys. I wore dungarees, spent my days climbing trees, in the stables, riding, running around the fields chasing cows, endless summer days building houses and fighting in the surrounding forests. I grew up thinking about what my body could do, rather than how it looked. How fast could I run, how high could I jump? I was, then, the best long distance runner and long-jumper of all the girls at my school; it was healthy competition which encouraged improvement, discipline and mental strength. That’s something that made me so proud and happy about my body, because it was strong, healthy and I had the control to improve it. I still to this day try to find empowerment through my body, and very much encourage other women to do the same.
Men, generally are better at tapping themselves on the shoulder after a tough workout to say; ‘Awesome work, I ran hard, sweated and smashed it.’ Women are more likely to say ‘I have so far to go’, ‘I need to lose weight’, ‘I’m not very good at this’. I think it’s all about seeking out the enjoyment in the training you do, to focus on the positives, to fall into a wellness lifestyle so that staying fit is no longer a chore, but a way of life!
I’ve always struggled to find the perfect bra; personally speaking, I look for something comfortable, supportive yet attractive, which is a lot harder than it sounds as most bras are one or the other, but rarely all three at once. Through having a fitting with Triumph, I discovered that I was in fact wearing the wrong size to begin with! The cup size was too small and the waist to large. The focus on quality, and a supportive, comfortable fit genuinely helped me to identify something that I love wearing!
Indeed, when shooting these images wearing my favorite Triumph piece, the ‘Body Sculpting Sensation‘, for the blog I had to think about what the best approach would be. It’s clearly not my usual sportswear outfit nor is it a bikini fitness look; I love this piece and I feel comfortable wearing it however the fact that it’s lingerie (which, when you think about it is no more revealing than a bikini!) made me nervous! It certainly got me thinking about my own body confidence; for me, true body confidence comes from waking up in the morning feeling rested, energised, ready to take on the day! I believe that comes from eating healthy foods and training my body. It’s something you can control and cling on to throughout life, and is completely independent from anything and anyone in life. You know your body better than anyone else, and only you can say when you feel strong, awake, alive and happy. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to find that place! Don’t let anyone tell you they think they know better, don’t try to conform; just be the healthiest version of you!
Love,
Faya x
P.s. Massive thanks to the Triumph team – it was such a joy getting to know you all and shooting with you. Thanks for your patience and laughter! :) Our videos are below:
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