One glorious aspect to the Olympics is the recognition of athletes who are not bound to popular team sports, i.e. professional basketball and soccer.
Michelle Carter, an American Olympic shot-putter, was profiled in a New Yorker sports column today in recognition of her talents and mission to make her sport more appealing to young women in the country.
A quick glance at her Instagram page, cleverly titled @shotdiva, is a combination of her athletic prowess and her desire to embrace image and femininity in a sport where viewers won’t always acknowledge this idea as plausible.
“It’s something I think a lot of girls and women shy away from because it’s not looked at as something a woman would want to do or a woman should do,” Carter said. “I think now, it’s like, ‘You know what? We’re girls and we can throw heavy balls and be in the dirt and we look good while we’re doing it.’ I think it’s bringing more attention to the sport and girls are realizing, Hey, I can do this and it’s O.K. to do this as a girl.”
Carter, who is a certified professional makeup artist, said “For a couple of years, being professional, I kind of questioned myself,” she said. “Should I wear my false lashes or take the time I want to take so I can feel good when I go out on the field? Because nobody else was really doing that. And I thought, No: I’m not going to change what I believe I should look like to fit anybody else’s standards. I believe if you look your best, you’re going to feel your best, you’re going to do your best.”
In context, as Carter embraces her “You Throw Girl” persona, it is important to note that the Olympics and sports in general have not always been overly kind to women, needless to say.
As Pierre de Coubertin said in 1912, founder of the International Olympic Committee, “the Olympic Games must be reserved for men.” He also said that in awe of male athleticism a reward for their talents would be “female applause.”
Moreover, in Carter’s case, as an American hoping to be the first female medalling shot-putter since 1960, her embrace of strength and beauty is a welcome sign of duality for the culture.
For more on her journey, read the full article here.
