Venus Williams Hits Back At Body Shaming Critics: “I’m Proud To Be Strong”

Just days after Wimbledon champion Serena Williams was victim to what we think is a form of cyber-bullying after she claimed?yet another amazing victory on the courts, her sister Venus Williams has hit back at anyone who dares try and body shame her (or her sister), saying that she’s proud of her amazing physique, and “proud to be strong.”

Just in case you missed it, Venus’ sister Serena was told by a Twitter troll last week that she only won her Wimbledon title because she was “built like a man” (author J.K. Rowling soon sorted him out), and this prompted Venus to address the issue regarding her own shape in an interview with Cosmopolitan. Both ladies, have amazing athletic figures and are forces to be reckoned with in their fields, but this has prompted some publications to make negative comments about their body shape (and that of tennis players body shape in general), which we think is disgraceful. These women should be celebrated for excelling in their fields, but instead a recent New York Times article had this to say about a sports star: “Her rivals could try to emulate her physique,” the article read, “but most of them choose not to.” What are they even on about? Comments like that are utterly ridiculous.

“I let my body do whatever it wants to do,” she added. “I’m an athlete, so my main concern is how to achieve my top performance, whatever that takes,” – Venus Williams

But Venus had this to say about it:?”I always thought of it like, “What can my body do for me?” and not, “How do I look?” I’ve always been happy with my body. Of course I want to look well and fit – and as an athlete, I want to look strong. I want my opponents to look at me across the net and just not want it play me because I look so fit and amazing and strong,” she said when asked about how she felt about her body shape. When asked if she avoided what’s known as ‘strength training’ to avoid bulking up, she simply said that she does what she has to do, to keep her body in shape and stay on top of her game.

“I let my body do whatever it wants to do,” she added. “I’m an athlete, so my main concern is how to achieve my top performance, whatever that takes.

And to what does she owe her success? Good, old fashioned hard work. “I’m a hard worker, that’s my skill: When I was younger, I didn’t really play other sports – I’d spend five, six, seven, eight hours a day on the court. It’s what you have to do when you’re growing up to create muscle memory. That way, when you get on the big stage, you don’t have to think, you just do.”

She also spoke of her admiration for her sister (and sometimes rival), Serena, saying: “From the very beginning she has inspired me.
‘[she has] the ability to perform under the most pressure? nothing has changed,” said Venus.

We love reading inspiring comments like this, and only hope that more powerful women keep speaking out. You rock Venus.?

Via Cosmopolitan