THE SWIMMER’S

ANABELLE WALKER Staff Writer

In the swimming community, there is an unspoken discussion about body image and their restricting uniform setting and expectation to which students feel they have to conform.

Junior Kai Malin has been a swim team member since his freshman year, and he claims that the expectation of having a swimmer’s body has become more relevant to him over the years.

“There’s an image or goal that people want to be perceived as,” Malin said. “As a good player, and as a good athlete in order to get attention. You have to fit that look.”

With almost 150 people on the swim team, conversation about body image may be a prevalent issue that seems like it would be discussed more than it is, but instead, most students keep their worries to themselves.

Body image is a topic that is fairly universal, especially among teenagers. It can be a particularly sensitive issue for high school students who participate in swimming.

Paired with the expectation to wear swimsuits, the pressure for high school students to conform to a specific body type still prevails.

The United States Swimming Organization reports that the drive to meet a certain body standard for athletes can harm their mental health.

Malin said despite his interest in swim, he was hesitant to join the sport out of fear he would not fit into a swimmer’s “slim” standard. In the end, support from family and friends ultimately gave him confidence.

“I think (the expectations) have gotten better over the years,” Malin said. “If you look at the swim team today, many people don’t fit that Michael Phelps look, but they still do it because they think it’s fun and they want to participate in the sport.”

According to the United States Swimming Organization, it is common for sports like swimming to have a demanding body aesthetic or shape. Although it isn’t talked about much, Malin said that many members of the swimming community feel pressured to look a certain way.

Along with fitting the look, assistant swim coach Hayley O’Brien believes there are many other possibilities for why swimmers may feel pressure to look this way.

Body image dissatisfaction

70.8% percentage of female swimmers out of a study of 226 who have reported concerns over body image.

For O’Brien, swimming has been a large part of her life. She swam in high school and for UC Davis’ Division I team.

Pursuing this passion has benefited her, as she’s gotten to know the students whom she works with and understands where their struggles may stem.

O’Brien said that swimming is a unique sport, as its uniform involves very little clothing. She be lieves there might be more anxiety among newer swimmers since the uniform is more revealing than other sports.

“I think that there’s a desensitization to it over time,” O’Brien said, “If you’re in a swimsuit every single day, then it becomes more normal over time.”

O’Brien said social media has also harmed teenag ers’ perception of themselves and their body image.

“I don’t spend a lot of time on Instagram, but when I do go on it, the feed that I get recommended are always the super tall, ripped guys,” Malin said, “And I’m like, why can’t I be like that? I just wish I had that six-pack.”

Along with the prevalent social media use among teenagers, senior the swim team all four years, claims there is a con nection between how one feels in a swimsuit and how they perceive other people online.

Puebla believes that swimmers have to uphold specific standards, leading to external pressures to conform to a particular body type. According to Puebla, everyone is expected to look the same and maintain the ideal appearance.

“Being in a swimsuit, you kind of feel a little exposed,” she said. “For me, I’m really comfort able in my body, and I love myself but other people I know, they don’t feel the same way. And it’s upsetting to hear that they feel so negatively about themselves and in the pool where they are just there to work out and have fun with their friends.”

While social media can be a significant source of pressure regarding body image, Puebla reminds swimmers that instead of striving for an unattain able ideal, they can benefit from learning to accept their bodies for what they are.

“I just think it’s important that you’re out there and you’re trying and that’s all that matters.” Puebla said. “Just because you don’t look a certain way and you don’t fit other people’s stereotypes doesn’t mean anything different.”

50% number of male swimmers from a study of 132 that showed behaviors associated with eating disorders, such as purging.

35% of males and 43% of females reported that they experience pressure from coaches or teammates to meet body expectations.

Source: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology