WELCOME

TIMES THEY ARE a-changin’ and so too is BETTY.

When we first discussed issue eight, a unanimous decision was made to have an overarching theme of body positivity and self-acceptance.

While good in theory, it highlighted some of my own insecurities.

I’ve had remarks made about my weight by friends, and even strangers, that I’m “too skinny” — a sentiment these people believed was either highly desirable or helpful as they stood there and gave unsolicited advice on how to put weight on.

They were very comfortable making me uncomfortable and could shrug off their intrusive two cents about my body as a part of life.

Let me clarify. I am in the healthy body weight range for my height.

But after a while, it sparked a notion in my head that I didn’t look okay. In my head, I was hard to look at, like a malnourished human in a poverty-stricken country. My body was no longer my own.

The comments I received were continuous to the point where it got so bad a plate of food in front of me would trigger panic and anxiety, causing me to burst into tears and lose my appetite entirely. My body became lighter, and yet, I felt heavier than ever before.

Mental health is tricky, and page 4’s story of Cherie’s own undue burden of trauma explores the avenues of help available. Therapy was not for her, but GROW’s support group meetings were.

On page 76, mum, Crossfit competitor and overall badass woman Selinda Davies found her own kind of support with the Nemesis Strength and Conditioning community.

Another livewire remedy-taker was female boxer Kailee Densworth. She’d been in the ring of life and had it throw too many punches. But the young fighter found a way to stay on two feet, keep herself grounded, and gain a self-confidence she never knew existed. See page 30.

You’ll also find Avery Vincent blossoming into her true self and finding happiness as a woman reborn on page 60.

These inspiring women and more within the pages of BETTY held up a mirror and allowed me a moment of reflection.

So, I leave you with this.

For the women that have cried on the bedroom floor surrounded by piles of clothing, that leave the house feeling uncomfortable in, not just our clothes, but also our skin, I see you.

There’s a blessing in the breaking and it’s time to not just put the pieces back together but rearrange them. Retrain our brains to walk with confidence once again.

If I can find my way back, so too can you.

Taylah Baker and the BETTY team

EDITOR

Caitlyn Grant, Christine Anderson 5820 3180, christine.anderson@mmg.com.au

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Ree Peric, 5820 3221, ree.peric@mmg.com.au

ADVERTISING

Doris Kula, 5820 3187; Simone Dunne, 5820 3134; Leesa Haeusler, 5820 3188; Leonie Limosani, 5820 3157

WRITERS

Kelly Carmody, Liam Nash, Caleb Francis, Jay Bryce, Taylah Baker, Anna McGuinness, Max Stainkamph, Djembe Archibald

DESIGN

Alysha Bathman

PHOTOGRAPHY

Megan Fisher, Holly Daniel, Rechelle Zammit, Kelly Carmody PUBLISHED BY