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Why this blogger is embracing her bikini body this year


Danielle Galvin is a 25-year-old from Queensland, Australia who has more than 83,000 followers. Each day she posts about different challenges she faces as a plus size woman embracing her body.

Recently, she tackled a topic that most women struggle with: swimming and sporting a bathing suit in public.

For Galvin this bathing suit dread dates back to school swimming trips – and it’s as relatable as ever.

“Too many times I spent in oversized T-shirts, hiding my thighs with board shorts and dragging out the process of getting changed after swimming class at school. I sat with wet with arms wrapped around my body waiting to be able to score a free toilet cubicle and take that sopping, heavy and drenched T-shirt off without the embarrassment of a classmate seeing my rolls,” she wrote.

Her post quickly changes its tone, however, taking a more positive and empowering form – one of the main reasons her followers love her.

“No way will I ever spend another summer hiding, another summer worrying about what beach goers think of my body, another moment waiting to feel the warm water on my belly, waiting to feel free. This summer my skin will be relishing in the sunshine and my body dancing among the waves. Don’t wait a minute longer, embrace your body and embrace summer,” she wrote.

With thousands of likes already, the message has clearly resonated with her followers.

“You are such a queen! Keep slaying the body shaming, and don’t let it take you down,” commented one user.

“I love you and thank you for helping me to love my summer body again! This will be the first summer I’m going to wear a bikini to the beach, and not care what anything thinks of it. Thank you for inspiring me Dani… so many of us Aussie girls need you,” added another.

Fat women walk through this world with extra pressures, extra defensives & extra worry. We wonder who will hurl the next insult. We worry about where to find a dress for that up-coming event. We walk through the world knowing not everyone is as kind as people think they are. We worry that people judge us for what we eat in public. We are hyper alert when people are starring. However we are just people. People with strengths & flaws just like everyone else. Body positivity is a community that should be a reprieve from the daily worry of being attacked. Yet this world online is still a place we are harmed. Blocking becomes second nature & trolling is apart of the daily reality of our life online. Our "physical health" questioned at every turn and most people would rather see us thin then happy. People talk to us as if we're delusional. People attack us as if we're second class citizens. I feel this everyday and I still have privilege. I have white skin. I am cis-gender. I am straight. I can afford basic needs. See there is a whole bunch of people who don't even have a voice. Don't even get a smidgen of the spotlight. They are ignored, stereotyped & forgotten in this conversation. How do we ensure marginalised people of all intersections have a seat at the table? By following them, supporting them & learning from them. I love following: @thesassytruth_ @simonemariposa @thoughtscaught @sassy_latte @readytostare @lvernon2000 @mynameisjessamyn @shesallfatpod @curvesbecomeher @itslololove @the_feeding_of_the_fox @abearnamedtroy @virgietovar @themilitantbaker @ushshi @chairbreaker @shadeyshay // DO YOU LOVE FOLLOWING SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY COMMENT THEIR INSTAGRAM BELOW ❤️

A post shared by Fat Body Positive Activist (@chooselifewarrior) on Sep 27, 2017 at 1:19pm PDT

This isn’t the body positive Aussie’s first post tackling the stigma surrounding her figure. Last week, Galvin posted a photo from her pool, highlighting how it feels to be a plus size woman in every day life.

“Fat women walk through this world with extra pressures, extra defense and extra worry. We wonder who will hurl the next insult. We worry about where to find a dress for that upcoming event. We walk through the world knowing not everyone is as kind as people think they are. We worry that people judge us for what we eat in public. We are hyper alert when people are staring. However we are just people. People with strengths and flaws just like everyone else,” she wrote.

“Body positivity is a community that should be a reprieve from the daily worry of being attacked. Yet this world online is still a place we are harmed… Our ‘physical health’ questioned at every turn and most people would rather see us thin than happy.”

While her posts are primarily surrounding body positivity, Galvin also touches on the injustice served to marginalized groups, highlighting a few of her favourite groups to follow.

“People attack us as if we’re second class citizens. I feel this everyday and I still have privilege. I have white skin. I am cis-gender. I am straight. I can afford basic needs. See there is a whole bunch of people who don’t even have a voice. Don’t even get a smidgen of the spotlight. They are ignored, stereotyped and forgotten in this conversation,” she wrote.

Despite the body positivity community being a large one, Galvin stands out due to her ability to capture how most women feel, whether it’s in a bathing suit or preparing for holiday parties. While the topics may change, her message remains consistent through all conversations.

“Love who you are and build memories regardless of how you look.”

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