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eridani

(51,907 posts)
Wed Oct 14, 2015, 02:36 AM Oct 2015

This badass runner is using her body to crush weight stigma and shut down fat shamers.

http://www.upworthy.com/this-badass-runner-is-using-her-body-to-crush-weight-stigma-and-shut-down-fat-shamers

Runner Mirna Valerio is no stranger to people who stop and stare at her.

Passersby often do a double-take when they see Valerio, a fat, African-American woman, running around the small, mostly white and very rural Rabun County, Georgia.

But the stares don't faze her; Valerio is too focused on her goals, which she documents on her blog, Fat Girl Running, to care about haters.

"People do look, and they say things," Valerio told Upworthy. "But I know what I have to do, and whatever my goal is for the day, I know I need to get it done, and so I go do it."

In a foot race, Valerio could probably outrun most of us. Easily.

She's been running consistently since 2008 — completing multiple 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, marathons, ultramarathons — and is currently training for the pièce de résistance of her running career thus far: the Javelina Jundred, a 100k race (that's just over 62 miles, people! SIXTY! TWO! MILES!).

She also happens to be "clinically obese" at 240 pounds. But that label means nothing because whatever, it takes serious physical and mental strength to run 62 freaking miles. Sixty! Two! Miles! To put that in perspective, 62 miles is the same distance you'd have to travel up from Earth if you wanted to go to outer space. Valerio does not mess around.




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This badass runner is using her body to crush weight stigma and shut down fat shamers. (Original Post) eridani Oct 2015 OP
Yes! shenmue Oct 2015 #1
Good job! get the red out Oct 2015 #2
And she is just totally RADIANT in the pix n/t eridani Oct 2015 #3
Excellent! We're getting there with body acceptance. She's great! CTyankee Oct 2015 #4
The best news ChazII Oct 2015 #5
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