So now that I’ve addressed the life jackets, how about actually getting in the kayak?
Your body is on this earth to be used.
Not abused.
I grew up in Hong Kong and one of the things that I miss most about that island is how much I used to DO. My childhood was filled with being at sea, on paddleboards, on wakeboards, on boats and it has always done wonders for my mental health. When I’m near water I’m my happiest.
Do I see this as exercise? No.
Do I see it as fun? Yes.
Is it exercise? Yes.
Does it matter? No.
Actually more than anything, I see it as freedom.
This to me is the direct opposite to me in a hospital bed.
My weight has never stopped any of these things. But I know for many people it will.
If you are fat, you are supposedly not meant to be in a swimsuit, let alone a bikini. The stereotype is that you don’t take part, sit inside, don’t join in. Nah, fuck that!
Actually the stereotype is the fat girl breaks the kayak… or falls in. But here’s the reality, I weigh more than I did when I was younger. That is a fact. I have a different relationship to gravity. And I’m not as nimble as I used to be. Me and my friend weigh vastly different amounts as you may be able to see I’m sitting a little lower in the ocean than she is. It’s ok to talk about this openly. It’s ok to say you are fat and talk about it without whispering the F word. When we were finished we sat there trying to figure out a way we could both get out without one of us falling in.
We couldn’t so we decided to tip the kayak ourselves and both fall in together – that’s what friends are for! ? both falling in together is fun, leaving your friend to fall in whilst you save yourself is not!
When you are insecure at your weight, your weight literally becomes the elephant in the room. When you are body positive, it becomes so much easier cause you can simply be like “hey I’m fat, this isn’t going to work” whether that’s in a kayak or trying to squeeze between tables at a restaurant. I don’t say it in a self-deprecating way, I say in a matter of fact way and by doing that, my friends don’t rush in to reassure me that I’m not, we just find ways around it. Simple ? #ScarredNotScared