Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin is not happy with a person on social media. She recently posted a photo that showed her standing in front of a mirror during her morning workout routine. A hater responded with a critical comment, and Liukin wasted no time defending herself.
The Blast first noticed social media interaction, which started when Liukin posted a selfie at a pilates studio near Dallas, Texas. A person responded in a direct message, seemingly accusing her of promoting anorexia. Liukin then posted a screenshot of the interaction and called out the person.
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“Do u feel like u r promoting borderline anorexia looking bodies?” the person on social media asked in a direct message. The five-time gold medalist shot back with a fiery defense. She also talked about her workouts and pushing herself to get stronger.
“If taking pictures of my OWN body — a body that won me many Olympics medals, a body that I push each day to get stronger, a body that God gave me — is inherently promoting anorexia, then honestly, we’ve gotten to a place in the world where just BEING is offensive,” Liukin wrote on Instagram. “This is ME. This is my body. While I’ve always been thin, I’ve not always been strong. I’m proud to say that I am truly stronger now than I’ve ever been. I’m sorry if my body is triggering to you. I don’t believe that I should have to cover it up for fear of being offensive.”
The gymnast in Liukin was a highly-decorated athlete during her career. She secured several medals during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Her list of accomplishments includes the gold medal in women’s all-around, silver medals in the women’s team, women’s balance beam, women’s uneven bars, and a bronze medal in women’s floor exercise.
In addition to her Olympic accomplishments, Liukin won a gold medal on the balance beam at the 2007 Pan American Games. She also won the all-around gold medal at the 2006 American Cup. Liukin earned medals at several other competitions throughout her career, including the World Championships, the U.S. Classic, and Visa Championships.
“Ever BODY should be loved,” Liukin wrote at the end of the message to her critic. “And why shouldn’t my body fall into that, too? I’m sorry for whatever you’re going through that made you think writing this note to me was in any way OK. I hope you heal from your traumas just as I have healed from mine (and continue to).”
