The Same Team

As I’m getting ready to go to the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) conference screening of Darryl Roberts’ new documentary “America the Beautiful 2: the Thin Commandments,” I’m reflecting on how I first met Darryl. My non-profit hosted a screening of “America the Beautiful“. The film takes a powerful look at America’s obsession with beauty, and Darryl Roberts was impressive and inspiring and well-received by an audience of people from varied backgrounds.

The next day I had the opportunity to be part of an amazing panel. It included CJ Legare, the first plus-sized model ever signed to Elite Model Management, and the owner of Power Pinc; Darryl Robert, the filmmaker of America the Beautiful; Amanda Buller, licensed and registered Dietician for the University of Texas; Rozana Zaifer-Sims Psy.D, an eating disorder expert; Alexis Jones founder of i am that girl, and top three finalist on “Survivor”; and me.

I was so inspired by the message and story that each one of these people brought to the table, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with them. The name of the panel was “Does Health at Every Size Work?”. We had a lot of differences: age, gender, race, personal experience, speaking topics, philosophies, and the audiences to whom we usually speak. We didn’t even all have the same idea about Health at Every Size, but we could all get behind the idea that in order for people to be willing to take consistently good care of themselves, it’s probably easiest if they like themselves first.

And it was bigger than that. For that glorious couple of hours, we became a mutual admiration society — we had a dialog, we learned from, and were inspired by each other, and I will say for myself that I came away much better for the experience. We weren’t six speakers who felt like we had to keep it close to the vest because we’re “competing” for the same gigs. We weren’t activists looking for attention and a byline. We were people who want something so much that we are willing to transcend our differences, and the idea of competition, and play on the same team.

That’s where the power is. Not just in the field of self-esteem and body image, but everywhere. When we start looking for common goals and playing like we’re on the same team, then we can’t help but make the world better. You couldn’t have a baseball team that was made up entirely of pitchers — you need different players for different jobs and it’s no different out in the world: we need all of our voices to be heard.

If you want to make the world better, if you want to help people love themselves more, then I want to be on your team — just tell me how I can help and put me in coach!

Thank you CJ, Alexis, Darryl, Rozana, and Amanda — you all inspire me more than you will probably ever know!

If you’re in the San Francisco area, tickets are still available for the screening this Saturday at 8 pm at the Sofitel Hotel.