Not that I’m totally shocked – swimming has all kinds of problems, including that it really helps to be as light as possible. Read dagblog.com
Days ago I finished Age Is Just A Number, perennial Olympic swimmer Dara Torres’ ghost written autobiography. Lithe and streamlined as juniors, women swimmers often struggle with weight as their hips and breasts blossom. Nearly six feet tall, Torres was coached to make weight. She either weighed-in under 152 or swam extra workouts – perversely dubbed the Breakfast Club. Liking food, but not wanting to ever feel part of what she saw as “the fat group,” Torres learned to vomit after meals, and struggled with bulimia in her early years. Having a professional model for a mother probably didn’t help.
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Yes, she said that she had been shown how to stick her fingers and puke by another young woman on that team. Torres said her condition was such common knowledge in the elite swim community that her next coach made sure she was done with bulimia before letting her on his team.
Wow, thanks for that comment (I think :-S)