"World's Deadliest Thighs" Woman, Kortney Olson, Loves Her Cellulite
By Sarah Kinonen. Photos: Courtesy of Instagram.
One scroll through Kortney Olson's Instagram, and there's no denying that the woman better known as owner of the "World's Deadliest Thighs" is fierce. She exudes strength, confidence, and inspiration in each and every photo she shares. But with each snapshot she takes, she's also learning to embrace an entirely other realm of her body that rarely sees the camera: her cellulite.
The bodybuilder and founder of Grrrl Clothing, an athletic wear brand made to fit all body types and sizes (it even has its own "Grrrl Army" following), recently opened up to her followers about embracing her so-called imperfections in an inspiring post on Instagram.
"For someone who trains like a beast and earned the title 'woman with the world's deadliest thighs,' from THE @therealstan Lee … I think it's safe to say [cellulite] is part [of] being human," she wrote in a caption. "But because we've spent our entire life looking at ads that are airbrushed and 'flawless,' we've been programmed to think something is wrong with us when we're 'human.'"
She continued: "The cellulite creates a void. And filling that void can come in many different forms. Alcohol. Over training. Fat freezing procedures. Eating disorders. Or like most recent — self pity. ... Last week I forgot: Despite all of my efforts (not a drop of alcohol in over 7 years, training 5-6 days a week, eating clean), I still have days and even weeks, when I 'dimple.' … How can we do our best when we’re busy fearing we look our worst?"
Olson's goal in sharing untouched images of herself — and others on Grrrl Clothing's social media accounts — is to highlight the fact that everyone, including herself, suffers from body image discrepancies. "I think I've met [zero] women who don't have some kind of perfection such as this dimple," she wrote on Instagram. "I've spent my entire life hating my body because it wasn't reflective of what was portrayed in advertising. We've changed the game."
Of course, Olson isn't alone in having some cellulite. We've previously reported that a whopping 90 percent of women have some cellulite, and you know what? It's totally normal. While there's no be-all, end-all way to eliminate dimpling for good (despite what you may have heard), there are easy ways to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite if you want to. One of the easiest ways: Staying moisturized, especially in the dead of winter. By calming and nourishing the skin, you reduce the redness and inflammation that can exaggerate stretch marks, Joshua Zeichner, a New York City dermatologist recently told Allure. Which is why we recommend lathering up with an all-over body oil, like industry fave Bio-Oil.
Cellulite or not, Olson is setting the standard in body acceptance, and we're totally here for it. "When I get caught in self pity, I am absolutely useless to the world," she wrote. "When I get caught feeling sorry for myself, I cannot think of anyone other than myself. Being self-centered in the wrong way destroys any chance of me being useful for the rest of the women in the world." So, take Olson's advice and write your script — and then flip it.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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