I LOVE this article :)

WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK?
By Stephanie Garcia
Fat. Yup, I said it. I’m not scared of the word. I’m not embarrassed to use it as an adjective to describe myself. That doesn’t mean my personality is fat. My goals are fat. The love that I give is fat. My job is fat. My athletic ability is fat. It means I’m carrying extra “fat”, and that’s about as much power as I’m going to give the word.
Carrying extra pounds doesn’t stop me from getting out there and doing triathlons, 15Ks and even playing softball. It didn’t stop me from participating in the Dirty Girl 5K mud run, even if I initially had reservations about being able to climb, crawl and shimmy through obstacles I had never done before. Of course visions of muddy clothes clinging to my curves crossed my mind, but in the end, none of that mattered. I realized that out on the Dirty Girl obstacle course. It’s all about having a blast. No one is watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake or fall. No one is noticing those limitations that you’ve placed on yourself. No one is noticing the flaws you think you have. In fact, expect people to lend a hand as you’re climbing over the cargo net, or grab your butt as they help to lift you over a wall.
Believe it or not, being a plus sized athlete is an amazing experience. Participants, spectators and volunteers are on YOUR side. Races and events, no matter what size or type, are filled with positive, encouraging, and motivating participants who WANT you to succeed. You see, the thing with seasoned athletes is that when they notice new racers and participants, they instantly become proud just because you’re there, giving it your all and trying. After all, they were once beginners, too. Participating in a race isn’t defined by how fast you can go, how long you’ve been doing it, or how many times you have to stop to walk or take a break in between miles (which, by the way, is perfectly ok). The last thing you should feel is embarrassed or out of place as a newbie or someone in a body that you think isn’t ideal or athletic enough for a race. Everyone is welcome, and you feel that positive energy as soon as you pin your bib number.
You don’t know how often I have shuffled passed a seasoned runner- huffing, puffing, out of breath and sweating so much you would have thought I had just stepped out of a pool- and heard phrases like “looking good, keep it up”. Believe me. There are NO feelings of sarcasm, jealously or negativity towards newbies or people in the middle of their fitness journey. Everyone is welcome, whether it’s a mud run or a marathon. That simple mentality has given me courage and will continue to give me courage to try longer distances, different races and challenge myself because, after all, we’re all in a race against no one other than our past selves, and they are the only ones holding us back.