I grew up as a competitive figure skater and earned my US Figure Skating Double Gold Medal. I trained six days a week, worked incredibly hard on the ice, and still never felt like I fit the “ideal” figure skating body. No matter how much effort I put in, I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and constantly told myself I needed to be smaller.

So I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I ate less. I trained more. I followed the advice of unreliable calorie calculators, stacked lifting, HIIT workouts, and cardio on top of skating, and believed that if I just worked harder, I’d finally feel confident. Instead, my body started sending warning signs. I lost my cycle. My hair thinned. I isolated myself from people and things I enjoyed doing because everything revolved around food and training. I was exhausted, frustrated, and honestly miserable.

That cycle couldn’t last. It eventually led to binge eating and a hard realization: the way I was treating my body wasn’t helping me feel better about myself—it was slowly breaking me down.