Women’s Health UK – September 2019

There’s no such thing

as the perfect body.

No one actually knows

what that is. I’m not

perfect in any shape

or form, but I think it’s

important people see

what a real rower’s body

looks like. I definitely

still feel self-conscious

about being naked,

but we shouldn’t shy

away from showing

off our bodies.

I’m grateful for my

height. I was always the

tall girl at school, which

made me feel self-

conscious when I was

younger, but now it’s

something I’m proud of.

Being 5ft 10in is helpful

for rowing – height is a

big factor in making the

boat go faster. When we

go out as a squad and

all wear heels, people

always stop us and ask

which team we’re from.

Our height definitely

draws attention – it

makes us stand out

from the crowd.

I have no idea how

many calories I eat in

a day. If I had to guess,

it would be somewhere

between 3,000 and

4,000 – I burn up a lot

of fuel as I train six days

a week. The team has a

nutritionist who works

with us, but I find it quite

easy to eat healthily.

My standard dinner will

be chicken, salad and

a baked potato, but I

don’t deprive myself of

anything if I’m craving

it. Instead, I focus on

eating balanced meals

throughout the day.

The mental challenges

of sport are often

harder than the

physical. The body is

a machine – an engine

that will run as long as

it’s physically capable,

so success is down to

whether your head

allows it to. Athletes

across the board have

to deal with the

pressure and anxiety

that comes with elite-

level sport, but you

have to stay healthy in

your mind to perform

to your best ability.

That’s why it’s so

important to take care

of your mental health

as carefully as your

physical health.

The key to body

positivity is acceptance.

As I’ve got older, I care

less about what other

people think. There

wasn’t a turning point;

I just gradually became

more carefree. Now,

my focus is on looking

after my body and

making sure it’s in top

condition so that

when I go after gold

in Tokyo, I know I’ve

done everything I can

to make it happen. I

hope that when people

see my body, it helps

them accept their own.

KAREN BENNETT, 30

Scottish rower who won a silver medal

for Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games

96 | SEPTEMBER 2019 Women’s Health

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