Today, I skipped a workout class I told myself I was going to go to, and then took a three hour nap instead. I was pretty pleased with myself until I heard about 9-year-old Milla Bizzotto, and now I feel supremely underaccomplished.
Earlier this month, Milla participated in the 24-hour Battlefrog obstacle course, a race designed by the United States Navy SEALs. The race, usually reserved for hyper-athletic people over the age of 18, includes grueling obstacles like climbing up swinging ropes, crawling beneath barbed wire, 36 miles of running, and an 8-kilometer swimming course – basically everything your worst gym nightmares are made of. Why would a 9-year-old take the time do this? The answer is for a reason everyone can get behind: to raise awareness about bullying.
Milla has enjoyed sports and fitness for years, but was bullied at school by punk kids who said she wasn’t a good athlete. Damn, did she show them. This little girl is in incredible shape, but more importantly, has the best attitude toward bullying.
If someone says you suck because you can’t do something, get insanely good at it, and give them nothing to talk about except your own awesomeness. This little girl (she weighs in at just 53 pounds of pure rockstar) trained for three hours a day, five times a week for months to get race ready. Her dad, a CrossFit coach, and in a Dad of the Year move, encouraged her and coached her, even running the race by her side, allowing her to participate despite the age requirement.
Milla is also body and fitness positive, and urges kids to get outside and play, and to appreciate our bodies for their athletic capabilities, saying, “I have one body and it’s all I want and all I love.”
Preach, girl. She reminds you of when you were a kid, playing and running around because it was fun and kept you healthy, not because you were trying to get skinny. Love your body for what it can do, not for what it looks like. Milla’s message to kids is one that women everywhere can live by.
“I want to set an example and show other kids that they can do or be anything they want,” she said.
So put a little Milla in your life: ignore the haters, prove them wrong, go be your best self, and never forget to love yourself..
[via Women’s Health]
Image via Instagram
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