One runner’s perfect response to man who fat-shamed her

Internet fat shamers and mansplainers better run quick! This runner and body positive champion has had it after being fat shamed for working out in her sports bra.

Kelly Roberts is the woman behind the blog Run, Selfie, Repeat and the founder of the #SportsBraSquad, a movement that encourages women of all sizes to ditch their shirts and hit the pavement confidently and comfortably in their sports bras.

As a body positive advocate who’s fronted the cover of Women’s Running, Roberts says she’s no stranger to trolls and haters. “I have some pretty horrible things said to me weekly,” she wrote in one post.

But a recent email proved too much. She shared a screenshot of the message on her Instagram page, showing that fat shaming and mansplaining is still very much alive and well. 

The stranger asked, “I’m curious why you don’t simply have the discipline to go on a diet and lose the excess fat you have?”

He takes it even further, attacking her for how she dealt with the unexpected loss of her brother.

“Instead, you rather literally run away from your problems and act like losing a family member is the harshest thing on earth and thereby grants you the right to pontificate to the rest of us about strength?”

Roberts has been open about her brother’s death. According to the Facebook page for Run, Selfie, Repeat, she gained 75 pounds when he died as a result of her grief. Dealing with the loss, she decided to go for a run one day – the start of what would become a global self-love journey.

Roberts would understandably have every right to lash out at the fat shamer. Instead, she had the perfect response, writing: “Once upon a time, your words would have cut me like valyrian steel. Today? They remind me how important it is to change the way we see strength. Because what you call fat, I know can run a marathon in 3 hours in 41 minutes.”

“I hope one day you can obtain the strength I've worked tirelessly for. Until then, know that I will spend the rest of my life empowering the women you hope to shame. You will lose. You already are. The #SportsBraSquad is strong as hell.”

And then for the final mic drop…

“See you at the finish line. I'll be the one giving you a high five when you get there.”