Caroline Buchanan – “Be you and stay true”
What do love about your body? My eyes and my hair. I always had trouble with my helmet because I’d finish a race and my hair would be so messy. I decided at 14 to cut it and now it’s just constant messy helmet hair – it’s my signature.
What don’t you like? I was always the girl with the big legs and the big butt – but the tide has turned and they’re both now my biggest asset.
Who inspires you? My parents. My fiancé Barry Noble – he pushes me on the bike and off the bike. And Layne Beachley – she’s always been a mentor of mine.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Just love it. You’re stuck with it so you’ve got to love it. Be yourself. Through my style and my sport and everything really, I’ve always done that, I’ve stayed true to me. It’s now my biggest asset and brand.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? It was advice from my mum: “be you and stay true.”
Madison de Rozario “ My body right now is perfect for what I want it to be.”
What do love about your body? My back – I love the top part of my back the most. It’s a shock when I see it because obviously you can’t see the top part of your back but I’ll see a photo and be like “that’s quite good!”
What don’t you like? The lack of symmetry – not even a disproportion top to bottom – it’s just the symmetry is the only thing I don’t like.
Who inspires you? [Fellow paralympian] Angie Ballard, who’s been my roommate since 2012. She had a bad patch but took a lot of risks and went through a deeply personal journey and a transition to break two world records.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Your body will look how your body looks and you’re allowed to work on it. You’re allowed to not be happy with it and want it to look different and you’re allowed to improve your body.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I’ve ever been given is “you don’t have to be pretty like her, you can be pretty like you.” On the outside this seems like a fairly superficial piece of advice. I feel like it can be applied to so many aspects of life though. The ‘pretty’ can be replaced with ‘talented’, ‘smart’, ‘happy’, the list goes on!
Elise Seriat – “The harder the struggle, the greater the reward”
What do you love about your body? My legs. Training for the [New York] 
marathon was about my whole body, but my legs pushed me through site útil.
One foot in front of the next.
What don’t you like? What’s not to like about your body?!
Who inspires you? Robert de Castella and the 64 graduates of the
Indigenous Marathon Foundation.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Never underestimate your body and what it can do. And always show respect for your body – listen to it, and show it the love it deserves.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? “The harder the struggle, the greater the reward.
Louise Burrows – “I love my bum, it’s my powerhouse”
What do you love about your body? My booty.
What don’t you like? My upper thighs are my least favourite. They’re big and chunky – they’re
definitely strong but I’m not one to wear shorts very often unless I’m on the rugby field!
Who inspires you? Serena Williams – I really do look up to her. We both have booty so we’re both similar body types but play completely different sports. I look at her and she’s all about being a great athlete. She’s fit and she’s strong.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? I teach PE at an all-girls school and I always encourage my students to do their best. You don’t have the be the fastest, you might be the slowest, but if you do your best then I’ll be super proud.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? Listen, take everything in, try everything and see what works best for you. Don’t dismiss ideas or new ways of doing things. Trust in your abilities.
And believe in yourself, knowing that you’ve done the work.
Marianna Tolo – “Love your body and be proud of who you are”
What do you love about your body? My shoulders and my back. They’re quite str
ong and look good.
What don’t you like? My bum because it has acne on it.
Who inspires you? Cathy Freeman. She’s also from Mackay. She visited my primary school when I was a kid after the 2000 Olympics. That was pretty unreal.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? It can be tough as a young girl and especially as a tall one. My advice would be to just be yourself and don’t let any teasing get to you.
Death Row dinner? Probably lots of chocolates and lollies – as many as and I could fit into my gob.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? It was from a teacher when I was in primary school. They just made it clear that everyone is different. Everyone is themselves, and you’ve just got to own who you are and be comfortable with who you are.
Tarlina Tipungwuti – ” I love being a good role model for all the young kids”
What do you love about your body? I love that I can always be so active.
Playing sports and running around. I love playing sports.
What don’t you like? I’d change my tummy. I’ve always had a flat tummy, because that’s my core strength when I play sports, [but right now] it’s supple. It’s very important for when you’re playing sports, you’ve gotta keep that core strong.
Who inspires you? Evonne Goolagong. My uncle [Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti] does as well. He plays for Essendon. Ever since he was at least 10 years old, he’s always wanted to be a professional AFL player … and he had to put in for, like, 10 years he was training. He had this one goal, and he got it.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Go out and have fun. No matter what you do, go out and play sports or go on family adventures, just go out and have fun. Whatever you do.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? If you want it, push for it.
Patti Wilkins – “I love helping people to be their physical best.”
What do you love about your body? I quite like my obliques – but nobody ever sees them!
They keep me strong and allow me to do everything I want to do. I have a good strong core.
What don’t you like? My face.
Who inspires you? My kids and my clients all inspire me with their efforts.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Just be yourself. It’s really important to be yourself, don’t try to emulate other people. Go with your natural features and be happy.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? When I was 12, my grandfather wrote in my autograph book: “To thine own self be true.” That’s something I always think about.
Michelle Wu – “Just learn to love what you have.”
What do you love about your body? My calf muscles. They’re not very big, but they’re quite
strong and especially for running, you need to have strong legs. I like my legs in general.
What don’t you like? My arms – they’re so skinny! I just don’t have any upper body strength.
I’m working on it, and it’s not my 
favourite thing to be doing.
Who inspires you? Any athlete who sacrifices time away from family and friends for their sport.
Anyone in sport who is willing to work hard and be dedicated to their goals inspires me.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Just learn to love what you have. Seriously. I know it’s a hard thing to do when you’re so young and you’re surrounded by friends and peers, and magazines and TV and social media. People like to post photos of themselves looking amazingly fit … they could be people like me who have been training for 10-plus years to get their body like this. That’s it. Just love what your body is.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? Definitely just to enjoy what you’re doing. Because if you’re not, then it’s hard to get out of bed when your alarm goes off.
Ellie Raiser – “I love pregnancy – I feel empowered.”
What do you love about your body? My eyes.
What don’t you like? My hands!
Who inspires you? Serena Williams. She’s not only the best athlete, female or male, in the world, but she epitomises what it means to be a good role model. She’s never conformed to what society expects you to look like. She carries herself with such grace and always seems to be happy and healthy.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Have a healthy relationship with your body. Every woman’s body is different. Don’t buy into your physical appearance because that doesn’t mean much at the end of the day.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? “What’s best for you and your baby is what feels right for you.”
Kylie Lindbeck – “Love the body you are in and do what makes you happy.”
What do
love about your body? My butt.
What don’t you like? Also my butt. Because I can’t find jeans that fit it!
Who inspires you? My coach, Lyn Jones, and all of my training partners who are around every day and are just so supportive of each other.
What’s your advice to young girls on their bodies? Love the body you are in and do what makes you happy. If you train hard, embrace the muscles that you have worked your butt off for.
Best advice you’ve ever been given? From a former coach of mine who said “enjoy the journey.”
Karleen (the photographer)
“There are hateful, hurtful body shamers in this world that get glee from making people feel lesser because they aren’t the “right” shape. Worse still the voice in our own head can be our loudest, cruelest and harshest critic.
I wanted to show women and girls that even our heroines whose bodies are at the top of their game don’t conform to a single shape. There is no one ‘type’ of body that will bring you success. I hope that these girls who have pared themselves back, been true and raw about their fears, their personal body loves and hates can motivate some conversation between mums and daughters, teachers and students or coaches and players, and make us all happier with the body we live in.”
Bree (the writer):
“How freaking lucky am I?
I loved talking to all 10 of these phenomenal women. They have things they love about their bodies. They have things they hate. But the one thing they all had in common was a deep respect for the skin they’re in. There’s no doubt the media has a significant role to play when it comes to body image. This project is less about perfect bodies and more about kick-arse, strong women, committed to being their best. And I love that most took their one physical ‘weakness’ and turned it into a powerful tool for performance at world level. I’ll sit with my 12-year-old daughter and her iPad mini and show her this project. And ultimately that’s what I hope Love her body will be – a conversation starter.
PS – you might be surprised to learn that all 10 women were super nervous about being photographed in their underwear! See – they’re just like the rest of us!”
READ THE REST OF THIS AMAZING STORY HERE
