I had a “suggested profile” on instagram this morning – classic triathlete-y looking profile, so I clicked onto it. I was greeted by a young lady, no more than 10, with a burgeoning follower count of nearly 5k and a few hundred posts on her profile, not to mention the plethora of brands she is backing up, amabassador-ing for and receiving lovely gifts from. Kudos. You’re doing well kid. Business will come easy to you.
But it made me a bit sad. Clearly, a talented young person – you go kiddo! Clearly loves her sport and movement. But there was something…I don’t know…eerie about it. The majority of the posts looked distinctly like replica photos from those put out by women more than twice her age trying to pull off that brand of “sexy sport”. You know what I mean, the dramatic filters, the perfectly curated lycra cut, the photos eating where they’re not actually eating (nor do they ever look like they’ve ever enjoyed food). As you well know by now, I’m a completely unpolished and raw version of life. Authenticity is my number one value. Why? In short, because it makes you a better person and that makes you a fantastic benefit to humanity. My lycra usually has some sort of lump or scrape in it, my hair is never brushed, my spots are out in the open and if I’m eating, I’m usually wearing half of it on my face.
Here I was, watching a 10 year old being flaunted on Instagram for her love of sport. And I’m glad she wants to share it with the world (though there’s a whole separate question here about kids and consent – even if the parents have set up the profile, does a 10 year old have the capacity to give consent to her EVERY MOVE being portrayed on the internet to a potential audience of millions?), because I get totally stoked when I see youngsters getting excited about something they’re passionate about, whatever that is. But it just made me think about what it’s all about.
Sport and movement and enjoying your hobbies used to be about just that; enjoying yourself, doing what you love. There seems to have been a shift for some. I myself, don’t post every waking moment on social media. Why? Because I’m too busy enjoying myself! Of course I want to share the journey and I want to impart knowledge and experience alongside that so my clients can benefit – after all, that’s kind of my job – but I don’t feel the need to document every single training session, sunny ride or open water swim. Because I do it all for ME. Looking at this child, I was wondering, what happens if she changes her mind? What happens if she doesn’t enjoy triathlon any more? In fact, will this constant lifestyle of “let me take a photo for your Instagram!” completely mould her mind into something that says “You do this for other people”? Will it leave her thinking “only perfection is acceptable”?
When you’re a young, talented athlete, you’re going to get into sport at a young age. But you should be enjoying it. And there should be an exit option for you. And you should never feel pressured into not taking that exit just because everyone else tells you you should. And it must be really challenging to parent those kids and strike the right balance when you can see so much potential. But this is not a post about kids, this is about humans in general. This is about reminding you that your passions, your holidays, your goals, your dreams, they should all be your own. Nobody else’s. Share your journey with the world! People want to celebrate your wins with you and support you through your lows. But don’t feel that what you do has to be for everyone else. Make sure you know why you’re doing it for you.
“And if you have a ten year old, let them be a ten year old.“