This is Blair Braverman, an author and professional musher (aka sled dog racer) living and training in Alaska.
Blair and her team of speedy sled doggos made headlines earlier this year when she wrote adorable bios for each and every one of them. Ya know, so people could get to know them before they raced in the Iditarod, no big deal. ๐๐๐๐๐๐
And now, Blair and her pups are making headlines yet again โ but this time, for a Twitter thread with an extremely wholesome lesson in body positivity!!!
In the thread, Blair shares how having sled dogs has helped her develop a healthier body image. And honestly? The whole thing is just so, SO wholesome:
Yโall, having sled dogs has been so good for my body image. And not because mushing is a joy-filled, physical outdoor activity, although thatโs true. Itโs actually something much simpler than that.
I grew up learning that all bodies are different. Okay, yeah, thatโs true. Whatever. All bodies are different. I get it.
And then I started caring for sled dogs. @QuinceMountain and I feed and train and massage them, teach them as puppies and ease them into retirement. We get to know each dog so well. And once we started doing this, do you know what became EXTREMELY OBVIOUS?
Get this: All bodies are different.
But I donโt mean this in some flip way. I mean it in a bone-deep, beautiful, complicated way. All of the dogsโ bodies are so different.
Some of them eat thousands of calories a day and are still complete stringbeans. They eat literally three times as much food as everyone else.
Some of them can eat, like, a tablespoon of kibble, and the next day they need a bigger harness. Theyโre easy keepers; their bodies naturally want to be bigger. Which is good! Easy keepers make great sled dogs.
Some of them can start training in September and are immediately ready for long runs.
Some of them need to ease into training slowly. They need gentler workoutsโand more training sessionsโbefore they can keep up with the rest of the team.
Some of them want to run 1000 miles.
Some of them feel their best during shorter, faster runs. And, occasionally, some of them arenโt that into running at all.
Some of them have disabilities.
Some of them were born with bodies that make everything harder for them, and they need extra care and understanding to really shine.
The point is, THEIR BODIES ARE SO DIFFERENT. But the differences arenโt good or bad. They just are. We donโt love Talese more or less because heโs skinny, or Colbert because heโs a chonkster. The idea makes no sense. Itโs absurd.
And, like, my body is like that too. It has its own set points, its own levels. So does yours.
The dogsโ bodies arenโt up to them, just like ours arenโt. Thereโs no value judgment. They are what they are.
And every single one is magnificent. The end.