Former Division I Athlete Victoria Garrick Is Changing The Idea Of Beauty In Women’s Sports After Battling Depression And Disordered Eating

It even jumpstarted Victoria’s year-long battle against her own appearance– during which she tried countless diets, avoided certain wardrobe items, and grew to despise working out for the sport she loved.

“For countless months, I was focusing on my body, trying to be skinnier, and trying to eat less than what my body required to perform,” she explained.

After two full semesters of putting herself through hell, though, Victoria began to question why she was going to such lengths– more specifically, why her firm stomach, defined arms, and solid legs could not be viewed as feminine or beautiful.

“From that point on, my outlook changed. Just because you are not a certain dress size or weigh more than one hundred and twenty pounds does not mean you’re not beautiful,” Victoria said.

“And, most importantly, girls who compete to win the national championship will not, and physically cannot, look the same as models clouding our Instagram feed.”

Then, once Victoria internalized this message, she decided to take it to social media. Online, she began candidly describing her own self-love battles in an effort to repair her mental health and self-esteem.

And honestly, her content creation was a win-win for everyone. She was able to return to using social media in a filter-free, authentic, and carefree way; meanwhile, women around the world were exposed to genuine and relatable content.

So, the young “Victoria Garrick” quickly became a household name among Instagrammers. Then, once she graduated from USC in 2019, the former DI athlete was drawn to new endeavors where she could make an even larger impact.

Specifically, Victoria embarked on a university speaking tour right after leaving school. During that time, she visited colleges across the nation and delivered speeches to female athletes about body acceptance and nurturing.

And ever since then, Victoria’s platform has only grown. She has gone on to launch her own podcast, named “Real Pod,” while continuing to share body-positive content with the world.

“Now I create content full-time for all social media platforms and travel the country to speak to college students and athletes about the importance of mental health and breaking down the stigma surrounding issues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders,” Victoria explained.