Former Olympic swimmer, Libby Trickett was just 10 years old when she was called fat in her leotard. She never danced again.
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At 16, a boy called her a 'butch bitch' at swim training, and at 21, as a professional athlete, the media ridiculed her body.
'It was incredibly confronting to have that play out so publicly at just 21. It felt very personal and it created a lot of shame," she said.
As the host of Embrace Kid's Activitate Masterclass, Ms Trickett hopes to combat body shaming at a community level.
Launched on Wednesday, May 22, the free video masterclass shows clubs how they can prevent young people from dropping out of sports because they feel judgement, shame and embarrassment about their bodies.
Embrace Kids is a health program run by 2023 Australian of the year and body image advocate, Taryn Brumfitt and body image expert, Dr Zali Yager.
Ms Brumfitt said Embrace Kids wanted to create change in all the places where young people live, learn and play.
"We knew we needed a solution for sports clubs. But it also had to be really easy to engage with, because we also know a lot of these coaches are volunteers, and they've got lots of other things to do," she said.
'Too fat, too thin, too fit, too muscly'
Along with playbooks for clubs, the virtual masterclass sets out four key themes to combat body shaming; banning body talk and body shaming, representing all bodies, flexibility in sport uniforms, and food as fuel.
Ms Trickett said many young people have told her that they wanted to quit the sport they loved due to body image issues.
"We shouldn't be talking about bodies at all at the community level sport, it barely should raise a mention at the very elite level," she said.
"These ideas get reinforced somehow that the way we look is what our worth is and that's just not the case."
She said she has battled comments from peers, coaches, trainers, spectators and the media.
"I've been called too fat, too thin, too fit, too muscly, all while performing at my physical peak."
In her post-swimming career, Ms Trickett has remained passionate about sports and she wanted to see more kids have a lifetime love of sport and physical activity.
Former AFLW player, Sarah Perkins will co-host part of the series and she said it was important for kids to see diverse representation of all bodies in sport.
"I think it's really important for the younger generation to see multiple body shapes and body types," she said.
"Children are watching, they're always watching and they're always listening, especially the young ones - they're sponges, they'll soak up anything you say."
Opening up the conversation
Flinders University psychology researcher, Dr Ivanka Prichard has spent the last 20 years understanding body image.
She said comments about kids' bodies, with negative or positive intentions, make them potentially more aware and self-conscious about their bodies.
The focus should be on the body and its functionality rather than how it looks, she said.
"If we can create a healthy environment for them [kids] to learn and play in, we are going to be creating an environment where they feel welcome," Dr Prichard said.
Dr Prichard said when young people felt negatively about their bodies they were less likely to engage in physical activities.
"It reduces their drive to engage in sport and activities where they might be on display," she said.
"A program like this really helps to open up the conversation and makes people more aware about their actions that they have and the impact these actions might have on young kids."
Jessica Belzycki
Journalist at the Newcastle Herald.
Journalist at the Newcastle Herald.
