She also wants to start a wider conversation about the issues surrounding women and body acceptance. Okoro says that Van Commenee then asked her about her weight. Which is fine for say tennis, in the 80s, where all women look the same. “They are women first, athletes second,” Dr. Emily Matheson, a research fellow at the Centre for Appearance Research, told CNN Sport. Okoro has also drawn inspiration from women athletes in rugby and football.

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