Anna Geary has admitted that Dancing With the Stars helped her to face her biggest insecurities.
The former Cork camogie player competed in the dance competition in 2018, landing a spot in the final.
Reflecting on her time on the show, the 27-year-old told the Irish Independent:Â “Going on that show really made me face up to my insecurities.”
“Tiny outfits, and you’re on show for people to judge and criticise. I loved it but let me tell you, it was the outfits – I was like, ‘I’m wearing what?’
“I got so many messages from parents of young girls who’d given up sport who saw me and were saying, ‘Look at her back muscles, look how strong she looks.’
“I was lucky growing up to learn to look at my body as an instrument rather than an ornament. It wasn’t about how I looked in a pair of skinny jeans, it was how powerful I could be with a ball in my hand,” Anna explained.
“But the reality is, when I got older and started going out and getting into tans and heels, my body looked different to my friends.
“Not a lot of girls had the same size legs as I did, and role models like Sonia O’Sullivan looked nothing like me, but I understood my body needed to look a certain way to win for my team and Cork.”
The Ireland’s Fittest Families coach opened up about the importance of keeping fit during the pandemic, explaining: “I really believe sport is more than a game. It saved so many people during the lockdown.”
“It’s made me who I am today. It gives us confidence, a sense of belonging and the chance of working towards something bigger than ourselves – sure isn’t that the recipe for a good life?”
