I 23f have recently started gymnastics classes. Ive been jealous of how people can push their bodies to their physical limits and just think gymnastics is really cool. I don’t however like the typical female leotard, and think it’s wayyyy too revealing compared to the (typical) male uniform. I can’t even understand how we managed to convince girls that wearing leotards and having to worry about shaving was better than full body suits. Anyways

I just feel sad about not being able to share in my excitement about this new hobby with the rest of my family because they don’t think gymnastics is a girl’s sport, especially not a woman’s sport. Id begged to be put in gymnastics but wa always met with “a respectable girl doesn’t do gymnastics” or something along those lines.

Especially during Ramadan I don’t feel I can bring this up and it’s just sad that even when wearing ‘as modest clothing as possible’, gymnastics is still too sexualised in our community.

I want to enjoy the limits of this human form Allah SWT has given me, I want to appreciate it in all it can do. I don’t think that’s something I’d be damned for, but it hurts knowing that it’s looked at in contempt by the majority of people.