# @allie_ostrander on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C2k6ysBv3-V
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/10820962-allie-ostrander-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/f7fc64581f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-01-26T20:27:09.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Allie Ostrander (@allie_ostrander) — https://gondola.cc/allie_ostrander

## Caption

My brain is my biggest opponent 🧠

I almost didn’t start this race. My confidence plummeted in the weeks leading up to the race, mainly due to poor body image. It got to the point where I nearly convinced myself that I wasn’t capable of racing before even giving myself a chance. 

During my ED, I gained a lot of confidence from the way my body looked. Fitness was determined by what I saw in the mirror instead of what I saw in practice. Now, I’m working to move away from that mentality and gain confidence from my training and preparation instead of my appearance. 

I almost let my limiting beliefs about my body keep me from running in a race where I ultimately qualified for team USA. If I hadn’t raced, I might still be doubting whether I was capable. In reality, it was only my brain that wasn’t capable of comprehending what my body could truly do. 

This is a reminder that fitness is a feeling, not a look, and that the limiting beliefs we hold are worth letting go. As ktnago13 said in an amazing post a few weeks ago, bodies are not meant to look perfect in photos, but to perform in competitions and in life. In 2024 let’s fuel for performance, not aesthetics, and work to quiet the voices that suggest that the mirror is a performance indicator 👏

#bodyimage #voiceinsport #edrecovery

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 15,904
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- **Comments:** 175

## Tags

voiceinsport, bodyimage, edrecovery

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