I made my identify in biking as an unapologetically fats endurance rider. For years, I’ve advocated for plus-size riders, and the necessity for larger biking clothes, improved transparency on weight limits, and inclusive driving communities. My journey was even chronicled in a 2021 documentary by Shimano, All Our bodies on Bikes, which led to the creation of a nonprofit devoted to dimension inclusion, a company I now proudly lead as Govt Director.
I’ve by no means let my physique dimension or weight restrict me. I’ve accomplished 5 Unbound Gravel races at over 250 kilos, but I’ll be the primary to confess that my weight has made life difficult over time. From needing a seatbelt extender on airplanes to ongoing knee ache, life as a larger bodied athlete shouldn’t be straightforward.
After an unsuccessful knee surgical procedure in 2023 led to continual ache, my orthopedic surgeon really useful weight reduction as an answer. However all through my life, I’ve tried nearly each food regimen on the market. Counting energy, chopping carbs, Weight Watchers—you identify it. None ever led to lasting outcomes. As an alternative, I reside an lively way of life and have come to a spot of real self-love and acceptance with my physique. I wasn’t excited by pursuing intentional weight reduction once more, particularly not simply to alter a quantity on the size.
However, as my physician defined, this was in regards to the affect of carrying additional physique weight on my joints. Given my lifelong struggles with weight-reduction plan, he urged there could be an underlying problem contributing to my physique dimension and really useful I see an endocrinologist.
That referral marked the start of my journey with GLP-1 receptor agonists—a category of medicines initially developed to deal with Sort 2 diabetes, however now more and more prescribed for weight administration. At first, I used to be very hesitant. These medication, together with Ozempic and Wegovy, have sparked heated debates about physique picture, food regimen tradition, and what it means to pursue “well being.” However for me, this wasn’t about chasing a thinner physique or shedding pounds, per se. It was about relieving ache and staying on the bike for the lengthy haul.
Because it turned out, I had insulin resistant PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). PCOS is a standard hormonal dysfunction that impacts as much as 1 in 10 folks with ovaries, although it typically goes undiagnosed. One of many lesser-known however important results of PCOS is the way it can affect metabolism and weight. Many individuals with PCOS expertise insulin resistance, that means our our bodies battle to make use of insulin successfully, which may result in greater blood sugar ranges and elevated fats storage. This metabolic imbalance makes it simpler to realize weight and considerably more durable to lose it, even with way of life adjustments like food regimen and train. This defined why I used to be seemingly doing all the things “proper,” that’s, consuming a balanced food regimen and exercising ceaselessly, whereas nonetheless carrying extra weight.
As a public determine who cultivates weight-neutral biking areas and communities, taking a GLP-1 felt antithetical to my identification. If my physique modified on this medicine, which was prone to occur, would I be betraying my values? Would I be sending the fallacious message to the All Our bodies on Bikes group? What does it imply to advocate for physique acceptance whereas making a alternative that will result in weight reduction and physique adjustments for myself?
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What’s extra, how would it not affect me on the bike?
The unwanted effects of GLP-1s have been extensively talked about: nausea, fatigue, gastroparesis (delayed abdomen emptying) and extra. I received fortunate and solely skilled delicate nausea and constipation, nonetheless, the affect on my urge for food was large. I all of the sudden had virtually zero starvation indicators. A banana at breakfast would satiate me till lunch, when half a peanut butter sandwich would fill me up. Which to be clear, is not sufficient meals for anybody, not to mention an endurance athlete.
Marley driving Unbound, even earlier than her medicines
(Picture credit score: Marley Blonsky)
It rapidly turned evident that the urge for food suppression a part of the drug labored somewhat too properly, particularly as an endurance bike owner who continued to coach and experience all through this expertise. My physique, that I had discovered to take heed to intently over time, was all of the sudden not sending the identical indicators. I wasn’t hungry in any respect. Whereas that’s typically seen as a profit, it’s truly the alternative of what an endurance athlete wants. You want energy to carry out.
As an alternative of with the ability to eat intuitively and belief that I used to be assembly my every day wants, I discovered myself having to set reminders to eat, planning every meal for optimum dietary density. Thank goodness for customized alerts on my Wahoo Bolt bike pc! Paired with my coronary heart price monitor, it sends me a reminder to eat after each 100 energy burned on the bike.. This has largely stored me from bonking whereas driving however it positively isn’t idiot proof. I additionally discovered that liquid energy, small frequent snacks and protein-dense meals helped guarantee I used to be fueling my physique correctly.
Because the months went on, I began to note small adjustments in each my physique and my driving. Garments felt somewhat looser. I may see my collarbone for the primary time in my life. My continual joint ache and irritation receded, and my interval began changing into regular and lighter. Maybe most excitingly, I used to be capable of climb hills that I had beforehand walked up. I felt stronger on my bike and seen I used to be persistently hitting PRs on segments I rode on a regular basis.
My first public look in a noticeably smaller physique was at Mid South 2024. At that time, I had misplaced almost 20% of my beginning physique weight. An acquaintance remarked that I seemed “sooner” than ever, and a social media follower commented “You’re getting skinny woman!” Whereas I feel these feedback had been meant to be optimistic, I used to be somewhat stunned. I’ve all the time been adamant that we shouldn’t touch upon anybody’s physique, no matter dimension, and have publicly requested folks to not touch upon my physique. My weight reduction was not intentional, and I had no want to advertise as such.
Navigating the social and private ramifications of a visibly altering physique is intense. I used to be as soon as once more reminded how poorly society treats fats folks. Whereas earlier than I used to be largely invisible, I now get unsolicited cat-calling from males, individuals are method nicer, and my issues are taken significantly on the physician.
After a complication with my prescribing physician and insurance coverage, I’ve been off the medicine since Could 2025. My final dose was two weeks earlier than Unbound Gravel, the place I efficiently rode 109 miles (and needed to relearn all my consuming methods on the fly, as I used to be all of the sudden very hungry!) Sadly, my joint ache and irritation have come roaring again into my life, together with my urge for food. And so my well being struggles proceed.
I hesitate to share this story as a pacesetter within the physique optimistic world. Different leaders have been vilified for shedding pounds (see Lizzo) and altering their our bodies. As I’ve gone by way of this course of, it’s solely bolstered my perception that every one our bodies are good our bodies, all bikes are good bikes, and all rides ought to be celebrated. No matter my weight or dimension, my values, my character, and my love of biking are the identical. Whether or not I put on a dimension 22 or a dimension 14, I nonetheless imagine that everybody ought to get to expertise the enjoyment of biking, with gear, clothes, and a group that helps them.
I additionally imagine it is best to do no matter feels best for you to reside fortunately, healthily, and pain-free, and it’s really nobody’s enterprise however yours and your well being care supplier.
If there’s one factor I’ve discovered by way of this journey, it’s that well being shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all, and it’s by no means simply in regards to the quantity on the size. The selections we make about our our bodies, our medical care, and our well-being are deeply private, and sometimes much more advanced than they seem from the surface.
I didn’t take a GLP-1 to turn into skinny or match right into a narrower mould of what an athlete seems to be like: hell, I’m nonetheless thought-about “overweight” by all measures. I did it to handle continual ache, keep lively and maintain driving bikes. My story isn’t a prescription or a path for anybody else; it’s merely a reminder that all of us deserve entry to instruments that assist us really feel good in our our bodies, it doesn’t matter what they appear like.
Editor’s word:
In case you’re an elite athlete, remember that semaglutide is presently on the WADA Monitoring Program. Which means that whereas medication like Ozempic usually are not presently banned by WADA, the company is monitoring its use in sports activities to find out if it ought to be added to the Prohibited Record sooner or later.