I chose to include this image because although majority of people that play and watch sports know the work and dedication that goes into success, I feel like the discipline that goes into personal success and victories are often over looked. So often I hear people blaming their faults or weak points on their genetics or how they have so much else going on that they do not have the same amount of time to dedicate to achieving their goals as another person who has accomplished that same or similar goal. Being aware of the assumptions that the person succeeding has good genes or a lot of money or something else to pawn off the fact they may have trained for their goals for a very long time and has put in the work to get to where they are now, may help others understand that either way, it does not matter what others are doing, all that matters is that you put in the work to reach your goals. But being aware of these assumptions and meta narratives are especially important, I would argue, because of the centrality of sport to our everyday lives, the role that sport plays in shaping our childhood and worldviews and characteristics of our personality. Someone that has drive, aspiration, and discipline is more likely to achieve their goals and reach their ideal potential when compared to someone who might be used to having things handed to them. However, fair play may come into consideration if one person has been constantly put down for attempting to pursue their dreams or if someone did not have the funds to support themselves to reach their goal. Although, in my opinion if someone is determined enough, they will find a way regardless of road blocks which shows their level of commitment and resilience to challenges they may face.

With the rise of understanding mental health and the ways in which sports can help keep a healthy mind, I think the importance of physical health has slipped through the cracks a little bit. I think that there are many athletes that push themselves too hard physically because they are so strong minded that they do not understand the importance of resting. I work in a gym and have for going on 6 years, I have seen many people pass out or injure themselves (ie dropping 300+ lbs on their head) because they have a little bit too much pride to ask for someone to spot them or to do the work that is needed to be put in to lift that weight. It is important to push yourself but some people need to understand that it is okay to ask for help. I also find that men will be quick to compliment people coming in and putting in effort where as women tend to judge and critique more often. I thought this was interesting because there is a normalcy for men to judge and be more tough on others where as women used to give more compliments and praise. (this is not all men and women but an observation I have made over the past few years). This change may be cause people to have a lower confidence or image of themselves no matter the sex and I think this would be an interesting topic to dive deeper into.

To me, feminism aims to challenge the negative stereotypes about sex and assumptions that have been developed throughout the years and use its power to promote inclusion and equality for all. With this explanation, feminism is important because it aims to help rebuild the community within people’s daily lives and create a safe environment for all that are a part of it. The goals set by feminist movements and feminism in general are important for rebuilding the relationships and reducing the negative associations and stereotypes that have been made because of past thoughts and feelings that have been passed through generations. The way feminism has been shifting into a more influential and powerful movement, the more the older stereotypes are being replaced by more positive ways of thinking and more ways of understanding the intersecting dimensions of society. I chose this photo to represent this because from what I have learned through previous GESO courses, feminism used to be thought of as groups of angry women, complaining about things they did not like in their lives. This photo shows that not only previous thoughts about feminism are not true, but also represents the “this is what a feminist looks like” movement. This movement was seen to be controversial when it started but became a way to show how feminism aims to promote a more inclusive representation of feminism. Along with the message from the movement that includes the t shirts, this photo also is showing that male presenting people can be feminists too. I like this photo because of all the different messages it represents as well as promoting the initiative of the t shirts and the photo itself as the message of what a feminist can look like.