Nude boxing ring4/17/2024 It sounds like a nightmare you can’t wake up from: showing up to work completely naked, as a stranger takes photos of you for millions to see. Olympic boxer Marlen Esparza says it’s one of the best decisions she ever made. A toned body allows you to wear your hard work everyday.What It’s Like to Pose Nude in a Boxing Ringįind out why U.S. It made me more confident because it helped me see from a different light the body that boxing has given me. "I didn't realize all the definition I had until I saw the photos," says Esparza. More importantly, they helped her see just how strong and powerful she really is. I keep going because I want to see how far I can get-if I stop, I'll never know."Īnd about those photos: even Esparza admits she looks damn good. "That's why I wake up every morning-the gold medal. Now Esparza is back in the gym working towards the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she says she will win gold. I just wanted a good shot and wanted to get it over with, because I got tired of working out naked!" It was about two hours into the shoot that I just got tired and didn't care about being naked. "I like being taken out of my comfort zone, and everyone made me feel extremely comfortable. And then the most shocking thing happened: "I had a lot of fun," says Esparza. That take-it-or-leave-it attitude made it a little bit easier to drop her robe and step into the ring. Like it or not, it's what I'm working with-this body helps me win," she says candidly. " ESPN's Body Issue is a celebration of body, it's not to please everyone everywhere, so I just tried to focus on the fact that I'm a hard worker, and this is the body I worked for. "I just tried to accept the fact that I am me, and I look how I look," says Esparza. "I think it was just to make myself feel better."īut prepping physically was the easy part-it was the mental preparation that took more work. And she tended to a few other details: "I did spray tan and do my hair and put on fake eyelashes, even though no one was going to be looking at my eyes," she laughs. That meant maintaining a healthy diet of low carbs, high protein, veggies, and only water. Essentially, she just focused on keeping her weight the same. Luckily, her already-intense training meant she didn't feel pressure to whip herself into shape-after all, "fighting shape is the best shape ever," she says. And there's no doubt that Esparza's body-and all that she can do with it-is and was stunning, powerful, and seriously impressive.Ī week before the shoot in NYC, Esparza dominated her 2013 Continental Championships, defeating her opponent and defending her title. After all, the Body Issue isn't meant to be sexual, or a competition over who can be hottest or fit some made-up aesthetic ideal-it's meant to showcase just how amazing and powerful the human body can be. Still, the editors promised they'd make her feel comfortable, and ultimately Esparza decided to give it a shot. The unexpected request was totally daunting. Again, it came down to the body image thing. She wasn't worried it would hurt her career or that she'd be judged by friends and family for baring all. I was more worried about looking odd," she jokes.Īfter she balked at the offer, ESPN offered to have her speak with the editors, and she turned to friends and family members to see what they thought. I feel like, because of my sport, I am a bit disproportioned. She elaborates on her insecurities: "I really like my back, but it doesn't match up with the rest of my body. "I work out for a living so I am fit, but I was very self-conscious about the idea of being nude in front of a camera for pictures the world would see," she says. "I'm not the type of person to focus a lot on my body," says Esparza. But naked confidence was a different story. But even Olympic athletes can feel anxiety about body image and being judged for not looking "perfect."Īs the first American woman to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic debut of women's boxing (where she took home the bronze), confidence came easy to Esparza in the ring. "I didn't feel comfortable with being nude in a photo shoot!" Because here's a hard, uncomfortable truth: Esparza is an amazingly accomplished athlete who kicks ass, wins championships, and spends hours in the gym like it's, well, her job. "My first response was 'no' and nothing could change my mind," she says. In fact, she was totally freaked out by it. Last summer, Esparza was asked to pose in the 5th annual edition of ESPN Magazine's Body Issue (you know… the naked one), but she didn't immediately jump at the chance. Olympic boxer Marlen Esparza, the experience was 100% real. It sounds like a nightmare you can't wake up from: showing up to work completely naked, as a stranger takes photos of you for millions to see.
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