Harrogate para powerlifter Lottie McGuinness has appeared on CNN to speak out about a controversial advert featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.
The advert for sports prediction company Novig has prompted criticism from female athletes, who say it focuses on appearance rather than sporting achievement.
Lottie joined a social media trend in which athletes have posted videos showing what women in sport look like.
She told CNN:
“I noticed this was trending, telling Sydney Sweeney what women in sport look like.
“The advert has very much made sport go off looks instead of what a body can truly do.”
Lottie, who has dwarfism, said she wanted young girls to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect body.
She said:
“I stand out from a crowd. I’ve got dwarfism and I’ve got big shoulder muscles.
“I jumped on because I am proud of my body. I’m proud of what it can do. I can lift heavy weights. Your body doesn’t have to look a certain way to be able to do sport.”
She said her video had attracted hateful comments, mostly from men who accused her of posting it because she wished she looked like Sweeney.
Lottie added that women in strength sports can feel ashamed of the muscles they have worked hard to build.
“We work hard to tell women not to be afraid, because that’s what you’re training your body to do."
Lottie also recalled the impact Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds had on her when she was growing up.
“I wanted to be tall. It was seeing Ellie Simmonds, a female athlete with dwarfism in sport, showing me what was possible and giving me my future."
She called for more women athletes to be seen so that young girls can find inspiration in sport rather than feel pressure to meet an ideal body size.
Lottie added:
"Just to clarify, I’m not hating on Sydney Sweeney at all. This isn’t about her personally or how she looks.
"My issue is with the message behind the advert. Using a woman’s body and the idea of “good genes” to sell a product reinforces outdated beauty standards and suggests there’s one particular way a woman should look."
The 24-year-old represented Great Britain in para powerlifting at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Watch her full interview on CNN here:
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