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Maria Fernanda Aristizabal, the representative of Colombia in Miss Universe 2022, embraces herself in a new post. Shared on Instagram, the post is personal and revealing, discussing many of the body issues that plague a large percentage of women while also taking the time to thank and love her body for all it does for her.
The post is made up of multiple images, showing Aristizabal in a bathing suit and without any make up on. Images show a close up of her face, her stretchmarks, and the natural curves on her body. She captioned it in Spanish. “Today I dedicate this post to my physical body,” she wrote. “Photos are still photos in which we want to look good, reality will always be different and that’s what I want to write to you today.
To be honest, ever since I have memory I have struggled with the image I see of my body in the mirror. For me it has never been enough, perhaps it was founded because of my insecurities in childhood, comments I thought defined me, fears of not fitting into a beautiful but demanding industry that I always dreamed to be a part of. The relationship I have had with food or exercise for a long time was not healthy. Even thouhg it’s improved, I still work on balancing my habits, on not blaming myself every time I eat, or to kill myself exercising to the point of having no rest.” she wrote.
“What an irony to know that despite having spoken with contempt in front of the mirror, my body has never stopped supporting me.”
Aristizabal concludes her post by embracing herself wholeheartedly, no matter what people say or think. “Today I say to my body that it doesn’t have to look like anyone else, that I accept and embrace myself as I am, that its worth is not defined by external perceptions, nor by the curves or marks that it has. Body, thank you for being my home, I care about you and I will always take care of you.”
Her post was well received by her followers, who dropped words of encouragement in the comments section and thanked her for being open about her struggles, which are shared by millions of women all over the world.