5 badass women who are changing the way we think about our bodies

Because it's time to be happy with what ya mama gave you

In a world where airbrushing seems like a natural step before posting an Instagram picture, and body-loathing seems to be (sadly) so commonplace, it’s nice to have women spreading positive vibes and reminding us to champion our bodies - whatever their shape.

Meet these five badass women who are changing the way we think about our bodies…

Nicola Adams

http://storify.com/nlukaitis/nicola-adams

The English and British boxer is the first woman to have an Olympic boxing title, and made history by becoming the first woman to win gold in consecutive Olympic (2012), Commonwealth(2014) and European Games. 

Fighting for her name to be heard amongst the noise of so many men, Nicola has shown the world what we knew all along - that to hit like a girl might actually hurt you.

Frostine Shake

http://storify.com/nlukaitis/frostine-shake

Although she was classically trained in ballet as a child, she quit around the age of 16 because she felt too much pressure to be thin. Instead, she went to The University of North Texas and got a B.F.A in Fashion Design, then a cosmetology license and soon after discovered burlesque as a body-positive way to express herself.

After reaching out to her ballet teaching friends, she got back in her pointe shoes again and incorporated her classical training in her onstage burlesque performances, proving that ballet has no size.

Jessamyn Stanley 

http://storify.com/nlukaitis/jessamyn

Jessamyn stumbled upon Bikram yoga by chance in 2011, and was instantly hooked. Now, this plus-sized yogi is challenging preconceived notions of what a yoga body should look like. 

The North Carolina resident is a certified yoga instructor herself and currently has over 172k followers on Instagram, where you can catch her twisting and bending just as well as any other yoga guru out there.

Iskra Lawrence 

http://storify.com/nlukaitis/iskra

She’s a body-confidence campaigner and model, who celebrates her curves with a picture series on Instagram (under the hashtag #InShapeMyShape) and refuses to allow Photoshopping on any of her images.

Whilst Iskra candidly revealed how she is labelled ‘obese’ and ‘fat’ by internet bullies on a daily basis, she continues to have the last laugh, landing major campaigns like her recent (un-airbrushed) Aerie ad.

Stephanie Rothstein 

http://storify.com/nlukaitis/stephanie

You may have noticed a lot of women posting Instagram photos of their stretch marks recently - that’s all thanks to Stephanie. She’s a running coach and mum of two, who’s not afraid to show the real side of pregnancy, posting candid images of her post-pregnancy stomach with inspiring captions like: 'When I look down I see stretch marks that are here to stay, ab muscles that need continued strengthening, legs that are powerful, and feet that are ready to fly!’ 

Keep slaying, Steph!