Meet the Fattylympians: The Fat Geography Massive

Here's Bethan and Rachel, who have really got into the spirit of things!

Who are you?
We are The Fat Geography Massive, also known as Rachel and Bethan.

What does the Fattylympics mean to you?
A celebration of fabulous fat bodies that move, think, speak, love, have fun. An opportunity to collectively make fat bodies present in public space. A chance to disrupt the policing of bodies and the elitism which surrounds the you know whats and sport more generally. And the chance to have fun.

What's the best thing you can do with your body?
Bethan: Give someone a hug
Rachel: Touch another body and give life to another body

Who would you most like to invite to the Fattylympics, and why?
Some of the obesogenic-bunch; geographers whose research ignores fat bodies and does not consider them to be fleshy, moving, thinking, feeling bodies with rights.

Egg or Spoon?
Bethan: Spoon because it is a nicer word to say. Spooooooonnnn
Rachel: Egg because I loved boiled eggs

What else would you like to say?
Were gym knickers the most hated item in your school uniform? Do you wonder to this day why schools think it's a good idea to make girls run around in special uncomfortable, sweaty underwear? If so, then this event is for you. We are organising a stall at the Fattylympics where you can customise gym knickers! If you still have yours bring them along, or dip into our gym knicker bag and grab a pair. Subsequent wearing is optional.

Are you a Fattylympian? Wanna be featured here? Get in touch: beefergrrl@hotmail.com

Meet the Fattylympian: Isha

Say hi to Isha!

Who are you?
My name is Isha (pronounced eye-sha), and dabble in a few creative things: writing, photography, making bags and blogging.

What does the Fattylympics mean to you?
It'll be my first time coming to this event, and look forward to meeting some amazing people who actually look like me! I'm looking forward to making like-minded friends in an environment where I won't be made to feel like an outcast. It's a level of acceptance that us plus size folks rarely get.

What's the best thing you can do with your body?
Compliment it with clothes that make you happy. If that means wearing a pencil skirt, then wear it, regardless of the amount of looks you may get for squeezing your hips into it! I personally LOVE wearing pencil skirts. Also, try things that take you out of your comfort zone- colour and pattens can be incredibly flattering- if you never try, you'll never know.

Who would you most like to invite to the Fattylympics, and why?
This is going to sound incredibly soppy, but I'd like to invite anyone who wakes up everyday and avoids looking in the mirror because of how they look (Charlotte: this might be the point to start singing the Fattylympics Anthem!). I want them to know that they are not alone and that there is a growing community that is there to give loving support and encouragement. I want anyone who attends to feel proud of their bodies, proud of their curves/flab/stretch-marks/non-commercial beauty, and realise that true beauty comes from loving yourself and realising that those that don't accept you, don't matter (I know it's a constant struggle).

Egg or Spoon? 
Egg surely?!An egg's hips don't lie ;p

What else would you like to say?
Er, shameless plug, but I have a blog : / I've only just started it actually, so it's baby steps thus far, but you can also see a small selection of the jewellery and bags that me and my partner in crime make: creativetypefashion.blogspot.co.uk

Are you a Fattylympian? Wanna be featured here? Get in touch: beefergrrl@hotmail.com

Meet the Fattylympian: Verity

Verity volunteered to write the Fattylympics Anthem and she did a fantastic job. Take a look and have a listen. Here's a bit more about her and about it...

Please introduce yourself

My name's Verity Susman. I play in Electrelane and I've got a solo project now: http://www.facebook.com/veritysusman

Why did you volunteer to write the Fattylympics Anthem?

I wanted to have a go at writing an anthem for an important event, and of all the events happening in London this summer, the Fattylympics seems the most important.

Could you talk a bit about the process of writing it?

At first I thought about anthems and hymns I really like, then got a bit depressed thinking I can never write anything like that, but it was useful in terms of thinking about the structure of these type of songs.

After Charlotte sent me the lyrics I kept them going round in my head and when I started singing a suitable melody to myself I recorded it on dictophone. I went back to it later and worked out a chord structure to go with it.

The recording is the demo I sent to Charlotte - it's just using the keyboard I had to hand at the time (and a keyboard guitar sound - keytar! - because my real guitar got broken on a recent trip). It's just a demo because the hope was that people would learn it and sing it at the Fattylympics, which is the main thing.

I realised later on that there are lots of references to dreaming in the lyrics, what is your dream for the Fattylympics Anthem?

For 20,000 people to sing it standing in a field...or even 20 would do.

What else would you like to say?

I'm gutted I can't be there on the day - can someone make a film of the Fattylympics? (Charlotte's answer: yes!)

Meet the Fattylympian: Lauren

Here's Lauren in the super-fab Vol.Up.2 mag
by Velvet d'Amour

Who are you?
I am Lauren, a 28 year old unemployed bum from Essex.

What does the Fattylympics mean to you?
It means fun, community and a place where I can feel safe and comfortable from ridicule - a welcome respite in this Olympian, 200,000 Drs against obesity, Biggest Loser culture I find myself in.

What's the best thing you can do with your body?
I've never been someone who can do party tricks, I'm not double-jointed anywhere which has always made me quite sad. But I suppose as a living, breathing thing, that my body can keep me alive and allow me to go out into the world is a great thing.

Who would you most like to invite to the Fattylympics, and why?
My initial response was someone notoriously fat hating, like Jamie Oliver, or Dr Christian - but why should they be invited to an event that they will only sneer at? I would like to invite all the wonderful fatties who would feel better about themselves and life by attending Fattylympics.

Egg or Spoon?
Spoon! I don't like eggs, unless they're a) chocolate or b) in chocolate cake

What else would you like to say?
I have a blog that talks about fatty fashion, Pocket Rocket (www.pocketrocketfashion.com). It's frivolous but fun (I hope!) and really just that I'm so excited for the event, I can't wait!

Are you a Fattylympian? Wanna be featured here? Get in touch: beefergrrl@hotmail.com

Meet the Fattylympian: Billiard Savage

Who are you?
I am Billiard Savage!

What does the Fattylympics mean to you?
Refusing to play along by playing differently. Recognising the intersections between fat, class, race, gender and sexuality and how the You Know Whats are being/have been used to regulate all those things in various combinations. Doing something fun and absurd. Making your own culture.

What's the best thing you can do with your body?
An impersonation of an egg in a shirt and tie.

Who would you most like to invite to the Fattylympics, and why?
I would like to invite two other majestically egg-shaped people: Alfred Hitchcock and Wyatt Riot. I reckon they’d have a good time.

Egg or Spoon?
Egg, obviously.

What else would you like to say?
Greetings to Fattylympians everywhere!

Are you a Fattylympian? Wanna be featured here? Get in touch: beefergrrl@hotmail.com