Theissen Lappen's body positive message
When asked by Olympic.com if there is anyone else she admires in the sports world as a lifelong athlete, Theisen-Lappen said she looked up to Robles even during her track and field career.
“I always looked up to Sarah, even when I didn't know anything about weightlifting,” she said. It wasn't just Robles' athletic ability that she connected with. “I think all of us throwers and weightlifters, especially the bigger women, come together regardless of the sport.”
Theisen-Lappen knows the importance of representation in sports. *”*Growing up, I had no one to look up to. All my childhood and adolescence, I tried to be small,” she explained.
One of her hopes for the Olympics is to inspire young kids as someone they can look up to. “This algorithm puts me in a place where when girls and boys look at me and see a big, confident woman, they can say, 'This person is so strong and confident,' and it's bad for my heart.” I hope you don't have any feelings.”
There are many different ways to look at a healthy and strong person, says Theissenlappen. It's given me some really great talents, and it's accomplished some really great things. ”
As a final thought, she said, “I hope I can be a role model for people who don't have a role model. I hope that's what I can do…and obviously it's a big weight, but if I could… I hope that goes even further.” And it's even deeper than that. ”