Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Simmonds isn’t immune from being self-conscious about her body while wearing the revealing costumes.
During her Paralympic training, the five-time gold champion would swim nine times a week for 18 hours and has opened up about her weight gain since quitting the sport after Tokyo in 2020.
Speaking exclusively to OK! , she said: “The first time I was trying on costumes I was thinking to myself, my body has changed since being an athlete.
I’ve typically put on weight since retiring last year. Now I’m going to the gym probably twice a week - I’ve lost all my muscle, and you know you get stretch marks and all that? “Being an athlete and being a woman, you’re very conscious of your body and the insecurities of that, so I was thinking going into Strictly, ‘I want to cover everything up’, but then when I was trying the costumes on I ended up trying the crop tops and stuff, and I was like, ‘Oh my god I love this!’ “Previously my body was my engine and something I’ve looked after and have kept in tip top shape.
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