‘I focus on what my body can do’
Helen Little, 42, is from North Yorkshire
Eyeing myself up in the changing room mirror, I had to laugh. Once again, the jeans I was trying on were way too long and my feet had disappeared. At 5ft and maybe half an inch, clothes can be tricky – especially trousers. But it’s no great disaster. I can just have the hem taken up.
I’ve always been happy with my height because I’ve never seen the point in focusing on something I can’t change.
A keen cyclist, I don’t focus on what my body is not. I embrace what my body can do. My husband Alastair, 44, and I cycle together and as he’s a model for fatladattheback.com we buy our cycling kit from them. Their ethos is all about loving your body, not obsessing about a false expectation of perfection.
Cycling gear in all sizes, because people of all sizes cycle. Can you imagine if all the high street brands adopted that stance and every size of woman could buy the same dress? I live in hope that one day, designers recognise that no two women are the same shape.
I’ve never dyed– and would never dye – my red hair. Like my height, it’s part of my identity.
It’s never been more important to me to have body confidence now our daughters, Ruby, 10, and Connie, seven, are getting older. I try to instill in them that it’s important for us all to like ourselves not in spite of the way we look, but because of it.
Fittingly, Alastair is 6ft but his surname is Little. In his wedding speech he joked that finally someone worthy of the name was joining the family. I love being little and took his surname proudly!