Plus Size Hiker Fights Prejudice

A DETERMINED woman is aiming to tackle the stigma attached to plus size people and exercise – by going hiking. 33-year-old Celeste Mick from Los Angeles, California is a passionate hiker who keeps track of her adventures online. Celeste told Barcroft TV: “I was actually coming from a really dark part of my life and I was looking for something that would change how I was feeling". Yet, Celeste is not your average looking hiker - with her plus size frame, she is used to people doubting her hiking capabilities. And being plus size has created other challenges too; Celeste has to have her hiking jacket, backpack and rain pants customised to fit her frame. However, none of these things swayed Celeste’s determination. Her current goals include hiking every state in America and getting ready to conquest Mt. Kilimanjaro next year. With her Instagram page ‘fatgirlforthefitsoul’, Celeste tries to break stereotypes and inspire other plus size people to exercise outdoors and not feel ashamed to do so because of their larger frames. Making it to the top of a hiking trail has given her a sense of empowerment and a new appreciation of her body and its capabilities. Celeste told Barcroft TV: “Hiking has taught me to be confident at a level that I never experienced, even when I wasn’t a fat person. You have to love yourself in your skin that you're in right now. And if things change, you're going to love yourself even more because you learn that you're worth everything.”