I’m a size 20 fitness instructor…trolls tell me to go to the gym
A PLUS-SIZE fitness instructor has claimed cruel trolls are urging her online to “hit the gym” because of her size 20 frame.
Rhiannon Dudzik, 34, has had an on-and-off relationship with the gym for as long as she can remember.
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In 2018, she was asked to be a bridesmaid for her friend’s wedding, which motivated her to lose three stone.
Rhiannon soon gained the weight back and wanted to learn how to lose weight “sustainably”, so she trained as a part-time fitness instructor.
Rhiannon, who is a size 20, now runs three cardio-based dance sessions a week in addition to her gym routine.
She says she gets a lot of abuse online, often by men in the fitness world, who tell her to “go to the gym” and call her fat.
Despite the negative comments, Rhiannon’s goal is to inspire people to love their bodies, regardless of their size.
Rhiannon, from Bath, Somerset, said: “Although the gym can be an intimidating place for a plus-size person, a lot of the (negative) comments come from social media.
“There is a lot of negativity online about being a plus size fitness instructor or about being plus size in general.
”What gets me even more excited is when I post about being plus size and people say something like ‘go to the gym’ or call me fat.
”What they don’t realize is that I am a qualified fitness instructor. Just because I’m plus size doesn’t mean I can’t do it.”
Rhiannon was asked to be a bridesmaid in 2018. She says it encouraged her to lose three stone, but she quickly gained it back after the wedding.
Rhiannon said: “When I was asked to be my friend’s bridesmaid I was given a kick in the ass to lose weight.
”I lost about three stone due to a calorie deficit and training too hard.
”That was not a sustainable way to lose weight and I quickly gained it back.
“I then started looking at ways in which I could lose weight sustainably through the gym.”
In July 2021, Rhiannon became a certified fitness instructor. She was then asked to take a dance cardio fitness class that she had taken a few years after the teacher went on maternity leave.
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Rhiannon said: “It quickly became clear that I was leading by example in the classroom. I sat at the front, was plus size and wrestled with everyone else – it made people feel comfortable.
“I received a lot of messages from people who were less mobile, taller or older, saying that it was inspiring for them to see a more normal person doing it.
”That’s what has kept me going for so long. When I have classes, I make sure people understand that it’s more about having fun and moving your body.”
Rhiannon does three cardio sessions a week, in addition to a personal training session, and he also goes to the gym.
She says she is still on her fitness journey and hopes to lose six inches off her waist in time for her wedding in 2025.
Rhiannon said: “I’m not focusing too much on weights, I’m hoping to lose two inches, but at the same time I’m not putting too much pressure on myself.
”If I lose two inches, that will put me back where I was before. If I do it would be great, if I don’t there is no drama.”
