'I quit rugby because of my body - now I celebrate it'

Rugby subordinate Ellie Boatman had to flooded assemblage assurance issues and eating disorders to rekindle her emotion of nan crippled and book her spot astatine nan Olympics.

Unhappy pinch being 1 of nan only girls playing rugby and nan stigma that came pinch it, she stopped playing astatine nan property of 16.

After suffering from eating disorders during her lowest moments astatine university, she was convinced by her friend to springiness nan athletics different chance.

A hat-trick successful her first crippled helped reignite nan spark, which has led to her playing successful a World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

Now she travels to Paris, aiming to bring location her country's first ever badge successful nan athletics arsenic she represents Team GB successful nan rugby sevens.

"I ever struggled pinch nan measurement I looked from a young age, and we decidedly went done a procreation of seeing magazines and antagonistic views towards women's bodies," nan 27-year-old told BBC South.

"I decidedly sewage sucked up successful that, and erstwhile I really struggled was erstwhile I went to assemblage and I was successful complaint of my ain nutrient for nan first time, and tons of changes were happening.

"I sewage caught up successful trying to beryllium arsenic mini arsenic I was, and I became rather unhappy and very miserable successful my ain body.

"[I've been] speaking to tons of girls and seeing really galore acquisition akin feelings erstwhile they're increasing up, truthful I deliberation it's really important to stock that now. I decidedly spell done dips, but I'm very happy to opportunity I'm assured successful who I americium now, which has decidedly been a journey."

Boatman first started playing rugby erstwhile she was 4 years aged astatine Camberley Rugby Football Club successful Surrey, wherever she was allowed to play pinch boys up to property 11.

She was named vice-captain of her squad astatine Hall Grove School successful Bagshot and joined London Irish, wherever she played for nan under-13s, followed by nan under-15s.

It was erstwhile she moved to Esher Rugby Club that she began to suffer her emotion for nan game.

"It was a confusing clip for immoderate young woman then, and rugby wasn't really accepted; I was 1 of nan only girls who played rugby successful my teens increasing up," she said.

"School tin beryllium a tricky clip astatine that property anyway, and not everyone was that supportive astatine times."

Boatman attended nan University of Southampton, wherever she developed eating disorders arsenic she struggled pinch nan modulation and work of surviving distant from home.

A station connected her Instagram relationship specifications really she initially gained weight from eating much and drinking a batch of alcohol, which led her to under-eating and over-exercising arsenic she mislaid weight.

Later, this turned into binge-eating and purging - nan enactment of ridding nan assemblage of nutrient and calories.

One of her champion friends was nan skipper of nan rugby squad astatine Southampton and convinced her to statesman playing again for fun.

A hat-trick connected her debut sparked her passion for nan crippled erstwhile again, and she ne'er looked back.

As she reconnected pinch nan game, she joined Trojans, her section club, and would spell connected to play for Saracens, Richmond, Wasps and Harlequins, earlier going master astatine world level pinch nan England Sevens and now Great Britain Sevens.

She represented England astatine nan 2022 Commonwealth Games successful Birmingham and nan Rugby World Cup Sevens successful Cape Town, South Africa, nan aforesaid year.

"What helps maine is reasoning astir what my assemblage does for me, alternatively than needfully really it looks, and reasoning really unthinkable you're capable to run, aliases drawback a ball, aliases capable to do each these things that tons of group successful nan world aren't capable to do," Boatman said.

"A batch of nan time, nary 1 is looking astatine really you look erstwhile you run; group attraction much astir nan effort you're scoring aliases tackle you're making. No 1 is looking astatine really you look.

"If anyone's ever being negative, it reflects much connected them than it does connected you.

"It's truthful bully for young girls to spot each of america training to beryllium beardown and beryllium powerful and not needfully conscionable worrying astir really we look, and exercising successful position of punishment; it’s for a intent and enjoyment, and I ever effort and preach that and opportunity that to immoderate young girl."

Team GB's men's sevens squad grounded to suffice for nan Games aft losing 14-5 to South Africa successful nan repechage last successful Monaco.

But Boatman believes nan women tin bring location Britain's first badge successful nan athletics since it was introduced successful Rio de Janeiro successful 2016.

GB's women vanished 4th successful Rio and Tokyo, but nan existent squad goes to Paris arsenic nan European champions.

"The target is ever to triumph gold; that's what we’re present and person been training for," she said.

"We're emotion really good, and I decidedly deliberation we will beryllium wrong a changeable of going for golden and badge contention."

Boatman is very vocal connected her societal media accounts astir her experiences, arsenic she intends to animate different girls to travel their paths successful athletics erstwhile faced pinch akin challenges.

Along pinch Team GB teammates Jasmine Joyce and Celia Quansah, she has taken portion successful a run pinch lingerie marque Bluebella to beforehand assemblage positivity pinch nan hashtag #StrongIsBeautiful.

The run shows nan 3 of them playing rugby while dressed successful lingerie, which has been met pinch a mixed reception.

But she hopes her communicative tin animate nan adjacent procreation of girls to proceed to play athletics without worrying astir what others deliberation of them.

"All of america look different. If we each ate and exercised successful nan aforesaid way, we'd still each look different, truthful ne'er effort and look for illustration a definite personification because we each person different purposes and goals pinch our sports," she added.

"So conscionable attraction connected yourself and what your assemblage tin do, and observe each nan different assemblage shapes and sizes you’ll see."