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“I Thought I Had To Choose Between Fitness & The Hijab – I Was Wrong.” Two Women Open Up About Their Bodies & Being Role Models
Human connection and feeling seen are vital to our sense of self and wellbeing. In a three-part series of virtual heart-to-hearts, as part of Refinery29’s Self-Service partnership with Dove, we’ve connected like-minded women to discuss beauty, body image, identity, visibility and activism in relation to self-esteem, to show the deep connection and wisdom that can come from speaking honestly about our experiences. In part two, Monique Dior Jarrett and Shazia Hossen meet on video call to discuss self-esteem, body image and physicality.
Monique and Shazia have made their names by entering and owning spaces they were previously told weren’t for them. Born with a severe form of osteogenesis imperfecta type III, more commonly known as brittle bone disease, Monique has broken over 100 bones over the years and carries out a morning ‘bone check’ to make sure she hasn’t broken anything new while sleeping. Having been told all her life that she couldn’t participate in the sports she wanted to, Monique is now a wheelchair dance champion in the Latin and Ballroom category and a magazine cover girl. Though she doesn’t like the word ‘inspirational’, Monique’s mission is to show young people with disabilities that they can push through the boundaries placed around them and experience the joy of movement in sport.
Shazia, aka Shaz Fit, is a personal trainer, model, body positivity advocate and founder of SH Athletics, a pioneering brand in modest activewear in the UK. Passionate about breaking down the barriers that women, Black and non-Black women of colour, and Muslim women specifically face when approaching sport, Shazia started SH Athletics to encourage more women to embrace fitness and open up the overwhelmingly male, overwhelmingly white industry to new audiences and athletes. Her work attracted the attention of Nike, who asked Shazia to launch their Pro Hijab on Instagram and the photo went viral. Shazia now models for several sports brands as well as creatively directing her own shoots and projects. As part of her multi-hyphenate business, she also runs AfroHijabi Events, a ladies-only events space celebrating self-love, strength and sisterhood. In December last year, AfroHijabi co-hosted Sistar Soiree with artist Misha B.
In this heart-to-heart, the two women share their journeys of self-esteem and physicality, discussing the importance of representation and passing the torch for other women.
Shazia: Good to meet you, Monique.
Monique: You too!
S: I watched your mini doc online, it was amazing. How did you get into dance?
M: Thanks! I started about four years ago. I was working at an SEN [special educational needs] school in Manchester and I was on reception when a lady came in to do a class with the children. She caught me dancing and suggested I try the Ballroom and Latin class. For years, I thought I couldn’t do any sports and that I would never be able to build up muscle; it was really frustrating, especially seeing what my peers were doing and trying to do everything they did but breaking so many bones in the process. Finding dance and being able to do it and build up strength was amazing. To be able to show others that there are sports out there that they can do, no matter what disability or difference they have – that really boosts my self-esteem.
S: That’s so cool. How did you get into competing?
M: My dance teacher suggested I start competing and entered me! The first competition I did was in Manchester and it was really nerve-wracking, but no matter what place I came in, I felt I’d achieved something. I did it with my dance partner so we got to share that accolade together, which felt even more amazing and again, boosted my confidence. Then I went up a level in class and so met a new dance partner, and we started doing bigger competitions abroad in Slovakia and in Holland. My new dance partner hadn’t travelled on a plane without a non-disabled adult before, so she was quite nervous but I was able to support her through that hurdle, which also boosted my confidence. We travelled with four wheelchairs between us! When I got back, my colleagues asked how I’d managed to travel alone and it occurred to me that nobody ever shows non-disabled people how a person with a disability gets on a plane! So I was able to educate them in that and they work with kids with disabilities, so they then passed on that information, saying, ‘This is something you can do!’ It was a ripple effect.
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