During the past spring break I found myself in a Nike outlet store in the middle of Tennessee. Outlet stores like these are my only hope of finding plus size Nike shorts that I can actually try on, as most stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, rarely ever carry a size past XL, despite the brand going up to 3XL. I was so excited to finally find a pair of Nike Pro leggings in my size that I bought an armful of them, brought them across the state line back to Georgia, and wore them nearly everyday last semester.

You can now imagine how excited I was when news started coming out about Nike unveiling plus sized mannequins in its flagship store in London. My dream of one day shopping at the same stores as my non-fat friends were finally coming true! Hope started swelling in my eyes as I saw a huge step forward being taken toward plus-size inclusivity, but those feelings were quickly replaced by ones of disgust toward the comments being made in response to the announcement. The most disheartening though, came from an opinion editorial from the Telegraph entitled “Obese mannequins are selling women a dangerous lie” where the author described the mannequin as “immense, gargantuan, vast” and heaving with fat.

Looking at myself in a sports bra and my Nike leggings in the mirror, I noticed how the mannequin and I had almost the exact same build. We both had huge calves, thick thighs, and a belly tucked under the waistband. Immense, garnatuan, vast. These were not words I would ever use to describe myself, so why were they being used to describe a plastic, non-animate model of the same body type?

The author of the Telegraph article went on to comment that the mannequin is “not readying herself for a run in her shiny Nike gear.” So what? “Athleisure” is not a concept exclusive to plus-sized people. More often than not I see Nike shorts paired with oversized t-shirts and Birkenstocks, rather than on a running, sweaty body.

The public outcry over the mannequin was quick to dispel the notion that fat people can be active and blamed Nike for glorifying obesity. Well, I’m here to tell you that while weighing nearly the same as most of the football players on our offensive and defensive lines (put me in Coach), I am surprisingly active and healthy. Just recently I completed the Peachtree Road Race and I did all 6.2 miles, and then some, in my athletic shorts, contrary to whatever the Telegraph’s writer believes I use them for. I applaud Nike for continuing to create a more inclusive brand for all body types and sizes, because they are doing what most companies won’t: acknowledging that bigger people exist and are consumers of trendy clothing. By creating clothes that cater to my curves, Nike has given me the confidence to feel like I belong in a gym along with all the other girls wearing Nike leggings and shorts.

For those trying to perpetrate the war on obesity anytime plus-sized people get air time, you’re just plain wrong. Nike putting up a hefty plastic model doesn’t tell me it’s okay to sit on the couch and shove pizza in my face because no matter what, seeing a mannequin who’s body shape matches mine tells me that the brand is here to help promote my own success in leading an active and long life through exercise.