Taryn Brumfitt - Embrace Yourself

I'M PARALYSED WITH FEAR WRITING THIS LIST OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS because Im petrified of leaving someone off the list! So, if you think you should be here and youre not, Im really sorry. Take me off your Christmas card list there, were even!

First, to the delightful Ali Watts and the team at Penguin Random House Australia. Thank you for your vision in seeing this book come to life, and giving me the confidence to believe I could write it. Ali, you are such a pleasure to work with. Thanks for championing this book; it exists because of you.

To Michaela Skilney, my friendly Pai Mei and loving wing-woman. Thank you for helping me stay on track and for being an effervescent energy of pure delight. You took my words and shaped them into a structure that flowed and made sense, and I will be forever grateful.

Thank you Teresa Palmer for your beautiful foreword. Its a pleasure standing alongside you, advocating for positive body image. The fact that you are from Radelaide makes you even more awesome!

Thank you to my global sisters and contributors in this book: Jane Gardiner, Celeste Barber, Amy D. Herrmann, Jes Baker, Nigel Marsh (hmm hmm uncle), Jade Beall, Louise Green, Megan Jayne Crabbe, Dr Linda Bacon, Jess Smith and Kenzie Brenna. Ive shared real-life hugs with you all, Ive looked into your eyes, Ive seen your souls. I love who you are, what you do and how you make the world a better place.

Thank you to my loyal dream team at the Body Image Movement Prue Langhans, Tamara Doig, Josephine Ainscough, Kate Burr and all of the Body Image Movement Global Ambassadors (BIMGAs). Honestly, lovelies, you keep me fed, caffeinated, loved and supported, and I am so grateful to work alongside you every day.

Big hugs and thanks to my favourite photographer Meg Hansen the images in this book simply rock! You are a dream to work with. Thanks for the laughs and all of your hard work. Thanks to other photography contributions from Prue Langhans, Kate Ellis, Karen Lynch, Benjamin Liew, Katherine Schultz and Andre Agnew.

Thanks also to Bettyanne and Geoffrey (the parentals), Justine and the Bransons, Jason Butterworth, Ceinwen Ahern, Daria Yeatman, Nora Tschirner, Emma Isaacs, Mia Freedman, Dr Emma Johnston, Lorna Jane Clarkson, Olivia Newton-John, Georgie Gardner, Ricki Lake, Akira Chan, Renee Airya, Joe Polish, Turia Pitt, Ellen DeGeneres, Harnaam Kaur, Dr Marilyn Bromberg, Stefania Ferrario, Tenisha Ortiz, Ellen Briggs, Paul Ward, Blanca Lista, Benjamin Speed, Amanda Nash, Andrea Hall, Anna Vincent, Tim White, Bettina Hamilton, Lindi Harrison, Bryan Mason, Bonnie McBride, the Embrace documentary production team, the 8909 Kickstarter backers, Christine and Adam for your gorgeous 1950s kitchen, Norwood Swimming centre, Harvey the label, Revive Fitness Centre, Sally from Mojoco, Blue Scarab and the delightful Jane Cay and all the birds at birdsnest.

And finally, the most important people in my life: Mathew, Oliver, Cruz, Mikaela and Chico. (While Chicos not a human, he sure is treated like one!) Thank you, my loves. You are my rocks, my life, my everything. Im grateful every day to share this experience with you all and I couldnt do what I do without your unconditional love and support. I love you more than chocolate.

TARYN BRUMFITT is an internationally recognised keynote speaker and the fiercely passionate thought leader behind the Body Image Movement.

Bestselling author and director of the inspiring social-change documentary Embrace , Taryns global crusade to end the body dissatisfaction epidemic has seen her recognised by the United Nations Women, Amy Poehlers Smart Girls and the Geena Davis Institute.

Whether motivating the next generation at Google HQ or inspiring crowds on the international speakers circuit, Taryns determination to shift the way people think about themself and their body has been praised as being good for the world. Named alongside Beyonce and Emma Watson in Brigitte magazines Woman of the Year, Taryns positively infectious voice and powerful message have reached over 200 million people.

Taryn lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband, Mathew, three children, one dog, one turtle and ten fish.

UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia

India | New Zealand | South Africa | China

Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies

whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

First published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd, 2018

Text copyright Taryn Brumfitt, 2018

Copyright in individual contributor stories remains with the authors

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Cover and text design by Adam Laszczuk Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd

Photography by Meg Hansen Photography

Photographs by Katherine Shultz Photography

Additional photography by Prue Langhans, Kate Ellis, Karen Lynch, Benjamin Liew and Andre Agnew

penguin.com.au

ISBN: 978-0-143-78706-8

The information contained in this book is of a general nature only. If you wish to make use of any health and lifestyle information in this book relating to your health and lifestyle, you should first consider its appropriateness to your situation, including consulting a medical professional.

I FIRST WATCHED EMBRACE ON A FLIGHT from Australia to Los Angeles and was profoundly affected by what I saw. I was on my way to attend the 2017 Academy Awards. I had just birthed my second child, had not yet shed the baby weight and was days away from walking the biggest red carpet of my career. I felt I was under the watchful eye of Hollywood an industry that is rife with both scrutiny and self-criticism but watching Embrace carried me through those anxiety-ridden days and the weeks that followed.

The media would have us believe we need to reach a standard that is simply not realistic. Making people feel inadequate is a very profitable business! I have been photoshopped and airbrushed a thousand times over, which in the past has led to a private struggle in separating who I am from the way I look . I personally know so many women who suffer through this same battle, but watching Embrace reminded me that the issue is much bigger than many of us realise. We are in the midst of a heartbreaking epidemic; relentless negativity and self-loathing has become a global issue.

Embrace reinvigorated my passion for raising awareness of this toxic judgement that we project onto ourselves and each other. We must redefine and rewrite the ideals of beauty. We must not only strive to empower women to Embrace, but look to overhaul the current perception of beauty that is driven by the media and wider society. We are each whole, unique, healthy and capable just as we are , and it needs to be celebrated so! Let us focus on our achievements, our dreams, our ways of being and our connections in life rather than how we look or dont look.