When I met Marlène Bronzieri I was in a pool and it was race day. Anna (co-director) had come to film some bits for PO7C Films and brought Marlene with her to take some pictures of me. If there’s anything I learnt after nearly 18 years of swimming is that no one looks good in a swim cap and goggles, so when someone takes pictures of me in the pool I don’t even try to strike a pose. I usually barely acknowledge the camera. I just let my body be, because chances are it’s not going to be a flattering picture of me anyway, and I have my races to think about. It was only when I met Marlene that I realised that’s exactly the point: letting my body be.
At the end of the race she told me she loved the way my body looked when I was in the pool - not just in the water, but also on the pool deck before a race. Apparently I looked “natural”, in my element, different from who I am outside of the pool. She wanted to recreate that in a photoshoot.
I laughed because it seemed absurd. I grew up thinking my body could only ever be beautiful if I controlled it: think carefully about every single movement, sit straight, keep your head up, walk properly, try to look normal even when it feels uncomfortable. But in the pool I didn’t care, and so I did the opposite, letting my body take whatever shape it wanted. Surely that couldn’t be beautiful, let alone worthy of a photoshoot.
It’s funny because I made my entire career about advocating for better disability representation and yet I’ve always been so self-conscious and reluctant to put my own body in the spotlight. This year has been a great learning curve in that regard. I’m so glad I said yes and let Marlene prove me wrong. Thank you for capturing the best side of me and producing some stunning promotional material for Power of The Current. I can’t wait for the world to see this film 💙 You can see the rest of the photoshoot on Marlene’s Instagram account. Please keep supporting us by donating to our fundraiser - we only need £1000 to reach our goal! https://gofund.me/e074211d
