Growing up as a chubby kid, Sandra Ho faced a lot of criticism from her mum and relatives. When she got into her first relationship at 19, her then boyfriend compared her to other girls and she would also compare herself to Victoria Secret models who were on posters all over shopping malls.
Stuck in that toxic mentality for a long time, she struggled badly just to strive to look like them.
To stop herself from feeling guilty for eating, Sandra was exercising 2 to 3 hours day when she was in polytechnic. It bothered her that she was struggling to fit into a size S and she only ate an apple or just a bowl of fish soup for the day.
“I was going for Muay Thai classes two to three times a day for five days a week. I was pushing my limits just to look fit. Then I started to get really thin and I liked the attention I was getting all for the wrong reasons.”
“But because I wasn’t eating and I was exercising so much, I almost blacked out once and was feeling so light-headed,” the 30-year-old healthcare professional recalled.
“A blood test then showed that my haemoglobin level was way below normal and the doctor said that I have to start eating normally or my health was at risk.”
Eventually, it was pole dancing that led Sandra to learn how to love her body. Picking it up five years ago, she was amazed at the tricks she could do and how strong she became.
“The pole dance community is a very strong union of women coming together and we celebrate each other’s small wins. That’s when I realised that my body is so amazing and it gave me strength to pole dance.”
“I realised that I don’t have to be a certain size or look a certain way to be worthy. I am worthy just the way I am. I hope to bring a message to girls like me who suffered from body dysphoria and is also stuck in a toxic cycle of family members constantly commenting on your body – you are always worthy and you are beautiful.
“Your worth has got nothing to do with your weight. Be confident and shine like the brightest star!”
*This is a collaboration between Rock The Naked Truth and Pink Salt
