Rachel Parsons: "I’ve decided to take a step back from skating"

[Coco]

I was very impressed with their FS at Nationals. I'm so glad they had that moment and so relieved she's putting her health first.

 

[Frau Muller]

I’m saddened by this news but happy that Rachel had the guts to get out. Since the increased emphasis on acrobatics in ice dance, the women are under more pressure to be as willowy as possible. This didn’t used to be the case 20+ years ago.

So...this has been quite the year for skaters shedding light on EDs.

 

[Moustaffask8r]

I’m saddened by this news but happy that Rachel had the guts to get out. Since the increased emphasis on acrobatics in ice dance, the women are under more pressure to be as willowy as possible. This didn’t used to be the case 20+ years ago.

So...this has been quite the year for skaters shedding light on EDs.

Well Gaby, Rachel, you can had a couple more to the list! People think those tiny skaters are beautiful but I guess we don't know the real sad stories behind those bodies! Sad to see Rachel go but health comes first!

 

[Rukia]

I was so shocked to read this last night. I am very happy that Rachel is doing what is best, but I will miss her beautiful edges out there. Watching the Parsons skate always inspired me to get back in the rink and work harder, and ultimately that's the best compliment I can give. I'm sure Michael will have no problem finding another partner if he chooses. Best of luck to both of them.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I am glad to hear about Miss Parson's choice. If she feels that in order to keep shape the only methods she can think of are unhealthy ones, it's best not to ruin health over a hobby and find other activities. good for her!

 

[Zazy]

I am glad to hear about Miss Parson's choice. If she feels that in order to keep shape the only methods she can think of are unhealthy ones, it's best not to ruin health over a hobby and find other activities. good for her!

Wow. Maybe lay off the passive-agressive digs when someone just announced they have an ED?
Trust me, eating disorders definitely aren't about a failure of the imagination.

I'm so glad that more skaters are coming out and being honest about their eating disorders. It takes courage, because it's still very much a taboo and, as Tinami shows, seen as a sign of weakness.

Skaters (especially women) are expected to be tiny and, as long as it isn't having an obvious negative impact, how many people around these skaters will 'look the other way'? And if it gets to the point where the skaters feel they need to quit, it means they just weren't tough enough for competitive skating, right? Look at all the people that manage just fine! Meanwhile many are not managing just fine but because we never hear about it, it can be categorized as a few isolated individuals and not something that seriously needs to be addressed.

So to the skaters who are publically acknowledging their EDs: Thank you. And to everyone struggling with this disease: I wish you success in your battle with this disease. You are strong.

 

[Sylvia]

Rachel wrote again on her IG tonight: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvz4AhpnRz4/
Excerpt:

... Eating disorders are hard to talk about. There’s so much emotion, shame, and fear of judgment associated with them. But the more we talk and try to break down the stigmas, the easier it will be for people to seek help. I’m going to stay active on social media and try to keep being open about my recovery process.

I'm so impressed by her willingness to help others!

 

[Tinami Amori]

Wow. Maybe lay off the passive-agressive digs when someone just announced they have an ED?
Trust me, eating disorders definitely aren't about a failure of the imagination.

I'm so glad that more skaters are coming out and being honest about their eating disorders. It takes courage, because it's still very much a taboo and, as Tinami shows, seen as a sign of weakness.

Skaters (especially women) are expected to be tiny and, as long as it isn't having an obvious negative impact, how many people around these skaters will 'look the other way'? And if it gets to the point where the skaters feel they need to quit, it means they just weren't tough enough for competitive skating, right? Look at all the people that manage just fine! Meanwhile many are not managing just fine but because we never hear about it, it can be categorized as a few isolated individuals and not something that seriously needs to be addressed.

So to the skaters who are publically acknowledging their EDs: Thank you. And to everyone struggling with this disease: I wish you success in your battle with this disease. You are strong.

This is a very odd take on what i said... especially my supposed view on ED, which i did not even address on its own as an issue.

In a nutshell. Micheal and Rachel are brother/sister. They are nearly the same height now (3" diff), and nearly the same size in proportions. She needs a stronger taller partner and he needs a shorter/smaller partner. They obviously did not considered it earlier, understandably so, given they are siblings. But they don't match any longer.

If her solution to be "smaller", or not "grow" further, or to stop from setting into her normal natural form, was to play with her diet (aka ED), then it is not right, and i am glad she stopped doing it.

He is 23? and will not grow "bigger". She is 21? and will not grow down "smaller". Messing with your food to fight nature is not the same as "watching weight with reasonable measures". Messing with food will not make you much smaller than your brother. Nature is nature.

Stop messing with food, and accept that your brother is too small for you, or you're too big for him, and don't ruin your health over it, skating is not mandatory. I am glad she chose right. that's all..

 

[PRlady]

That’s a better explanation, Tinami, than your original comment, which appeared to blame Rachel for not finding healthy ways to control her weight. The thing with EDs is that eating is beyond the individual’s rational control; it’s not just a matter of finding the right diet. It’s a deep seated compulsion wrapped up in body-image and a perfectionist personality, usually, and it’s not a matter of choice.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

In a nutshell. Micheal and Rachel are brother/sister. They are nearly the same height now (3" diff), and nearly the same size in proportions. She needs a stronger taller partner and he needs a shorter/smaller partner. They obviously did not considered it earlier, understandably so, given they are siblings. But they don't match any longer.

accept that your brother is too small for you, or you're too big for him

Says who? There's no rule and no physical reason that dance partners need to have a significant size difference. Rachel and Michael were skating beautifully together and I didn't see anything that made me think they couldn't continue to do perfectly fine lifts and other elements for years to come.

Rachel said she looks in the mirror and hates the way she looks, not that she looks at videos and hates their performances or partnering abilities. The issue isn't a matter of physics, of being physically incapable of doing the required skating content. The problem is people with a narrow aesthetic viewpoint drumming it into skater's heads that they have to look a certain way in order to be acceptable. I don't have any doubt that she's been hearing for years that she's "getting too big" and that likely contributed to her ED.

 

[dramagrrl]

The problem is people with a narrow aesthetic viewpoint drumming it into skater's heads that they have to look a certain way in order to be acceptable. I don't have any doubt that she's been hearing for years that she's "getting too big" and that likely contributed to her ED.

This is absolutely the crux of the problem, and the part that people within the skating community and fans who are brainwashed to think the same way continue to ignore whenever this issue comes up.

The fact that young women like Rachel and Gabby Daleman are talked about in skating circles as examples of "curvier" or "bigger" body types is blatantly ridiculous. I don't know what mirrors a lot of people within the skating world look through, but they definitely are closer to fun house mirrors than real ones.

 

[wickedwitch]

Says who? There's no rule and no physical reason that dance partners need to have a significant size difference. Rachel and Michael were skating beautifully together and I didn't see anything that made me think they couldn't continue to do perfectly fine lifts and other elements for years to come.

Exactly. Her problem isn't that she's too big, it's that she thinks she's too big. She is stopping because of mental health issues.

 

[Frau Muller]

Well Gaby, Rachel, you can had a couple more to the list! People think those tiny skaters are beautiful but I guess we don't know the real sad stories behind those bodies! Sad to see Rachel go but health comes first!

Much more than Gabby & Rachel. Exhibit A: Gracie Gold. A number of Russians, too...Radio...Lip. Some Japanese ladies in the past.

 

[barbarafan]

Exactly. Her problem isn't that she's too big, it's that she thinks she's too big. She is stopping because of mental health issues.

Well she looks very slender but she most likely is that slender as she has EDS so whichever methods she uses to stay slender are not healthy and she could get down to 90 lbs and still look in the mirror and think she is too big so she has to adhere to that big red stop sign, follow intensive treatment so she will follow proper nutrition and love herself no matter what comes up in the mirror. The person within needs to blossom and come out.

 

[wickedwitch]

Well she looks very slender but she most likely is that slender as she has EDS so whichever methods she uses to stay slender are not healthy and she could get down to 90 lbs and still look in the mirror and think she is too big so she has to adhere to that big red stop sign, follow intensive treatment so she will follow proper nutrition and love herself no matter what comes up in the mirror. The person within needs to blossom and come out.

You have no clue if that's true or not. Zero.

Eating disorders do not necessarily result in people being incredibly skinny. Sometimes they actually gain weight. Rachel has not revealed this level of detailed -- she's only said she had an eating disorder and her weight has fluctuated a lot -- so maybe people shouldn't make assumptions.

 

[skatesindreams]

Wishing her a complete recovery; and happiness, in whatever path she chooses.

 

[blue_idealist]

Exactly. Her problem isn't that she's too big, it's that she thinks she's too big. She is stopping because of mental health issues.

Yeah, Sinead and John Kerr weren't that different in size and made it work for years.

 

[3Lz+3Lo]

So sad to read this, good luck to them both for the future.

 

[Cayuse]

I have admired Rachel and Michael for years. Their unison is some of the best in figure skating. I was so hoping the two of them would skate to One Singular Sensation from Chorus Line this year for the Broadway theme rhythm dance. Now I'm hopeful Rachel will conquer her ED and go on to be her own singular sensation.

 

[azcalder]

I loved their skating the first minute I saw them, but it was their unison in "Singing in the Rain" that blew me away. You could throw a bowling ball through their legs and not touch one of them. She is a very brave young woman to recognize the need to address her issues. I wish both Michael and Rachel the best in their coming journeys.

 

[Japanfan]

This is absolutely the crux of the problem, and the part that people within the skating community and fans who are brainwashed to think the same way continue to ignore whenever this issue comes up.

The fact that young women like Rachel and Gabby Daleman are talked about in skating circles as examples of "curvier" or "bigger" body types is blatantly ridiculous. I don't know what mirrors a lot of people within the skating world look through, but they definitely are closer to fun house mirrors than real ones.

It's good that some progress is being with regard to skaters talking about EDs and attempting to recover from them.

But even so, I'm sure it remains a huge problem and lots of skaters are trying to starve themselves thinner.

There needs to be a new normal for how female skaters 'should' look within the sport, and I don't see that happening. Especially when you have tiny Elizabet Tursy landing quads (and quite a few Russian junior ladies who I would guess are also very tiny).

 

[paskatefan]

Health has to come first. I wish Rachel & Michael all the best.

 

[feraina]

You have no clue if that's true or not. Zero.

Eating disorders do not necessarily result in people being incredibly skinny. Sometimes they actually gain weight. Rachel has not revealed this level of detailed -- she's only said she had an eating disorder and her weight has fluctuated a lot -- so maybe people shouldn't make assumptions.

As a neuroscientist who studies psychiatry, I just want to say that while we don’t understand eating orders completely, it’s clear ED patients visually misperceive their own body shape as being fatter than it actually is (but not other people’s). And they also have abnormalities in their ability to integrate visual and proprioceptive (internal sense of where body parts are) sensory input, which is obviously important for gauging the shape and health of your body. The point is that they suffer from very ‘low-level’ sensory deficits, and these can’t be cured by just a simple change in mindset or diet. There is no easy fix.

 

[AxelAnnie]

As a neuroscientist who studies psychiatry, I just want to say that while we don’t understand eating orders completely, it’s clear ED patients visually misperceive their own body shape as being fatter than it actually is (but not other people’s). And they also have abnormalities in their ability to integrate visual and proprioceptive (internal sense of where body parts are) sensory input, which is obviously important for gauging the shape and health of your body. The point is that they suffer from very ‘low-level’ sensory deficits, and these can’t be cured by just a simple change in mindset or diet. There is no easy fix.

I had a period in my life where I lost 50 lbs. I was just out of college. In my mind I was still fat. I had a friend walk me around the mall and pick out people who were the same size as me. It took a while, but eventually I stopped picking out fat people and picked out thin people! Just because the facts change, it doesn't mean the brain has caught up.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Yeah, Sinead and John Kerr weren't that different in size and made it work for years.

But.... Kerrs had a good sense and understanding of their "proportions" and the fact that they are brother and sister, and moved away from "romantic couple/lyrical/sexual relationship" themes. They chose either abstract, or comical, or gender neutral themes, and made "equal strength" part of the elements... They handled all their deviations (from stereotypes of man and woman) very intelligently and appropriately, stressing them, rather than hiding them.

- https://c8.alamy.com/comp/C5R4TF/fi...reng-performing-for-lotte-presents-C5R4TF.jpg
- https://media.swncdn.com/godtube/2018/03/15/545683--06325444-15fb-4c37-84a1-5483d0a0eef1-poster.jpg
- https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/22/article-0-08687FCA000005DC-855_634x572.jpg
- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x7o1NdOEp...VNRs/s1600/tumblr_m3229771cl1rrjkoyo1_500.jpg
- https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/17/86/401786879c7657f5111c6bf671a02641.jpg
- https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...e-during-the-ice-picture-id73119903?s=612x612
- http://davecskatingphoto.com/photos/2009Euros/dance/IMG_4061A.jpg

 

[Lizziebeth]

Tinami, thanks for the trip down memory lane! Loved the Kerrs and their creativity. So many interesting programs. They really do show how a sibling team can work.

 

[Japanfan]

As a neuroscientist who studies psychiatry, I just want to say that while we don’t understand eating orders completely, it’s clear ED patients visually misperceive their own body shape as being fatter than it actually is (but not other people’s). And they also have abnormalities in their ability to integrate visual and proprioceptive (internal sense of where body parts are) sensory input, which is obviously important for gauging the shape and health of your body. The point is that they suffer from very ‘low-level’ sensory deficits, and these can’t be cured by just a simple change in mindset or diet. There is no easy fix.

I respect your expertise and can see that women with severe anorexia might have those sensory deficits. But, speaking of EDs or disordered eating more generally, I don't think that they are are always characterized by sensory deficits or neurological abnormalities. There is a pervasive belief that thinner is better and tremendous pressure on women to meet a standard of beauty and thinness that is impossible for most to achieve. Young women are particularly vulnerable to the pressure. Self-esteem and self-worth become associated with thinness, leading to an obsession with weight and dieting.

I don't know what percentage of women/young women suffer from EDs/disordered eating that doesn't progress to severe anorexia, but I know it is high, and SFAIK even higher among female figure skaters. I certainly had disordered eating as a teen and young women, as did most of the women I know. When one is thin, or loses weight, one gets compliments. There is a belief that being thin is an accomplishment, while being overweight is a personal failing. This could of course cause one to see a healthy body as overweight, but when society affirms this viewpoint, it's not because of a sensory deficit, but rather because of social norms and values.

 

[hoptoad]

Although the physical demands of the sport, such as lifts, do make it advantageous to have some size discrepancy between the man and woman, the idea that the man "ought" be larger than the woman is definitely socially reinforced.

https://familyinequality.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/herculean-dimporphism/

I'm sad that we won't get to see them compete this season and wish them both the best.

 

[Sylvia]

Bumping up this thread over one year later ...

(Michael Parsons started skating with Caroline Green this past season and they had a very successful first season together.)

Rachel Parsons spoke with Karina Manta yesterday for the new SkateProud platform (it was a very raw, emotional experience for both - worth listening to, IMO):

SkateProud Chat with Rachel Parsons

⛸🏳️‍🌈 @raemarie.parsons 🎥 🎤 @karinamanta Follow 👉 @skateproud

www.youtube.com

 

[Sylvia]

Local Maryland article featuring Rachel that was published back on June 3rd by Bethesda Beat (a daily local news briefing on BethesdaMagazine.com):

For Derwood woman, a harrowing experience at Lafayette Park protest

When Rachel Parsons of Derwood went to the protest in Lafayette Park in front of the White House on Monday, she didn’t know what to expect.

bethesdamagazine.com

I found the link embedded in this Fan Zone article ("How U.S. Figure Skaters Are Standing Up For Black Lives And Pledging To Diversify Their Sport") today that I've posted here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/joel-savary-on-diversifying-skating.106646/#post-5836617
Relevant excerpt from the Fan Zone article:

"Sitting at home and being angry wasn't doing enough. I wanted to protest. I wanted to physically be there," Parsons told Bethesda Magazine of the protest she went to near the White House.
The 2018 NHK Trophy medalist made her way to the front line of the June 1 protest in a failed attempt to speak to police officers.
Parsons told the magazine the peaceful protest was escalated by the police and she was hit below her collarbone by a rubber bullet.
The next morning, a photo of Parsons helping a Black man run from approaching police horses was on the front page of The Washington Post. A different photo, taken from behind, shows the back of Parson's shirt, which in her handwriting says, "If the shooting starts, stand behind me."