A fitness influencer has defended herself following backlash after she posed in a bikini in front of her 15-year-old son.
Sophie Guidolin, a prominent figure in the fitness community, is no stranger to sharing candid snaps of herself showing off her impressive physique.
In the post that sparked backlash, Guidolin titled the video: "POV: Your mama is an IFBB Bikini Pro."
The video was accompanied by a caption addressing previous criticism Guidolin has faced for wearing bikinis in front of her son.
"Lol remember when the media tried to shame me for wearing a bikini in front of my son… forgetting I was an #ifbbbikinipro and I do this as a sport," she wrote. "My son doesn’t sexualize my body so why do others. This my friends is 13 years of hard work."
Predictably, reactions to the video were varied.
One person said: "Your son is clearly very inspired by you. Why do people have to make it weird when it’s obviously not," while a second supporter said: "All I can see is hard work and dedication. Your son would be proud."
A third reacted: "Creepy. I feel sorry for you and your son," while another critic added: "I promise you it’s weird… the last thing I’d want to see is my mom in a thong.. let alone doing it to post on social media saying how I’m ok with it and all my friends see it.. creepy."
Guidolin, a 34-year-old mother of four and founder of the online health and fitness program, The Bod, has long been committed to empowering women in their fitness journeys.
Despite the occasional backlash, she remains committed to her mission to promote body positivity and self-confidence.
"WE LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST, Australia. Where wearing a bikini to the beach is so beyond normal, that I didn’t even consider having to place a disclaimer on this photo," Guidolin captioned a post, as per News.com.au.
"When Kai woke up, I was in the pool and yes- in a bikini (as I am most days). I wanted a photo straight away as he wanted to ride his bike and go out riding all day immediately.
“Do I have a problem wearing a bikini in front of my sons? NO WAY. Why? Because I’m not sexualized to him, nor have I ever been. If you have an issue, maybe you should look into why you feel you have to sexualize a woman’s body instead of it simply being a mum and her son at the pool!"
Addressing the backlash in another Instagram story, the influencer explained: "Guys, I just sat down with Kai. He just came back from bike riding and I was like, 'Mate, did you ever find a problem with my post this morning?' And he’s like, 'For real what?' And I was like, 'Because I was in a bikini' – and his response was, 'You’re always in a bikini.'"
She went on: "I would like to normalize the narrative of our bodies being simply that and it not being sexualized. There is nothing sexualized about that photo. I would often hug him, cuddle him, snuggle him in bed. I’m very close with the boys, I don’t see anything wrong with that."
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