Femininity and the Female Athlete: Breast Reductions and Breast Augmentation
Femininity and the Female Athlete: Breast Reductions and Breast Augmentation
Beyond muscular strength, cardiovascular constitution and technical skill, there’s another factor that uniquely affects the performance of female athletes – the size of their breasts. On the one hand, those cumbersome eight to 10 pounds of extra weight can be seen as a hindrance on the court, track, field or floor. But on the other hand, women sometimes struggle to maintain their femininity in a culture that often equates extreme physical fitness with masculinity. Two recent news stories highlight this conundrum.
Simona Halep, a tennis star from Romania, felt that her 34DD chest was holding her back. While her breasts made her popular among male fans, she often complained of back pain and discomfort both on and off the court. Much to the chagrin of her fan base, Halep underwent breast reduction surgery. At a much more manageable, yet still significantly buxom 34C, Halep is reportedly happy with her decision and is back at her peak performance after a quick recovery.
The story of Australian hurdler Jana Rawlinson (nee Pittman) is equally interesting and controversial. A lifelong athlete, Rawlinson did what many women with toned, muscular bodies do to feel more feminine—she underwent breast augmentation surgery (reportedly in 2006 after childbirth). The operation did not apparently hinder her performance—she won the 400m hurdles at the Osaka World Championship in 2007 and at the Grand Prix event in Spain in 2009. Nevertheless, she has chosen to remove her breast implants in order to increase her chances of attaining a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.
The stories of Rawlinson and Halep vary somewhat in their circumstances, but they both highlight a key point: plastic surgery may be able to help women reconcile disparities between their bodies and their athletic or aesthetic goals in ways that training cannot.
At Ocean Plastic Surgery in Newport Beach, serving all of Orange County, breast lifts, breast augmentation, and breast reduction help women pursue active lifestyles in much the same way. Whether patients wish to shed the discomfort of overly large breasts, like Halep, or look and feel more feminine, like Rawlinson, breast surgery can help. For active women hurdling in the Olympics or jogging the boardwalks of Orange County, breast augmentation or reduction may help them achieve their goals.
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