They went there for some family refreshment. But she could not imagine she had to face unfairness, humiliation, and rage on that day. The Problem was not the expensive food and tickets to the water park or the children playing around her. The Problem was more intense than those. After spending some moments on the water, she was forced to leave the park. But the women took that insult seriously.
Madelyn Scheaffer- the name of the Women
Madelyn Scheaffer was a perfect mom who could do anything for her family’s happiness. She was from Odessa, Missouri. However, when she was in the middle of 30s, something terrible happened to her that changed her entire world. Yes, I am not saying it exaggeratedly!
Hard Work.
After a few years, she made some changes in the water park, but some employees tried to spoil her modifications. She had to face a very tough time. It is easily imaginable. The incident of the water park affected her greatly, without any doubt. What had happened to her was very bad.
Time to make a change
In 2005, she discovered something new about herself. It led her to consider her choice of life newly. She accidentally slipped on the bathtub while taking a shower. Since then, Madelyn suffers from a slipped disc.
A change
The lifestyle she was leading did not help her body at all. Suddenly, he decided to make a change. On that day, she set her mind to do something different. The pain of a slipped disc and the ordeal can easily force someone to change her lifestyle.
It was an indication.
Normally, emergency services come rapidly to the spot after any call they get. But the pain of Madelyn was so much, and she asked the emergency service to leave the spot and let her be there. She was in the bathtub for a few days!
Few days of Calmness
She felt very comfortable, and she was very calm at that time. It also affected her body. She realized that she never thought of her body for the happiness of her family.
She promised to make a Change.
The first thing she needed to do was losing her weight. But it took her almost 1 year to set up her mind to do something about this problem. But her strength and determination helped her to do the impossible at ease.
Best Change of her Life
Madelyn lost a hundred pounds in two years. She got the best body shape. Moreover, she kept herself fit for the next five years too. She never thought she could make the biggest change of her life so smoothly.
Confidence of Keep Going
At the age of fourth three, her weight was just 170 pounds! She was very confident about herself. She was having the best shape of her life. On a hot summer day, she made up her mind to visit the water park wearing a black bikini dress. Though she did not have the perfect body, she wanted to go for the first time with her family. By the way, things were going smoothly till then.
Someone was Spying on Her
There were people of all ages in the water park. They had different body shapes too. Madelyn watched everyone but felt normal. She was happy with her body shape. She worked very hard to reach her goal. But someone in the park was spying on her secretly.
Confidence is the Key
Losing weight is a very toilsome task. Anyone needs to have enough confidence to wear a bikini after losing overweight. Madelyn got her confidence by working hard. It was an in-progress work. She felt very confident after wearing a bikini. But soon, it vanished.
Madelyn Could not believe it.
Madelyn sat down and went into the water after removing her towel. In just five minutes, some female staff came to her. They said something to Madelyn that she couldn’t believe it!
Employees say What
Madelyn requested the staff to repeat what they told her. She thought she misheard them. She was completely speechless after hearing the words of the female staff.
Her “inappropriate” Outfit
Then, one of the female staff repeated it to her. They said she was wearing an “extra small” bikini, which was “inappropriate.” They also added that this was a family park!
According to which standard?
Madelyn was stunned. She did not believe it could be right. She was wearing a full bikini. She noticed other women in the park wearing a shorter bikini than her. So, she thought something was surely wrong.
She felt insulted
Madelyn was emotionally broken. It was clear on her face. She felt very insulted and humiliated. The female staff commented on her body, which was not accepted at all. She felt very ashamed and violated.
Taking a Stand
Soon, Madelyn became furious and protested against their comment. She felt embarrassed only for a while. Then she became angry. She worked very hard to get this shape. So, she could not tolerate the comment of the female staff at all.
They singled her out.
Madelyn said her body was different than other young women walking around the park wearing a bikini. But she must not be ashamed of her shape. Madelyn was feeling comfortable with her Outfit. She was happy with herself.
Embrace Your Body
Madelyn asked them why they are singling her out. They replied that her bottoms were not appropriate. The answer was not acceptable to her because they were full-size bottoms. Madelyn argued that women should never be ashamed of her body. She should feel proud of her body size and shape.
Time to Protest
Madelyn protested against the female staff who were accusing her of Outfit. Madelyn was shy a few years ago. But she was confident and did not let them go away with it smoothly. She gained confidence after years of hard work.
Standing up for Herself
Madelyn thought she should protest against them. Because the reason why they were singling her out was not logical. Her confidence was not going to be broken so easily. She built herself in that way. So, she decided to give a strong fight.
The staff gave her Two Options.
When Madelyn was not letting it go easily, they gave her two options. She must wear extra clothes in her bottoms, or she has to leave the park. Madelyn did not accept their options. She wanted to talk with the authority.
Choosing
Madelyn said that she was not going to cover her bottoms. If they wanted her to leave the park, they had to call the police. She was not just ashamed of her singling out; she wanted to protest for other women too.
She was kicked out
Then, police officers came to the park to kick Madelyn out of the park without her will. Police officers said that they had to do their duty though they disagreed. They had no alternative. They also said that they felt bad for her while taking her out of the park.
The police also Agreed.
The police officers found it ridiculous. They were kind to Madelyn. Madelyn shared this on the Facebook post, which went viral. Because the police officers knew very well what was legal and what was illegal to do.
Looking Amazing In a Bikini
Madelyn said in her FB post that till 40, she did not have the body and confidence to wear a bikini. But at the age of 43, she looked very good in a bikini. So, she did not accept any bad comments over her Outfit that looked perfect.
Women Should Wear a Bikini at any Age.
The bikini was not abnormal. Same as everyone wears in the summertime. Two pieces of cloth can be worn by women who had confidence in her body. She said this in her Post. No one should get this kind of unfair treatment when other people wear the same thing without any problem. She fiercely said that she faced both body shaming and age discrimination. Because she saw other young women wearing a bikini was walking around without any hassle. But she was singled out for her Outfit.
The Post became Viral on FB.
Madelyn shared her toxic experience and the discrimination she faced on a FB post. Soon the Post went viral. People around the world came to know about her experience. People could not imagine the water park authority would behave in such a terrible way. Their approach against her was not acceptable. But Madelyn did not stop only in a FB post.
Spreading the Words
By posting the staff’s name and behavior on FB, the staff would not learn their lesson. Madelyn knew this. So, what more could she do? She decided to do something more serious. She did it for the women who did not hat enough courage to raise their voices.
She Got Local Support.
Madelyn called the local media to create more attention. While she was out there waiting for the local correspondent, some people came and told her this was madness. They also objected to her swimsuit. All credit went to the viral Post, which got the attention.
Supports From All Over the World
After the viral Post, Madelyn wrote her gratitude and surprise on FB. She said that people across the countries supported her much. She got the support of countries like China, Hong Kong, and Greece. She got more than five hundred letters from Brazil. She had been waiting for the world to know her experience. She got it and received so much love and support from the people.
Appreciation For the Human Body
Madelyn said that she found a better perspective and viewpoint of the human body in other countries than she found in her motherland. She appreciated people for this humbleness.
Appreciate what We Have
She praised those who love people of all ages, shapes, and sizes without any discrimination. Everyone has a beautiful body. Body shaming must be stopped. There is a question that what did Madelyn want by focusing on the waterpark incident?
The Problem Cannot Be Solved by Money.
Madelyn said that she protested against the improper policy with great grief. She believed that the park authority would not do such behavior anymore. She also said that money could not solve this problem. The authority needs to change its policy of proper attire first. Madelyn added that proper education and changes in park management were also needed to fix that problem.
