A short first-person reflection (YouTube Short) by TJ LaFaver describing living with vitiligo—skin patches from loss of melanin—and how showing themselves (e.g., working out in a sports bra) and gaining physical fitness improved self-confidence and mental health. The speaker suggests fitness can help people of varied body types or conditions feel more confident.
I cannot relate to being obese, overweight, anything like that. But I can relate to feeling uncomfortable, going in open spaces, and feeling like people are watching you. It's called vitiligo. So my skin just loses melanin in certain spots, and it starts growing, it stops, and it starts again. But overall, it's spreading more and more. I think they very much appreciate that. I just show myself working out, like in a sports bra, just showing off my skin and not hiding it. So I got more confident in myself with working out, and I feel like that translates to anyone. Like, you can be obese, you can have some type of condition, or you're disabled in a certain way, but if you're getting physically fit, your mental health is going to follow along. Helps everything.
