"Not just body [shamed], but my appearance too" - Ex-professional golfer Paige Spiranac called out fans for body-shaming her during ceremonial first pitch at Brewers game

On October 6, former professional golfer Paige Spiranac discussed being body-shamed. She said that she received disparaging comments about her appearance after she threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Yankees-Brewers game in Milwaukee on September 16.

The 29-year-old golfer was dressed in a white tank top layered with a Milwaukee Brewers jersey and navy blue jeans.

"First pitch" - @Paige Spiranac

In a video titled "Body Shaming & Life Online, Do I Deserve It?," Paige talked about her experience at American Family Field and how she was criticized for apparently gaining weight.

She said:

"I got extremely bodyshamed. Not just body [shamed], but my appearance, too, like my face and everything.

“In Milwaukee, people were like, ‘She’s gained weight. This is what she looks like with no filters.’ It was insane. “People were like, ‘You don’t look like yourself.’"

Paige continued:

"But, here’s the thing. When I shoot, I obviously pick the best pictures. I have great lighting. There’s a lot that goes into getting a nice picture. And so when you’re at a stadium that has severe overhead lighting, fluorescent overhead lighting, you’re just not going to look your best.

"And so I have just felt this immense pressure to look perfect, all the time. And that is humanly impossible. It is seriously so difficult to do that. No one can do that. Even the most beautiful women in the world don’t always look a certain way.”

Paige shouldn't be subjected to such offensive remarks simply because she made herself visible online. In fact, nobody should be the target of trolls for something over which they have no influence.

Paige Spiranac feels she has received backlash ever since being named Maxim’s Sexiest Woman Alive

Paige Spiranac at the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic - Day One

Paige Spiranac believes she receives hateful comments from people who expect her to look a certain way ever since she was named "Maxim's Sexiest Woman Alive."

Paige said:

“That is quite a title [Maxim’s Sexiest Woman Alive] and I’ve felt a lot of pressure to live up to that title. So I even think that I have been more critical of my self appearance and alway trying to put out the best possible picture and doing everything I can to always present and look my best. And that takes a toll on you.”

Be it skinny-shaming or fat-shaming, any kind of body-shaming can be extremely hurtful. It is a form of bullying and can take a toll on the victim's self-worth in many ways.