History

This is one crazy grass roots effort that almost never came to be.

It all started with frustration.

Mama V was sick of talk, talk, talking on my blog about body image issues. After blogging for over 3 years on the same topic, you’ve said it all, done it all, seen it all. I wanted action or I wanted out.

So, she put together a panel for BlogHer dedicated to Body Image…read full story. The goal was to pull together body image activists from all different perspectives and philosophies -weight loss bloggers, fat acceptance leaders, fitness manics, and the eating disordered;

Carla, the phenomenal-non-stop-energy-enthusiasm-fitness-freak of a blogger MizFit

Claire Mysko, author, speaker, and expert on self esteem and body image issues facing girls and women.

Veronica “Roni” Noone, a mom who tells of her journey from fat to skinny to healthy on Roni’s Weigh.

Kate Harding, the Queen of the Fat-o-Sphere, author of “Lessons from the Fat-o-Sphere.”

We officially launched this blog on July 24, 2009, but ran beta tests two days prior, leaking out the URL to our personal blog communities, which landed us #1 on WordPress Growing Blogs.  The response from the body image activist community was overwhelming – we were right on.

We then learned of the amazing NORMAL nonprofit that shares this mission in schools — and does it through awesome arts and mindfulness programs.  So — in 2011– we joined forces and we are growing!  It is awesome!

Keep it real,

Heather Blessington (Founder of WATRD) and Robyn Hussa (Founder of NORMAL nonprofit)

*A blog created over a long weekend with minimal sleep,  several kids jumping on top of me, a husband keeping the lattes flowing, and a great team of simply, fabulous women.