{"id":335406,"date":"2025-08-11T09:48:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/335406\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T09:48:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:48:12","slug":"i-wasnt-healthy-i-wasnt-happy-another-star-speaks-out-on-eating-disorders-and-the-need-for-change-in-womens-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/335406\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI wasn\u2019t healthy, I wasn\u2019t happy\u201d \u2013 Another star speaks out on eating disorders and the need for change in women\u2019s cycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

German professional Clara Koppenburg<\/a> has used her social
\nmedia platform to deliver one of the most candid and powerful messages of this
\nwomen\u2019s cycling season. The 30-year-old Cofidis Women rider, who recently
\ncompleted the Tour de France Femmes<\/a> in 88th place overall, took to Instagram to
\nshare her personal experience with disordered eating, RED-S (Relative Energy
\nDeficiency in Sport), and the realities of recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve won the most important battle \u2013 but sometimes it still
\nfeels like a defeat,\u201d Koppenburg began, explaining that while the cycling world
\nhas recently seen high-profile discussions on eating habits and mental health
\nfrom riders such as Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, the problem is
\nfar from new. \u201cIt\u2019s a shadow that\u2019s hung over our sport for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koppenburg recounted her own struggle: \u201cI pushed my body to
\nthe limit. And I was flying up the mountains. But I wasn\u2019t healthy. I wasn\u2019t
\nhappy. I wasn\u2019t me.\u201d Choosing recovery, she said, was \u201cthe hardest \u2013 and
\nbravest \u2013 step I\u2019ve ever taken. And I\u2019d do it again. But what no one tells you
\nis: Doing the right thing can feel like a punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Her words paint a stark picture of the gap between public
\npraise and professional opportunity. \u201cYou look healthy!\u201d she recalled being
\ntold. \u201cBut did those kind words turn into contracts or support? No. I was told
\nthings like: \u2018You\u2019re on the right track, it needs time \u2013 but we don\u2019t have
\ntime.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For Koppenburg, the most significant win has been reclaiming
\nher health. \u201cI didn\u2019t win races lately \u2013 but I won myself back. After 6 years,
\nmy period returned. I reconnected with my body, my worth. And yet, it still
\nfeels like I\u2019m being penalized for healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She described recovery as \u201cmessy,\u201d a process of fluctuating
\nweight, hormonal changes, and reduced power-to-weight ratios that can leave
\nriders questioning their form. \u201cIt can feel like you\u2019re riding backwards. You
\nquestion everything \u2013 even though you\u2019re finally doing what\u2019s right. In races,
\nthe pressure is double: To perform \u2013 and to trust the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koppenburg\u2019s call to action is clear: \u201cWhat we need isn\u2019t
\njust awareness of RED-S or EDs. We need space to heal. Time. Understanding.
\nBelief. And the real question is: Are we ready \u2013 as teams, fans and industry \u2013
\nto give athletes that time?\u201d<\/p>\n

She closed her statement with a reminder that resonates far
\nbeyond sport: \u201cAtm I don\u2019t have big results. But I have myself \u2013 and that\u2019s my
\ngreatest victory. I\u2019m getting stronger every week. And with the right support,
\nI\u2019ll be back \u2013 truly back. Because recovery isn\u2019t weakness. It\u2019s strength. And
\nit\u2019s time we recognize it as such.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"German professional Clara Koppenburg has used her social media platform to deliver one of the most candid and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":335407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-335406","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115009506791305420","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/335407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}