It all started out as a fun family outing. That’s why it was so surprising that she was so humiliated and treated so horribly all on the same day. The little kids playing in the area weren’t the problem. The expensive tickets and food at the water park weren’t the problem either. This issue was much more serious than that. This woman was in the water for just a few minutes when she was kicked out of the park. To say she was furious was an understatement.
Water Park Kicks Mother Out For Her Outfit But Didn’t Know That She Would Fight Back
Her Name Is Madelyn Scheaffer
Madelyn Scheaffer is a dedicated mother who lives in Odessa, Missouri. She the type of woman who would do anything to make sure her family was happy and taken care of. Well, something significant happened when she was in her 30s. It completely changed her life.
Her Name Is Madelyn Scheaffer
Hard Work
Seven years later, a few employees in the water park tried undoing all her hard work. She truly has been through it all. It’s safe to say she had a really hard time. The water park affected her badly. You can only imagine that whatever happened was bad.
Hard Work
It Was Time To Make A Decision
Back in 2005, Madelyn found something out about herself that made her completely rethink all her choices in life. She had been suffering from a slipped disc after an accident she had one day. She slipped and fell into the bathtub after leaning over too far.
It Was Time To Make A Decision
A Change
The way she was living at the time wasn’t good for her mentally or physically. And so, one day she decided that she had had enough. This was when she realized it was time she needed to make some serious changes. The pain of a slipped disc was more than enough to make her turn her life around.
A Change
It Was A Sign
Back when the accident occurred, emergency responders came to her house in no time at all. However, Madelyn was in so much pain that she didn’t want to move or be moved. She even sent the paramedics away. In fact, she laid in that bathtub for a couple of days.
It Was A Sign
A Sense Of Calm
After spending that time in the bathtub, Madelyn suddenly felt a sense of calm come over her. All that happened – none of it was part of her plan. She saw all those things as a sign that she was neglecting herself too much while taking care of the rest of her family.
A Sense Of Calm
She Was Determined To Change
Madelyn said, “That should have been the first sign for me that I needed to lose weight, but it took me another year before I made the decision to do something.” All the same, something incredible happened when she gathered all her willpower and strength.
She Was Determined To Change
Best Shape Of Her Life
Just two years passed and Madelyn was able to lose an incredible hundred pounds. This was a major life change. Five years later, she was still in great shape. However, she didn’t know that she’d be getting into one of the biggest conflicts of her life soon.
Best Shape Of Her Life
Mustering The Bravery To Do It
At 43 years old, Madelyn weighed 170 pounds. She was definitely in the best shape of her life. She had never felt more confident. One hot day, she decided she would try something new that she never had before. She was fully aware that her body was far from perfect. Still, she put on a brand-new black bikini and went to Adventure Oasis Water Park with her family. That’s when things took a turn.
Mustering The Bravery To Do It
Someone Was Watching Her
When they were at the water park, Madelyn looked around at the people there, young and old. She wasn’t jealous of any of their bodies! By that point, she was happy with the way she looked. She worked so hard and it paid off. She didn’t know that someone was secretly watching her at the time.
Someone Was Watching Her
Confidence is Key
It’s no secret that losing weight is a huge challenge. In addition to that, building up the confidence to wear a bikini after being overweight is no easy feat either. After the weight is gone, it’s not easy to gain the confidence missing. While Madelyn felt good, that would soon change.
Confidence Is Key
She Could Not Believe It
When they got to the park, Madelyn put her towel away and sat down for a moment before taking a dip in the cool water. After being in the pool for about five minutes, she was approached by two female staff members. They said to her something she didn’t immediately understand.
She Could Not Believe It
Employees Say What
Squinting up at them in the sunlight, Madelyn asked them to repeat what they had said to her. Maybe she simply misheard them? She was totally stunned by what these employees said to her. She was absolutely speechless.
Employees Say What
Her “Inappropriate” Outfit
One of the women sighed and repeated what she had said. She said to Madelyn that her bikini bottoms were “too small” and “inappropriate”. “This is a family park” she went on. How could this be right?
Her “Inappropriate” Outfit
According To Who’s Standards?
At the time, Madelyn was wearing “full” bikini bottoms. She was confused, staring around at all the other women in the water park. A lot of them were wearing much more exposing swimwear! Something was obviously wrong.
According To Who’s Standards
She Felt Violated
Madelyn felt like her emotions were all over the place. She couldn’t muster the energy to hide them. She couldn’t help but feel ashamed and humiliated after hearing what the staff members said to her. She almost felt violated.
She Felt Violated
Taking A Stand
Madelyn was able to stop herself from feeling that way a few moments later. Instead, anger started seeping in. “I was embarrassed for a second, and then it was no, no way,” she said. She had worked way too hard to let these women break her down. She worked much too hard to let these women break her down.
Taking A Stand
They Singled Her Out
“My body is different than the young girls that were walking around in their bikinis, but why should I be made ashamed of my body?” Madelyn said. She went on, “I am comfortable in my bikini. I am happy with who I am.”
They Singled Her Out
Embracing Your Body
“My first reaction was why are you singling me out? They said that my bottoms were inappropriate. That was funny to me because they are full-size bottoms.” Women of all shapes and sizes should be okay with accepting their bodies without getting shaped for it.
Embracing Your Body
Time To Take A Stand
Madelyn turned around to look at those same employees. They were still eyeing her, looking her body up and down with accusing expressions on their faces. If this had happened several years earlier, Madelyn knew she would have been too shy to stick up for herself. Well, this was a different phase of her life.
Time To Take A Stand
Standing Up For Herself
She knew it was high time to take a stand. After all, it was obvious that these employees were singling her out for no real reason. She didn’t want to let her confidence be broken down so quickly and easily. Not after it took her so long to build it back up.
Standing Up For Herself
They Gave Her Two Options
The employees were refusing to let this matter go. They continued and said to Madelyn that she had two options. Either she could slip on a pair of shorts over her bikini bottoms, or she could leave the park entirely. She was furious and demanded to talk to their supervisor.
They Gave Her Two Options
Choosing
“Well I am not covering up,” she said sternly. She continued, “And if you expect me to leave, you had better call the police and have them escort me out.” Other than being embarrassed about being targeted, Madelyn felt like she had a duty to stand up for women in general, not just herself.
Choosing
She Was Booted Out
To her distant, soon the police were called. Eventually, the officers made their way into the water park to kick Madelyn out. “Fifteen minutes later the police did arrive and said that while they did not agree, they had to do their job. ‘We can’t actually say anything,’ they said as we walked outside… but I hope from the expressions on our face you can tell how we feel.”
She Was Booted Out
Even The Police Agreed
Madelyn decided to go to Facebook and write about her injustice. Of course, her post went viral. In it, she wrote, “They were compassionate. They, too, though it was ridiculous.” Surely, the police knew what should and what shouldn’t be allowed.
Even The Police Agreed
Looking Too Good In A Bikini
“I am a 43-year-old woman who did not have the confidence or the body, to put on a bikini until [I was] 40 years old,” Madelyn continued. She said, “I will not be discriminated against because I look too good in one.”
Looking Too Good In A Bikini
Wearing A Bikini At Any Age
She went on to describe the bathing suit she had been wearing at the time: “This was not a thong. It was a standard, summertime, two-piece, string bikini… the same as everyone else, who felt confident enough in their body to wear one.” No matter what body type, she knew if someone else had been wearing the very same thing, they wouldn’t have been treated the same way.
Wearing A Bikini At Any Age
It Was Completely Unfair
“I felt like it was both age and body discrimination and I felt like I could look around me and I could see a handful of other girls half my age, wearing the same size swimming suit and not being singled out and told to put on clothes or leave,” she said angrily. The question remaining was, what could she do about all this?
It Was Completely Unfair
It Went Viral On Facebook
After explaining her side of things on Facebook, Madelyn saw that people all around the world found out about the way the water park discriminated against her. People simply couldn’t believe the way the staff treated her. However, that wasn’t the end of it.
It Went Viral On Facebook
Spreading The Word
Madelyn knew that the park staff wouldn’t realize their mistakes just from her online post. What else could she do about it? She wanted to blow this whole thing up – even more so for all the other women in the world who didn’t have the courage to stand up for themselves.
Spreading The Word
She Received Local Support
“Long story short, I called the media and will be on tonight’s local 41 news. Several people walked out while I waited outside for the newsman, and told me how ridiculous this all was, and complimented me on my swimsuit,” she said. It’s good to hear that her post got as much attention as it had.
She Received Local Support
Supporters From All Over The World
Again, Madelyn took to Facebook to express the gratitude she felt for the way her post was received. It was such an amazing thing that so many strangers supported her. Madelyn said, “In addition to other countries already mentioned, I have now heard from Greece, China, Hong Kong…and received over 500 beautiful letters from Brazil. I have been wanting to see the world, and now the world is coming to me, and sending much Love.”
Supporters From All Over The World
Appreciation For The Human Body
“One thing I have learned so far is that there is a much greater viewpoint and perspective of the human body than what is to be found in Independence, Missouri worldwide… and I thank and appreciate you for that!” Madelyn shared.
Appreciation For The Human Body
Appreciating What We Have
She continued, “Much Love to those who express pride over shame for all shapes, sizes, in addition to various ages and stages, of this beautiful human body we inhabit our time on earth.” What was she trying to achieve by doing all this?
Appreciating What We Have
Money Is Not Going To Fix The Problem
“While I stand by my grievance that I was discriminated against at Adventure Oasis Water Park, and I do not believe it should happen again,” she said, “It is not money that is going to correct the issue, but a change in the swimming park’s “appropriate swimming attire” policy, and also an improvement involving better education and orientation of their park management.”
Money Is Not Going To Fix The Problem
Change In Policy
It is a good way to improve things, we agree. We just hope that they will listen to her sooner rather than later. Unless those really are their standards. In that case, they should be enforced in an equal and fair way. Sadly, these sorts of things happen all the time in many places. As a matter of fact, this next story is even crazier…
Change In Policy
Unwelcome
Sarah Villafane is a student at the College of Charleston. She frequently exercises at the student gym in her college. Up until this point, she never had an issue going there. After she was done with her classes for the day, Sarah made her way to the gym. What they had to say to her simply wasn’t okay.
Unwelcome
Her Gym Top
That day, Sarah had three classes and wanted to go to the gym later on, so she wore her gym clothes all day. Oftentimes, she would wear gym clothes during lectures in order to save herself some time. In any case, this is a habit many busy people do. It’s not unusual.
Her Gym Top
A Matching Set
Sarah decided to wear black leggings with a matching black cropped sleeveless shirt. The shirt wasn’t too cropped and didn’t show too much of her torso. This was especially true since her leggings were high-waisted.
A Matching Set
Approached Her
Sarah went about her day as usual. She got to the gym and began exercising. A few minutes pass, and she gets approached by a gym employee. This employee tells her that she needs to change her shirt since it’s inappropriate. Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What would she do?
Approached Her
No Other Option
She did all she could think of: tell the truth. She told the employee that she didn’t have another shirt with her. So, she continued with her workout and went about things as if nothing happened. Even though she was slightly embarrassed, she didn’t know that wasn’t the end of it.
No Other Option
The Conversation
She moved on to the back corner of the gym, where she worked on her abs while on the floor. Unfortunately, another staff member walked up to her this time. She recalls the employee telling her to put her shirt back on. She responded, “I have a shirt on”.
The Conversation
The Staff Member Argued
The employee said, “no that’s not a shirt. You have to wear a whole shirt.” Sarah asked, “how is this not a shirt?” The employee explained that she needed full coverage while working out at the gym.
The Staff Member Argued
Continued On
The staff member said that if Sarah had a problem, they had their ‘boss’ on the premises almost all the time. Sarah simply laughed in response, saying they could send the boss over if they really were being serious.
Continued On
The Manager
Then, Sarah was approached by the manager of the gym. He said to her that if she didn’t change her shirt, she would be forced to leave the premises. Of course, this was even more humiliating for Sarah. All this happened in front of all the other students at the gym.
The Manager
Referred To As Boss
The manager continued, saying to Sarah, “I need you to put on a shirt or I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” Once again, Sarah said, “But I have a shirt on.” He ignored her and said, “Are you gonna put a shirt on?”
Referred To As Boss
Gym Clothes
As a rule, gym clothes are meant to be comfortable, flexible, and sometimes show off a little skin so the hear can escape while exercising. Throughout the years, any gym was filled with people wearing tight and showy clothing – more showy than what Sarah happened to be wearing.
Gym Clothes
Conducted Wrong
Embarrased, Sarah was forced to leave the gym. This was most definitely not the way the situation should have been dealt with. The employees could have gone about it in a nicer way, explaining that it was the policy they had to enforce. Well, Sarah had every intension to do something about it.
Conducted Wrong
Taking It To Media
When Sarah got home, she immediately logged onto her Facebook and decided to explain the entire situation and express her frustrations. She was furious. She even talked about the fact that if she was wearing nothing but a sports bra, it was still technically sportswear. It should have been allowed.
Taking It To Media