Raisman’s real expectations

Aly Raisman

In a world driven by social media and where heavily-edited pictures are common, America's star gymnast Aly Raisman has voiced her opinion on the importance of being your most authentic self.

Raisman, who has won six Olympic medals for her country, wants people to stay away from this trend. Talking about her four-year association with Aerie, Raisman says she is glad that the fashion label was one of the first in the industry to use untouched photos.

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"It's really important for images to just be how they really are - not retouched - because I think it's really hard to see an image that's [heavily-edited] and creates an unrealistic expectation of what people should like. It can be really bad for people's self-image.

"I've been very lucky to work with Aerie for about four years, and each time there's a campaign, it's really awesome to be able to meet new people and hear their stories - it's inspiring," the gymnast told bazaar.com.

Meanwhile, speaking about her designated me-time, the former gymnast said: "I try to go for a walk outside. If I'm somewhere that I'm able to, I'll try to close my eyes for 10 minutes and take that time for myself to relax."

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