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Serena Williams Writes Open Letter on Body Positivity To Her Mother

Serena Williams
AP/Dita Alangkara

"We are curvy, strong, muscular, tall, small, just to name a few, and all the same: we are women and proud!”

Reddit is generally known as a place you go to read conspiracy theories about your favorite TV shows or talk to your bros about, well, whatever bros talk about. Today, though, Tennis star and all-around queen Serena Williams took to Reddit to post a moving, emotional open letter addressed to her mother.

"You are one of the strongest women I know," she begins before saying that her daughter, Alexis Olympia, shares her mother's "strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body." She then talks about the sexist critiques she's faced as a strong woman, including being called a man "because I appeared outwardly strong" and being told she belongs in men's sports--and not women's--because she looks "stronger than many other women do." To that particular claim, she flawlessly claps back saying, "I was born with this badass body and proud of it."

Related | Serena Williams Wants Women to 'Be Fearless' in Essay for Black Women's Equal Pay Day

She continues by saying: "I am proud we were able to show them what some women look like. We don't all look the same. We are curvy, strong, muscular, tall, small, just to name a few, and all the same: we are women and proud!"

The letter ends with her asking her mom to promise to help Williams along the way. "I'm not sure if I am as meek and strong as you are yet," she says. "I hope to get there one day. I love you dearly."

Read the full letter on Reddit.

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