I don’t know what this woman was thinking – clearly, she wasn’t.
She’s a member of Team USA Paintball Team (not the Olympics) – well, she was a member – she’s just been kicked off for fat-shaming an overweight teenager hospitalized with COVID.
But before I pick on her for her delivery, I do understand what she was saying, and she was actually right, but it’s the way that she said it – the words she used, and the nasty tone she used that was rude.
This is a 31-year-old person, she should know how to communicate better than this – and she’s a professional fitness trainer, so she should also know how to better motivate and inspire people.
But I do agree that obesity is a serious issue when it comes to COVID, and this entire country needs to get healthier. This virus should be a wake-up call for that, but it’s not…we have state officials offering people pizza and donuts to take a vaccine.
It’s absurd.
But shaming a family, and using the F-word in such a callous way while this kid’s in the hospital was not the way to get the message out – especially in this day and age.
Daily Mail reported that fitness trainer and Team USA Paintball player Jessica Maiolo has been booted off the squad after she was accused of fat-shaming a teenager hospitalized for COVID-19 by saying he needs ‘a f**king treadmill’ more than a vaccine.
The team, which is not affiliated with the Olympics, announced on Monday they were cutting ties with Maiolo, 31, after she shared a video on TikTok in which she scornfully reacted to a news report about David Espino, 17, a Florida high school all-star football player.
The video earned furious backlash, with commenters comparing her to a ‘Hallmark Christmas movie villain’ for ridiculing a sick child and calling on her team to kick her out.
Team USA Paintball initially responded on Monday by saying that Maiolo had been suspended pending an investigation but adding: ‘We try to respect every individual’s right to have opinions and express them personally.’
Less than 24 hours later the team announced her removal ‘effective immediately,’ writing in a statement: ‘Our investigation into the troubling conduct of Ms. Maiolo has been concluded and we have decided to remove her from the team indefinitely.’
Maiolo also made a statement:
“What started out as me expressing my personal opinion about something I feel quite passionately about, has turned into a moment of regret for the situation I have put my teammates, our sponsors and the sport I love into,’ the statement reads.
If I were to have such a moment again to convey my full thoughts, I would choose my words more carefully and consider how my opinions may affect others.”
You can watch the video below:
Jessica Maiolo of #teamusapaintball likes to fat shame hospitalized teens and spread COVID-19 misinformation. pic.twitter.com/62o1vaSlVI
— Savannah (@rx0rcist) August 6, 2021
What she should have done was taken this as an opportunity to educate Americans on the dangers of obesity and COVID and offered some insight from her professional perspective.
That didn’t happen, and now she lost her dream.
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This piece originally appeared in WayneDupree.com and is used by permission.
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