Tracey-Lee Lusty is an attorney of the high court and one of South Africa’s most influential Body Positive Fitness Personalities, born and raised on the sunny shoreline of Cape Town. She is known to bring about positivity and inspiration and has used her platform to inspire thousands of people all across the globe over the past 5 years. Let’s dive deeper and learn more about her.

You are an attorney, please tell us more about that? What made you pursue law?

From a very young age, I knew that my purpose in life was to help, motivate and inspire the world around me. As both an Attorney and a Body Positive Plus Size Fitness activist, I have been able to achieve just that. I was initially drawn to law because it is a solution-driven profession. As a born empath and peacemaker, the idea that I could help solve seemingly unsolvable problems was very appealing. I ended up specialising in Family law because of the human connection. 

You are also a body positivity, mental health, and fitness warrior! Please tell us more about your journey and what has led you to the path you are on?

My online fitness journey began in 2016 when I initially created FITNESSGIRL as a visual diary to track my weight loss transformation. After losing 33 kilograms in 12 months, I garnered a rather large following of incredibly supportive people from across the globe. In 2018, I shifted my core focus away from aesthetic validation to one of self-love, body positivity and body acceptance. Since then, I have taken my followers on my own personal, non-linear journey of self-love and self-discovery. I have also spoken honestly about my struggles with mental health and in particular, my life battle with generalized anxiety disorder. FITNESSGIRL is now a wellness movement that encompasses everything do with health, wellness and fitness. 

There must have been many challenges for you to face on your journey. How did you get through the hard times and what has motivated you or pushed you to keep moving forward?

There have been a lot of challenges along the way, but nothing that I haven’t been able to overcome. A lot of the time it has had to do with self-belief. In this industry, it’s easy to compare your achievements and journey to someone else’s but it is so important to remember that everything that is meant for you will find you. Since I began practising self-love and acceptance, I have found that I compare myself to others less and less each day. My community really motivates me to keep pushing forward because I know so many people are looking to ME for motivation and inspiration. 

What has your fitness journey brought to you as a person?

FITNESSGIRL is now a successful business that aims to teach women & men all over the world that all bodies are equal regardless of size, gender, ability, colour or creed; and that our self-worth is not determined by the size of our clothes. This journey has brought with it so many incredible personal achievements and has also taught me the skills to be a competent businesswoman and entrepreneur (something I never dreamed I would be). 

Do you have any favourite fitness routines, physical activities or hobbies? We do know that you have taken up boxing, how’s that been going for you?

I have really loved every second of my new boxing journey. It is a sport that so many women can benefit from. It’s also an incredibly empowering sport and one that uses not just your physical but your mental stamina too. I also love being in nature so now that we are heading into spring a weekly hike is on my to-do list.

In terms of body positivity, do you think people’s perspective on it has changed for the better over the past decade?

We have seen a massive boom in the body positive movement in the past 10 years. Ashley Graham (the first plus-size supermodel) helped catapult the movement into mainstream media. Since then, retail and fashion houses have made a conscious effort to be more size-inclusive and we are seeing more and more beauty brands embracing unconventional ideas of beauty. It is really refreshing as representation in the media is so important.

In your bio you have stated that you are a mental health warrior, that is a very passionate statement. What influenced you to become such an ardent advocate for mental health?

I have suffered from Generalised Anxiety Disorder for over a decade now and I had separation anxiety as a child. This is something I have lived with and had to work through my entire life. This is why I call myself a mental health warrior because I do feel like I have fought the battle my entire life. My anxiety is well under control now and this has come from years of self-practice and therapy. I now advocate for mental health awareness wherever I can, especially in the workplace where mental health ‘issues’ are always seen as taboo or career limiting. I continue to create an open dialogue on my platform and normalize mental illness.

Both body positivity and mental health awareness require a societal change. What more do you think needs to be done by us as a society to bring about that positive type of change that we so need?

There needs to be more active engagement and dialogue with these topics. Companies, employers, and sports clubs (and the like) need to start creating safe spaces in which to have these open discussions. The more we talk about these issues, the more we can normalize them and demolish certain assumptions surrounding health, fitness and mental health.

In your bio, you also say #beautybeyondsize, we really love this hashtag, and it is a truth that needs to be applied by the beauty and fashion industries. What is your outlook on this?

I absolutely agree with this. As mentioned above, we are slowly starting to see the beauty industry changing but we have a very long way to go before we see real widescale change. Locally, I think South African beauty brands are really paving the way. The diversity in various campaigns I have worked on has been lovely and representation of all body shapes has been there. It is about time we stopped being guided by western standards of beauty and start embracing cultural diversity – because our beauty comes from our differences.

What is your perspective on wellness and what would you suggest people do to begin their own wellness journeys?

I love the concept of wellness because it encompasses everything, not just fitness. Wellness for me is the overarching umbrella under which fitness, health, mental wellbeing, and spirituality fall. To those wanting to start a wellness journey, start by finding your ‘why’. What is it that you want to achieve, what do you want more of in your life, what do you want to feel? When you have answered those questions, you can start placing practices in your life that will help serve those goals.

In honour of woman’s month, could you please tell us, what is it that you love about being a woman and why other people who identify as a woman should own this month?

I love being a woman because we are such complex beings, full of nuance and potential. Our compassion allows us to see the world through a different lens and our ambition and drive allow us to be thought-leaders, change-makers and CEOs in a patriarchal cold world. As women, we have the best of both – we hold divine feminine energy which helps us flow unaffected and we also possess masculine energy which assists our drive, superior planning abilities and ambition. Women’s month is about celebrating ourselves and empowering the women in our lives. 

Words: Thuveshnie Govender | Photography: Courtesy Images