Olympic softball pitcher will talk about body image at GVSU

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Monica Abbott has reached the pinnacle of her sport -- pitching for USA Softball during the 2008 Olympic Games. She is a four-time NCAA All-American, starring at the University of Tennessee. She was named the Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 2007.

But like many high school and college women, Abbott has struggled with body image. After winning the silver medal in Beijing, Abbott now travels around the country, speaking to audiences about overcoming her body image obstacles to become one of the most dominant pitchers in softball history.

Abbott will visit Grand Valley State University on Monday, February 23, for a presentation that is free and open to the public. She will discuss “Women Athletes and Body Image” at 7 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus. The program is sponsored by the GVSU Women’s Center. Earlier that day, Abbott will talk to students in the Movement Science department and student-athletes.

During her career at the University of Tennessee, Abbott was the NCAA Division I leader for career victories (189), career strikeouts (2,440), and shutouts (112).

Abbott’s visit is among events at Grand Valley centered on National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. For a list of events, visit www.gvsu.edu/women_cen .