Gym trainer mocked her weight with a 'hippo' joke. When she told him what she survived, he walked away crying
Nicole emphasized how bullying takes a toll on one's mental health when all one is trying to do is to make their life better
Between dripping sweat, energy drinks, and machines, there’s a whole lot of drama that goes on in a gym. Sometimes this drama goes to extremes, and people who are relatively more vulnerable have to face the consequences. For instance, a woman named Nicole Lamoureux (@nicoledanilamoureux) from the United States of America restarted her gym practice after recovering from a fatal stroke. But when she arrived at the gym, people there bombarded her with body-shaming comments rather than kindness. In a June 2, 2026, Instagram post that has been viewed 264,000 times, she explained why it hurts to be judged for one’s body when all one is trying to do is give their best.
'You did deserve the tears in your eyes'
After recovering from a stroke, Lamoureux arrived at her gym, determined to return to her normal routine, but was shocked to hear hurtful comments on her appearance. Well, the judgmental remarks came from a male trainer and two female gymgoers. After they called her names like "hippo" and "fat back," Lamoureux took to her social media, vented her feelings, and offered an inspirational message to others who have gone through similar experiences. “You did deserve the tears in your eyes when I explained to you that I was finally cleared to come to the gym alone, without a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, my husband, my best friend, or my cane,” she said, referring to the bullies.
'Do not let anyone take away your victories'
While voicing her rage, Lamoureux explained that the gym bullies deserved to feel as embarrassed, put down, sad, and awful as they try to make others feel. Calling out gym-goers who are trying to make their life better and who experience bullying like this, she further shared an inspiring message: "Do not let anyone take away your victories. Do not let anyone take away the hard work that you are doing because they are miserable people. You do not have to listen to those shenanigans." Moreover, Lamoureux confessed that she did report the male instructor because he did not deserve to be a trainer at a gym where he could belittle people by commenting on their appearance. "Sharing a personal experience about being judged at the gym and why I hope we choose kindness, especially toward people who are simply trying their best," she added.
Reality of America's gyms
Lamoureux highlighted that, for a fat person in America, pretty much every gym is like that, even those that proclaim “no bullying” or “no gym heads.” Statistics reveal that she’s saying it right. In fact, when RunRepeat surveyed 3,774 gym members, 1,107 females, and 2,667 males, they found that more than half of the female gym members, precisely 56.37%, experience harassment and bullying at the gym, 2.68x times more than the male gym members (21%). Similarly, one out of four experiences unwanted attention, while one in five receives unwanted comments. Nearly 25.65% of bullied females stopped using gyms altogether or switched gyms.
Emphasising it. Allison Grupski, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of psychology and behavioral neurosciences at Loyola University Medical Center, told TODAY that the ideal way to deal with a bully in the gym is “to respond in a way that allows you to continue your routine peacefully.” Now, this may include avoiding the bully, directly confronting the person, or reporting them to the gym staff.
'An amazing example'
Meanwhile, in the comments section, over 900 people jumped in to defend Lamoureux. For instance, @jessiejessup said, "I never understood why people would use 'hippo' as a pejorative, given that they have 2% body fat. The heft that you see in a hippo is all muscle and power." Similarly, @shannon__975 said, "It’s so odd; they hate us for being fat and then hate even harder when we go to the gym." @pamella_giselle69 shared, “I got one piece of advice necessary for the gym to tune everyone out: earbuds! (Playing music, of course).
You can follow Nicole Lamoureux (@nicoledanilamoureux) on Instagram for lifestyle-related content.
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