Most times, it’s about being fat, maybe too fat, as in the case of Holley Mangold, the US weightlifter who tips the scales at 157 kilograms and has been constantly suffering jibes about her ‘obvious’ weight problem.  But what is your take on the connection between how you look and what you achieve?

Holley Mangold and her counterparts from other countries are trying to break the connection between being thin and being successful. Mangold wants to say that athletes, and successful ones at that, can be fat too.

The organizers of the 2012 Olympics have also been emphasizing that this year the games will be “Women’s Games,” hoping that successful athletes will inspire their younger counterparts and convince them that being fit is more important than being thin. Women at the Olympics are sending an important message, namely, that what you do is more important than how you look.

This is the theme for our new competition, “Success comes in all shapes and sizes.” Tell us what you feel, your stories of success, whether you were teased because you were too thin or too fat, what do you think defines you, your body weight, your looks or what you have achieved professionally or personally in all these years.

Send us a blog entry of 300-500 words on this topic by the 20th of September at womentalk@dw.de or send a message on our Facebook page DW-WomenTalkOnline. Selected blogs will be published on Women Talk Online and the winner will receive an iPod. And please do send us your picture and a small description of what you do.

All the best!