WWE Superstar Nia Jax Gets Real With a Vulnerable Swimsuit Selfie

Nia Jax
WWE Superstar Nia Jax shared a powerful body-positive message with a swimsuit selfie. (Photo: Getty Images)

It takes a truckload (or two) of self-confidence to put on a spandex suit, step into a ring, and toss other people around like rag dolls. But even a woman as strong and literally butt-kicking as WWE Superstar Nia Jax admits she sometimes feels insecure about her body. The wrestler opened up about her body positivity in an Instagram post on Thursday.

“Posting a picture of myself in a bathing suit is VERY hard for me,” she wrote, captioning a photo of herself in the mirror wearing a black one-piece and no makeup, looking far more vulnerable than her performing persona. “I have never been one to show off too much skin, and it’s not just because I’m a larger woman.”

She was inspired to post the photo by fans she met during last weekend’s Wrestlemania. “Most, if not all of them, mentioned that my #BodyPositive mindset had helped them to be able to find confidence within themselves, which really touched me and even brought me to tears numerous times,” she wrote.

Posting a picture of myself in a bathing suit is VERY hard for me. I have never been one to show off too much skin, and it's not just because I'm a larger woman. After this amazing #Wrestlemania weekend I had a chance to speak to a bunch of young women & men. Most, if not all of them, mentioned that my #BodyPositive mindset had helped them to be able to find confidence within themselves, which really touched me and even brought me to tears numerous times. Thankfully I have always had a family that has supported me and has always reminded me that my beauty comes from within, especially my mother. She constantly reminded me that "no matter how beautiful you are on the outside, if you're insides are ugly, that will be what everyone sees & feels." Don't get me wrong, there have been many occasions where I wished I could be thinner or have a different nose or hairline to fit in, but I realized that fitting in is not always as important as it seems; I realized that I love standing out in positive ways! ? I love sending a message of self-confidence and getting to share that with people. Self-confidence also goes along with being healthy! I work out all the time, I eat healthy & try (emphasis on TRY) to get as much sleep as I can. There are obviously times where I love to pig out and enjoy myself, but I always make sure to never lose my focus on being healthy, because no matter what, your health is the number one most important thing in life. We aren't meant to look the same, but we are all meant to be healthy. We are all beautiful in different ways. Staying healthy adds to beauty. Even more importantly, it will increase your self-confidence. That's been my experience at least ????. #JaxJungle #NotLikeMost #PowerOfBeingYou

A post shared by Nia Jax (@niajaxwwe) on Apr 6, 2017 at 10:48am PDT

The 6-foot wrestler credits her family with teaching her confidence. One of those family members happens to be cousin Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, but the person she’s talking about here is her mother. “She constantly reminded me that ‘no matter how beautiful you are on the outside, if you’re insides are ugly, that will be what everyone sees & feels,” wrote Jax, whose real name is Savelina Fanene. “Don’t get me wrong, there have been many occasions where I wished I could be thinner or have a different nose or hairline to fit in, but I realized that fitting in is not always as important as it seems; I realized that I love standing out in positive ways!”

She added that while she does like to “pig out” and enjoy herself from time to time, she always makes her health a top priority.

Fans flooded the post with admiration. “Thank you so much for being positive about being #notlikemost,” wrote sweetscarlett86, using one of Jax’s favorite hashtags. “You are one of my favorite female wrestlers because of your power and desire to be true to who you are. Never lose that!”

This isn’t the first time Jax has posted a body-positive message on Instagram. She’s shared quotes from J.K. Rowling and others about the issue. What sends the strongest message, however, is the images and videos demonstrating just how powerful her body is.

Lifting 300 pounds sounds way more challenging than putting on a bikini.

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