Teaching Girls to Embrace Strength
Have you ever wished that you started your strength training journey earlier, maybe even in high school? The benefits of teaching girls how to lift properly at a young age go beyond the physical body and can impact their confidence, mental health, and body image.
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Key Takeaways
If You Want to Help Girls Get Stronger:
- Be mindful about the language you use around body image
- Encourage them to be conscious consumers on social media
- Shift mindset away from aesthetic based exercise towards strength-based results
The Benefits of Strength Training With Tiffany Ragozzino
Tiffany Ragozzino took her loves of fitness and education and combined them to help young girls get stronger and love their bodies. She is currently the Physical Education and Health teacher at an all-girls middle and high school in Los Angeles. Her mission is to empower girls and women to lift a barbell, be strong, show that muscles can be feminine, challenge them to see what their body is capable of, and gain confidence in themselves.
Getting Stronger in School and Life
As adults, we are expected to know how to move properly, but we were never taught how at a foundational level. Tiffany helps girls learn how to work through the functional movement patterns so that they can enter any space and feel confident in their ability and knowledge. She has seen firsthand the empowerment that these young girls experience when they learn how to move their bodies and build strength.
Not everybody grows up being a track athlete or a soccer star. Tiffany’s program offers something different that has a total body and mind impact. Her program includes mental health support, teaching girls to be critical consumers when it comes to social media, how to do deal with body image issues, and a range of other topics meant to help girls love and accept their bodies.
Making Life Better for the Next Generation
Growing up in our modern world, where social media is everywhere, isn’t easy. Today, girls need the skills that Tiffany teaches them to build strength and confidence. These skills can be taken with them throughout their whole lives and can have a positive impact on the generations to follow.
As adults, we must take a look at the language and mindset that we are projecting onto younger generations. Kids soak up everything around them, which is why it is so important to consider your language and intention around body image and fitness when it comes to any young people you influence on. Creating a healthier environment starts with us and can make a huge difference.
Do you wish you had a program like Tiffany’s when you grew up? I sure do! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
In This Episode
- What it is like to merge the worlds of fitness and lifting with teaching (11:47)
- How to transition your mindset away from aesthetics and towards what your body can do (14:08)
- An example of what you could expect to see as a student taking one of Tiffany’s classes (18:35)
- Why it is so important that we teach girls and young women to lift before they are out in the world (23:52)
- The responsibility of adults to help young girls get stronger, gain confidence and improve body image (31:55)
Quotes
“Learning how to do Olympic lifting, strength training, pushing my body to do things I never thought it could do, it just made me think ‘how cool would this have been if I had learned this at an earlier age? Where would I have been if I learned this in high school?’.” (12:42)
“My responsibility is to teach them how to be critical consumers and to make them aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it.” (17:13)
“It is so rewarding to see a group of teen girls add a squat rep, coaching each other, giving each other cues. And I’m like ‘I wish I got to do this when I was a teenager!’.” (23:23)
“Giving students alternatives, maybe they are not the track star, maybe they are not on the soccer team, but they found something else that they can excel in, and feel good and feel confident, that’s probably been my favorite piece about it.” (25:05)
“As parents, our responsibility is not only to support whatever your kid wants to do but also unpack why you are thinking otherwise.” (33:58)
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Teaching Girls How to Embrace Strength w/ Tiffany Ragozzino
Steph Gaudreau
When I think back on my strength training journey, which started in 2010, one thing is clear. I wish I had started so much sooner. I think about that all the time, what would have happened if I started lifting weights when I was in high school, really, today’s special guest on the listen to your body podcast is sharing with us how she is doing just that, inspiring the next generation of girls and young women to lift, feel strong and know that they are inherently worthy, no matter what their body looks like. If you’re a parent, a coach, a teacher, a concerned adult auntie, whatever the case may be. This podcast is one that you need to hear.
Steph Gaudreau
The Listen To Your Body podcast is all about helping women who lift weights get stronger, fuel themselves without counting every bite of food, perform better in and out of the gym, and take up space. I’m a strength coach, nutritional therapy practitioner, and certified intuitive eating counselor Steph Gaudreau. This weekly show brings you a discussion about building strength without obsessing about food and exercise, lifting weights, food, psychology, and more. You’ll learn how to eat, train, recover, listen to your body, and step into your strength. Hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app. And let’s dive in.
Steph Gaudreau
Hello, hello, and welcome back to the podcast. Thank you so very much for being with me today. And my incredibly special guest. Her name is Tiffany Ragozzino of Pretty Little Lifters. And not only does Tiffany have a really incredible social media presence, but I also found her through Instagram. But she is truly making change at the grassroots level. Tiffany is a high school teacher who is helping girls and young women to learn how to get stronger as part of their school curriculum. When I think about Tiffany, as a former educator myself, I think oh my gosh, this is so necessary. And I just think I wish I had a teacher like her when I was in high school because it would have been so cool to learn not only about things like lifting weights but also about things like what health really means. What diet culture is, what are beauty standards and weight stigma and so many things that we weren’t talking about in the 90s. Let’s just say that much. So Tiffany is in the classroom, she is making change. And she is also going to be sharing with you today how as an adult, you can help make a difference.
Steph Gaudreau
Because it’s not just what the teenagers and the kids are learning, but also how you as an adult who potentially has some kind of influence of young people can make a difference. I’m so excited about this episode and to share it with you. I think Tiffany is amazing. And I hope that there may be other teachers out there who are hearing this episode and feel really inspired to make a change themselves. Before we hop into the episode, I just want to remind you that if you are looking to get a handle on your nutrition in the context of lifting weights, you want to learn how to build muscle, how to increase your strength, and put some more weight on the bar and feel how badass that feels. If you want more energy and better performance, then come and join me in my group nutrition coaching program. Go to StephGaudreau.com/link and you’ll find out are the doors currently open or close at the time of this recording. If doors are closed, you can join the waitlist. And of course, if doors are open, get on in there with us. I want to work with you and help you see results from all the hard work that you’re putting in that strength nutrition unlocked so go to StephGaudreau.com/link. Okay, without further ado, let’s hop into this episode with Tiffany Ragozzino of Pretty Little Lifters.
Steph Gaudreau
Hey Tiffany, welcome to the show.
Tiffany Ragozzino
Hello, Steph. Thank you for having me.
Steph Gaudreau
I am so excited that you’re here because you know I have a great fondness for teachers. I obviously was a teacher for many, many years. Many of my relatives are teachers and my very good friends and you are also a teacher who is in my opinion, like doing some of the most amazing work that an educator could do, and I’m not going to spoil it by giving it away too soon. But thank you so much for joining us on the show today. And we’re going to get into the work that you do and why I think it’s so very special and why your mission is so powerful.
Tiffany Ragozzino
Thank you. I’m so excited. I didn’t know you were a teacher until recently, I only know you through the CrossFit world. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I love her even more, because now she’s a former teacher.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, yeah, it was. I mean, I’ve been out of the classroom for quite some time at this point. I think it’s been almost eight and a half going on nine years and it feels like a different lifetime. But I have such a kinship with teachers and educators. And it’s y’all have such a hard/rewarding and amazing job. And there are definitely things that I miss about it. So whenever I get to talk to somebody who’s really blending these two worlds together, I just think it’s beautiful.
Tiffany Ragozzino
Thank you. I’m so excited to be here and chat with you.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah. Okay. Let’s start off by telling folks, you know, how did you end up becoming a teacher in the first place? What was really the, I guess, the inspiration or the driving force to you joining the profession in sort of ending up where you are?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah. So I think back to like, when I was a kid, like, you know, when you’re a kid, and you’re like, What do you want to like, when people ask you, what do you want to be when I when you grow up? Like I always thought I was going to be a pediatrician or a teacher. And when I look back to like, the driving force behind those things, I wanted to help people, and I loved working with kids. And so those were kind of the things. So when I left high school and went to college, I actually started off pre-med because I was like, Okay, I think I’m going to do you know, pediatrics, this is going to be great. And then I started college, I went to UC Irvine had my first semester with my load that was gonna be like, pre-med, and I was like, Oh, my gosh, no.
Tiffany Ragozzino
This is not for me, because I just felt really disconnected already from, the kids and teaching. I was like, wow, this is gonna be a really long road. And even though I think it could be interesting, I think I was ready to just like, start to like, jump into it. Like, I don’t think I was ready to commit to all the years that were going to be required of me. So I switched to psychology, actually, with a focus on like child development, and got a minor in education. And I loved it. Because right away, I got to go into the classroom, start working with kids. And it just seemed like a good fit.
Steph Gaudreau
I love that I also was pre-med for a very short time. Really, that’s another thing that we have in common. So alright, fast forward to I guess, you know, in the last couple of years, you’ve actually sort of shifted your focus in terms of who you were teaching. And you made a big change there. What was that change?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, so I taught elementary school for 10 years. And I never thought I would leave Elementary School. I never wanted to teach middle school I refused. I was like, I never want to teach high school like it is probably crazy. These kids are probably crazy, these teenagers. And while I was teaching elementary school, I was actually coaching on the side, like I was coaching fitness classes, coaching adults, and things. And I was really I had already launched the pretty little lifters in 2014. So I was kind of being split between two worlds. So I had my elementary teaching world. And then I had this fitness world. And it was fun. But I kind of started feeling like I was leading a double life like I was doing this. And then I would have to turn on my brain for this. And it was getting to be super overwhelming. And I was like, Oh my gosh, like, I started like losing my passion for teaching a little bit because I just wanted to do the fitness stuff, and the coaching. So I was like something needs to happen. Like I need to figure out a way to either do one or more things or blend both worlds. And so my aunt was like, Have you ever thought about being a PE teacher? And I was like a PE teacher?
Tiffany Ragozzino
I had this vision of what I thought PE teachers were like, like when you watch old movies, and just like I was like, oh gosh, like it’s somebody who maybe just wants to coach sports or does this or like doesn’t really want to teach because that’s kind of how they’re portrayed, like when we see them in movies and shows. And I thought about it some more and after seeing different PE teachers kind of roll through our schools, I was like, wow, there’s really a need for this like innovative like different like modern teachers who can really incorporate what adults are dealing with and see the holes and like fill the gaps in the lower ages. So I ended up switching and I got my PE credential and made my way to middle school high school. And now I teach at an all-girls public school in Los Angeles and it is amazing. I teach PE, and health full time. And it’s pretty much the dream job for me, I never thought this would happen. And I’m like, Oh my gosh, like now I’m still teaching, but now I’m teaching the content area that I’m obsessed with. So it’s awesome.
Steph Gaudreau
Gosh, I love that so much. And I also can relate a lot because I don’t know if this is the people who are not educators will understand this. When you are sort of like exploring what it’s like to be a teacher, and you have to kind of make a decision at some point as to whether you’re going to focus on elementary or secondary education. There’s generally a split, I’ve noticed, and this was certainly my thing, where I was like, Oh, my gosh, little kids scare me so much. And so I went into secondary education. And taught high school for most of the time, I did have a short stint in middle school. And I was like, okay, it is true. Middle schoolers are wild.
Tiffany Ragozzino
It’s true. They’re the hardest.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, absolutely. But, but that’s so interesting that you eventually made that switch, and it’s worked out so so well for you. And gosh, you know, when I first really learned about you and what you do, I just thought, Why wasn’t she my teacher? When I was in high school? You know, we had, we had two female PE teachers at my school, and they were wonderful. But I just think, oh, my gosh, what my life has been like if I had a teacher, like Tiffany, so I just think it’s super cool, what you’re up to in the world. So take me back to sort of, you know, your fitness experience and like, because merging these two worlds together, we’re going to talk a little bit more about that. But why was that something that you became so passionate about fitness and lifting? And how did that really factor into your, into your life?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, so in, I think it was around the year 2006 – 2007, a friend of mine, opened up the first Kettlebell Gym in Orange County. And that was kind of like my first exposure to like, any type of like strength and conditioning training. And it was like, Whoa, this is really cool. And I would tell it to some of my teachers, friends, I’m like, Look at this thing. Like we could be fit and healthy too. So like trying to get the other teachers on board. And then in 2013, I was introduced to CrossFit. So that kind of is when my world changed, and like learning how to do Olympic lifting, like strength training, pushing my body to do things I never thought it could do. And it just made me think, how cool would this have been? If I learned this at an earlier age? Like, where would I have been if I learned this in, in high school, and just like a lot of these foundational movements, and I started, you know, looking around at the adults, and I was like, wow, like we all missed a lot like, this was not a part of our physical education. But now as adults, we’re expected to know how to move properly. But where did we learn how to do it in the first place, not into our 20s 30s, or 40s.
Tiffany Ragozzino
So it was a really interesting place. So that’s kind of where it came from, where I was, like, wow, like I just realized how much competence I gained strength I gained as someone who cared very, very deeply about the esthetics and having that mindset shift to like, whoa, what can my body do now? This is so cool. I just found it so valuable. And I wanted other girls and women to experience that too.
Steph Gaudreau
Talk to me about maybe that switch a little bit more. And you mentioned the aesthetic side of things. And how that can be so prevalent are sort of the main thing that we focus on with, I shouldn’t say we the main thing that part of the industry focuses on in terms of the benefits of exercise are the benefits of even lifting, you know, what was that? What was that shift like for you? In terms of, maybe not acceptance, but in terms of making that transition or coming to see that there was more to lifting or more to exercise than just changing the appearance?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, so I am a millennial, I grew up as a teen and you know, the 90s, early 2000s. And when I look back and like the media we consumed in the ideas, I was like, Well, no wonder I was so you know, swept up in aesthetics when everything was about nothing tastes as good as skinny feels like when that was the motto. It’s like, Yeah, I thought skinny was everything. And that’s what we needed to do. And when I think back to like, you know, the people that were the top celebrities at the time and the aesthetics they had in the magazines that we consumed, it was just prevalent, like, I just thought as many did this is how it was, as well as like the fat-shaming that was going on in that time. Like I think I was recently watching a show that I used to watch and looking back at it now I was like, This is so problematic. This is wild, but this is what I consumed. And this is what we held is true because nobody was saying anything to the contrary.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, absolutely. I will totally, you know, I also agree with that. And, and I’m technically I guess, a Gen X or born in the last year of what most people consider to be Gen X. But I also grew up in, you know, high school in the, in the mid-90s, and things like that. And I wonder, you know, for you thinking back to that because it seems like, you know, I don’t know about you, but we didn’t actually have cell phones when we were growing up, you know, how is that different? You know, how do you relate to your students as now being kids who have grown up with…all they’ve known their whole lives is social media like it’s always been there. So how do you? This is a question that I chew on a lot. It’s like, how do you have that experience? Is that’s different that we didn’t have that until we were a little bit older? How do you relate to them? Or how does that factor into some of these discussions that you have with your students now?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, so I actually do a lot of lessons with them on body image, self-confidence, beauty standards, and social media. So we’ll do lessons where there’s some really wonderful YouTubers out there, and I will show them a video and we’ll kind of deconstruct and just teach them how to be critical consumers. So we teach about Photoshop, video filters, photo filters, and just talk about like, the mental health behind it, like, why would somebody do this like, and the thing when we’re doing these lessons is not creating shame because everyone is going through this, you know, so we’re not even like saying, Oh, those people are bad for using these filters or doing that. It’s like, why might somebody do this? Like, what pressures may they be experiencing? That would cause them to do this? And then what does it do to your mental health? When you see yourself filtered all the time because we have so many students on social media.
Tiffany Ragozzino
So I think for me, my responsibility is to teach them how to be critical consumers and then to make them aware of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. So it’s like, Hey, if you were always using a filter, like what might happen to the way you see yourself, so like, asking them these big questions and asking them to unpack it, just so they are aware. And it seems to be pretty beneficial. And I am always, like, I love hearing their responses and what they say they’re so smart.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, absolutely. I think it kind of reminds me of the discussion of, you know, some people will say things like, Well, if you wear makeup, you know, aren’t you participating in beauty standards? Or if you color your hair, you know, how does that factor in, or do you choose to dress a certain way. And so I think that the awareness piece and thinking about how and what it means to you is such a really important part of the conversation, and to have somebody to help them guide that conversation. Just sounds incredibly beneficial and really healthy to be able to look at it in such a critical way. Yeah, awesome.
Steph Gaudreau
So I’m so curious, when, when you have your class, like, talk to us about like, Well, are you in a classroom? Do you have a lifting, you know, a gym or some other space where you’re doing this sort of thing? Like, if I was a student, and I was signed up, and I was taking your class, what my I expect to see when I walk into your teaching space?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah. So so I started working in at the school and teaching PE and developing this program back in 2018. So it’s fairly recent, this is my fourth year with it. And it has been a process. I started out in like this, you know, those like trailer classrooms like this one.
Tiffany Ragozzino
I started off in one of those and didn’t really have many resources. And then the following year, we got moved into this old classroom that used to be maybe like an auto shop. So it’s just like this giant classroom that had all these tools in it. So it has been a process but um, I do a lot of Donors Choose. I have partnered with local la gyms and brands like Lululemon and we held a fundraiser and raised money so that I could buy barbells, I definitely been creative. Because as you know, you know, schools have limited budgets, as well as like, you know, the PE department like equipment is expensive, it’s not cheap. So that was also a struggle to where if the PE department only had a budget of $200 It’s like that does not get you very much fitness equipment. As I’m sure many of you know, if you’ve tried to build your gym during the pandemic at home, it’s definitely not.
Tiffany Ragozzino
So yeah, I spent a lot of time doing partnerships, even using my social media to promote things to gain money for like a Donors Choose. So now we have six squat racks and we have like 12 barbells tons of plates, we just did another Donors Choose, we got some dumbbells. So it’s been a process like we, it has been so fun to build this program from scratch like we had nothing. I had some local gyms, I was reached out and was like, Hey, if you have old equipment that you want to get rid of, like, send it my way, my program will take it. So that’s literally how I built this. So if there are any other teachers out there people that want to start programs like that, like using the community resources, try not to spend your own money if you can, because it gets really expensive.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, absolutely. And I’m, I’m honestly picturing right now, all the things that you’ve had to do as you’re talking about it. And I’m just like, I know, just from you talking about that, that you love it because it is, you know, with just everything that’s happened in education and funding, being you know, so hard to come by, and especially like you said, fitness equipment is not, it’s not cheap. Even the cheap stuff is not cheap. Like that, to me speaks volumes of your dedication, and I’m sure what your students are able to get out of the program.
Steph Gaudreau
And I think Netflix needs to make a show about you because this is amazing stuff. Anybody knows anybody at Netflix, point them to Tiffany’s Instagram…Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
Tiffany Ragozzino
No, I was gonna touch on like, what like a, like, a class would look like so basically, my classes are anywhere from like, 16 students to like 45 students last year, they were bigger I would my biggest class was like 56 students. So imagine, like 56 kids trying to do movement and stuff. So it takes a lot of organization. But this year, because mostly I have a high school, which I really liked. Because it’s an advanced PE, my class sizes are a little bit different. But like I said, the highest is maybe like 45. So I, you know, pick my students up from the field, take them to go get dressed, we come back to the classroom, which is now like a makeshift gym. So it’s, it’s really nice that there’s like a space for equipment now. And sometimes we’ll start off with some mindfulness. So we really incorporate a lot of socio-emotional learning, so that we target the mental health component.
Tiffany Ragozzino
So we’ll do some type of like, you know, mindfulness meditation, and then we’ll go into like a mini-lessons. So before winter break, we were covering the seven major movement patterns. So we were like going over those, and then we’ve connected with the movement. And it got to the point now where like, now I can just write a workout on the board. And it’s like, we’re doing bench press, and we’re doing some front squats, then we’re doing this and it’s so cool. Like, they have their lifting teams, and they go to their teams. And they kind of know their roles, they always need spotters, they always have somebody counting reps, and they do their workout. And we’ll do a warm-up together beforehand. And then we’ll kind of cool down after and do like a little debrief. But like, it is so rewarding to see a group of teen girls at a squat rack coaching each other giving each other cues. And I’m like, I wish I got to do this when I was a teenager.
Steph Gaudreau
That’s so cool as I can just picture it now, it sounds amazing.
Steph Gaudreau
To you, why is it so important that we teach girls and young women to lift before they’re out in the world? Like we are talking before this recording and how some of us haven’t started lifting or whatnot until we are 20s 30s 40s or later, you know, why is it important to you that we give this to girls at a younger age?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, well, one, I think it’s just so important for building strength and confidence. I see the change in my students like it is insane. Like in traditional PE classes, you may have some students that don’t want to participate. They don’t see themselves in the class. Like if I asked them to go run a mile, they are dreading it. But like some of those students who like are so anti-PE, I have seen the shift in them when we started the barbell program. They are thriving, like these students have found a home like they are so excited. And I have some students who like didn’t want to do anything at the beginning of the year, like I would be like, Okay, let’s do some yoga stuff like I’m not interested. And now they’re like leaders in their group and they’re lifting and if you looked at them, you wouldn’t think like this is an athletic person just based on like judging, and they’re killing it. So I think giving students alternatives to like maybe they’re not the track star, maybe they’re not on the soccer team, but they found something else that they can excel in and feel good and feel confident.
Tiffany Ragozzino
That’s probably been like my favorite piece about it is just seeing students who like, weren’t really into it. And now they’re like, are we doing this today? Are we going to be squatting today? Are we going to be doing our strict press today? And I’m like, Oh my god.
Tiffany Ragozzino
It’s so so cool. And then I think the other piece for sure, is just building that foundation. So this is like prime time like the kids are growing, the kids are like developing this is the time where we can teach these functional patterns instead of waiting to like, they’ve kind of got set into their movement patterns, and now they’re in their 20s, their 30s or 40s. Being able to start at an earlier age really does help with these movement patterns. So like when they were in middle school, I focused a lot on like, just bodyweight movements, like let’s do this, let’s perfect our squat, let’s find your personal squat, like where is that for you. And just going through all of that, and then now, you know, adding the component of the weight to it.
Tiffany Ragozzino
And I told them, like, when you go to college, when you leave here, I want you to feel comfortable going to the college gym, and knowing what you’re doing, I want you to feel empowered, I want you to be able to program your workout, I want you to know what to do with that barbell, instead of being intimidated, because that’s what happened to me like I had a college gym. Like when I went to UC Irvine, there was a gym, I didn’t know what to do there. I had never been in a gym, nobody showed me, nobody taught me. So I kind of milled about there wasn’t really YouTube. So I didn’t know what to do. Um, and you know, the kids don’t always have money, they can’t hire personal trainers. So I think it’s just all about empowering them to be able to go into any space, especially transitioning into college and being able to take care of themselves and be healthy.
Steph Gaudreau
So important, and I heard something there just that you said, I think is really really important. You know, not every kid is somebody who wants to play on an athletic team, right? Or has the means and the resources to join a gym outside of school or, or whatnot, or do some kind of fitness classes or, like you said, ketogenic personal trainer. And it sounds like an incredible thing that you’re able to offer, especially those students who might not have either the means or the interest really is like, you know, being on the XYZ sports team. Like even in my school, I was on sports teams. But being on a girls sports team, we didn’t always have, we didn’t go into the weight room really. Like, I think I could be wrong. If I was recalling this has been a long time. I think our track team, we kind of like, went into the weight room, but there was nobody teaching us what to do.
Steph Gaudreau
And so you know, like not all of us had like the dad who we hung out in the garage with him while he was bench pressing or all of that stuff. And so for you to be able to offer that to the girls that you teach, I think is incredible.
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah. Another important piece for me too, is that the school I work at is super diverse. We have students from like 81 different zip codes all over Los Angeles. So the diversity is so high. So I’m blending. So for me, it’s really important to be able to introduce this to communities that don’t really have access to this. So when I see a group of like some of my Latin students, I’m like, wow, like you probably don’t have access to this and probably won’t for a while. Because I know their backgrounds or situations. To me, that is gold. So being able to introduce this to communities that wouldn’t really have these resources and don’t have like, I mean, I live in West Hollywood, like fitness is at my fingertips. But where some of these students live, they don’t have that, you know, like they’re not going to have a gym, their parents aren’t going to go to a gym. So for them, this is something that probably would not come up for them until maybe adulthood if they made that choice.
Steph Gaudreau
Absolutely. Absolutely. What are some of the things that you said that the students you noticed, like the confidence or their participation, but either when you talk to them or you overhear their conversations, like how do you sense that the way they talk about themselves or their bodies is different than maybe what other teenage girls who don’t have this opportunity to get stronger are saying?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yes, so it’s interesting because when I first started working with teen girls, I would start to hear a lot of the things that I was hoping not to hear. And I remember I had a sixth-grader come up to me and she asked me how she could make her thighs smaller. And my heart just about broke. I was like, No, we’re doing you wrong. Like, you know, I was like we are doing you wrong. So I think hearing things like that. It really put things into perspective for me that like oh okay, I need to also teach them about how society is working and like about diet culture. So that’s when I was like, we’re learning about diet culture because what you’re saying is a part of that. So then I started incorporating that into my teaching as well, because it was just like, oh my gosh, like, you know, having the parents also like, I am also the health and wellness coordinator at my school.
Tiffany Ragozzino
It’s a position I created for myself, because I was like, We need this like every school needs. And my next goal is to start doing education for the parents because I can only do so much. But if they’re going to go home to their parents and their parents are going to talk about counting calories, or a diet that they need to be on, or how they shouldn’t lift weights, because they’re going to get bulky, then it’s like undoing the work that I’m trying to do and the change I’m trying to create for their students. So that’s kind of like the next phase is like, Okay, now we got to work on the parents, because we’re all part of that mindset, we’re like, we have to shift too.
Steph Gaudreau
Yeah, absolutely. Talk a little bit more about that. Like, I’m sure there are people listening to this thinking like, you know, oh, yes, this is what I wish I had when I was in high school, that would have been amazing. And then also will potentially go about their lives. Maybe they do have either an auntie like me, or they’re a parent or the coach, younger children, or whatever it happens to be they have that relationship with a young girl or, you know, a young woman, what is the responsibility that you feel like, concerned adults and things like that have with helping make this change? Not just saying, Well, I’m going to support her in going to her PE class, but what else do you think we need to do to help make this change?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, I think as adults, we need to do our own reflection and healing, you know, and start thinking, like, when we say certain things, it’s like, we’re like, get curious, like, where did that come from? Like, if you are with your kid, and it’s a birthday party, and there’s some cake being passed around, and you’re like, oh, my gosh, no, I can’t eat that I’m gonna get fat or like, that’s not part of my diet, or, you know, and you’re saying this, like, who’s around you, like, all those kids are hearing that? You know, so being super mindful of like, Where’s this coming from? Who told you you can’t do this? And who’s listening to you? Because I’ve just kind of been doing a lot of exploring and asking questions, and like, the things I’m hearing some of, you know, teenagers say, you can tell it’s stuff that their parents have not unpacked, you know?
Tiffany Ragozzino
So I think it starts with language and starting to be mindful of like, oh, my gosh, why did I say that? Or like, what, where did this come from? Or, like, who taught me that I had to, like, worry about how many calories I burned before I could eat my dinner, you know, things like that, like starting to really, like, get curious and ask yourself these questions because like, kids, like, even if you’re not a parent, like you said, if you’re an auntie or like just someone who’s around the next generation, they are listening to you, and they are soaking up everything you are saying like, I can’t tell you how many friends that I have who like were like, oh, yeah, like growing up, my mom was always counting calories or telling me about this or the lady. And they adopt adopted that without even knowing it. They started doing what their parents did. And it’s really sneaky. You know, it’s like, I don’t think people have bad intentions about it. But it’s just something that’s kind of just been drilled into us without us even knowing. So I think as parents like our responsibility are to like not only like you said, support, whatever your kid wants to do, but also unpack of like, why am I thinking otherwise? Or like, is this nickname of me calling my kid chubby cute like, you know, or like, whatever it is, like these are just things that I’ve heard it’s, it’s really important to start considering your language and intention and working on it.
Steph Gaudreau
100%. What are some of the have you run into any, I guess parents or faculty members who are maybe skeptical of what you do at first, but then have a change of heart as they go on?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Ummm not so much from faculty. I have a super supportive, faculty and staff. I have done also like professional developments for my staff on how our language affects students body image, and it was super eye-opening for a lot of them and I don’t even think they realized it one of the examples I gave was, let’s say you know, you’re a teacher. Sometimes your kids bring you treats and stuff or like they had doughnuts and if they brought you a doughnut and you’re like, oh my gosh, no, I can’t have that like I’m gonna have to walk a mile after school if I eat that doughnut? It’s like, what message did you just send to the kid? You know, so like really unpacking all that stuff. So they are supportive. Like, I think they find me as a resource now, which is great because that’s what I want to do. I want to be a resource for staff, for students, for parents, that’s really important for me. And for the most part, the parents had been pretty supportive. I don’t think I’ve had too much resistance like they think it’s pretty cool. They think it’s different.
Steph Gaudreau
That’s amazing. Gosh, I am just, I’m in awe, I think it’s really incredible what you’ve done to bring together these two worlds they are really passionate about, I think what you’re doing to change the conversation is just so important, and something that we need so much more of with other people who have a position like yourself and are able to work directly with kids and really make that difference. So I think it’s wonderful. And I’m just so glad that you’re sharing it. I’m so glad that I was able to sort of come across your work, and then get to share your message here on the podcast.
Steph Gaudreau
Any like last parting thoughts for maybe parents who are listening or other teachers who are listening who just think, Hmm, maybe I have a role that I can play here any last things you would say to them?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Yeah, I think, as adults, we can get wrapped up in our own stuff in our own worlds. But we need to step out of our bubble. And we need to start thinking of the next generation. So sometimes thinking of our own issues with health and fitness and diet culture, and think about how can we heal those? So we don’t pass them on? Like, how can we break this cycle? Like really starting to ask yourself those things and think about, like, how can we make this better for the next generation? So they’re not dealing with the same things? I mean, we still have prevalent eating disorders, we still have so many mental health issues, exercise disorders. So it’s like, how can we help our next generation of you know, girls, and students and boys would whatever, not deal with those, and it starts with us? You know, we’re mostly the content creators, the media people, like we’re, we’re the people putting the content and stuff out there. So what is our part? So maybe for us, we think it’s harmless, like, Oh, we’re just posting this thing. And maybe it’s a little diet culture, you’re like, I’m talking about, like, how I feel fat or this or this or that.
Tiffany Ragozzino
But it’s like, there are kids watching. And this is not about censoring yourself. But it really is more about thinking of like, how is this impacting the next wave of people who are going to be in charge? You know, how can we change that. So I think really having that like, global view, instead of like, our small little worldly view, and just like us, I think it’d be really important. And this is how we create, you know, changemakers, and we want that next generation to be changemakers. So they don’t have to deal with the same stuff. And they can make life better for us. So really, wanting to have like a shift in the health and fitness world and we can contribute to that, you know?
Steph Gaudreau
Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it. Where can people find out more about you follow your social media, or maybe pass it on to a young woman, or a girl who’s looking for something positive in their feed?
Tiffany Ragozzino
Find me on Instagram at the Pretty Little Lifters and I’m also on Tik Tok at the same handle, my YouTube is also they’re Pretty Little Lifters. And yeah, I’m gonna hopefully have a lot more exciting things coming in 2022 probably starting a Patreon teaching a lot of workshops and things not only for, like, you know, women our age, but just like parents, and just like other people who like need this information for teachers as well. Because it really, as I said, starts with the adults, if we want to trickle down to the kids, so yeah, that’s where you can find me.
Steph Gaudreau
Awesome. We’re gonna link all of that up in the show notes. Thank you so much for being here with me today, on your vacation. You know, I know that that’s precious, precious time is a perfect time. So thank you for being here with me. And of course, with my listeners, I know that this episode is gonna have a ripple effect. And I’m just so grateful for you and the work that you’re doing. Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast.
Tiffany Ragozzino
Thank you for having me. It was my pleasure.
Steph Gaudreau
All right, that’s a wrap on this episode with Tiffany Ragozzino of Pretty Little Lifters, a high school teacher and someone who is making such a difference in the lives of young girls and teens. I just think that this needs to be a Netflix special and we need this in high schools middle schools and elementary schools all over the country. Gosh, what a difference that would make!
Steph Gaudreau
If you want the show notes for this episode, please head over to StephGaudreau.com. Of course, and if you haven’t seen the new site yet, you can go and take a look at that. You can also find links to everything that Tiffany is up to. So please go ahead and follow her and see if there’s any way that you can support her, that would be incredible. Also, make sure you subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app. That means that when a new episode is ready and available, it will automatically end up inside of your app on your device. And it’ll be ready for you to listen, it does make a huge difference by sending a signal to the app that hey, this podcast is worth listening to. Show it to some other people and we really appreciate it when you do that because it helps this podcast listenership to grow. Alright, that does it for this episode of the podcast. Thanks so much for being here with me. I hope this was inspiring to you today. Have an amazing day and of course, stay strong.