Woman Could Not Believe What The Waterpark Employees Had The Audacity To Tell Her

The story had an innocent start. The entire family decided to go to the waterpark for a nice day out. This mother was totally unaware of all the humiliation and rage that she would go through on that day. Her problem extended further than simply the children horsing around. It had nothing to do with the cost of the food and tickets at the waterpark either. It was nothing like anything she had experienced in the past. After spending a few minutes in the water, they kicked her out! The reason is probably going to outrage you as well…

Her Name Is Madelyn Scheaffer

The story revolves around a resident of Odessa, Missouri. Madelyn Scheaffer was willing to do whatever she had to do to ensure the best for her family. A particular incident took place when she was in her thirties. Let us just say that this experience went on to change her life for the better.

Hard Work

Seven years later, this incident at the waterpark nearly undid everything she has worked hard for. At her age, she thought that she had already seen everything. The employees told her something that she simply could not believe. Needless to say, she was not going to forget about it that easily.

It Was Time To Make A Decision

In 2005, she came to the realization that she could no longer live the way she had been living her life. Things changed for her when she suffered a slipped disc. She fell into the bathtub after slipping as she was running herself a bath.

A Change

It was clear that her body was not benefitting from her lifestyle. She knew that she could no longer live like that. This accident opened her eyes to the error of her ways. We are sure that you would feel the same way if you ever get a slipped disc!

It Was A Sign

Emergency workers were called in when she had the accident. However, she felt so much pain and preferred not to be moved. As a matter of fact, Madelyn asked them to leave her be. This was how she wound up staying in the bathtub for a number of days.

A Sense Of Calm

As she laid down in the bathtub, she felt a sense of calmness. This was not in her plans at all! Madelyn knew that this meant that she had forgotten to look after herself as she took care of the family. But what was she planning to do now?

She Was Determined To Change

Madelyn explained, “That should have been the first sign for me that I needed to lose weight, but it took me another year before I made the decision to do something.” Even though she did not take the plunge right away, she eventually managed to find the strength and willpower to do something about it.

Best Shape Of Her Life

It only took her two years to lose a hundred pounds. How amazing is that? She managed to stay in shape even five years later. However, it did not ever occur to her that this was going to lead to an extraordinary moment in her life.

Mustering The Bravery To Do It

Madelyn weighed 170 pounds at the age of 43! This was the best shape she had ever been in. On top of that, she was full of confidence like never before. It was a hot day when she wanted to do something for the first time in her life. She knew that she did not have the perfect body. Despite this, she sported a black bikini for the family trip to Adventure Oasis Water Park. Let us hear what happened over there!

Someone Was Watching Her

She looked at the other patrons spending the day at the waterpark. There were lots of people there from all walks of life. She did not feel jealous at all! Back then, she was happy with the way she looked. She worked very hard to achieve her figure, so it was bound to happen. Soon enough, things went awry.

Confidence is Key

If you have ever tried to shed some weight, you will know that it is difficult. When you used to be overweight, it is even harder to feel confident enough to put a bikini on. The truth is that it does not automatically come just because you dropped some weight. Luckily, Madelyn felt fine in her own skin!

She Could Not Believe It

Madelyn set her towel down and entered the cold water. However, she had just spent five minutes in the pool when two staff members said something unbelievable to her. She was in shock by what they told her. In fact, she could not process it right away.

Employees Say What

In the bright sunlight, she squinted at the female staff members and asked them to repeat their words. It was possible that she misheard them. She had a hard time believing that they really just said that.

Her “Inappropriate” Outfit

One of the female staff members just sighed and explained one more time. She told Madelyn that she was wearing “inappropriate” bikini bottoms that were “too small.” In fact, she went as far as to say, “This is a family park.” What on earth was she going on about?

According To Who’s Standards?

Madelyn was wearing “full” bikini bottoms. This was the reason she was confused. On top of that, she checked out the other women at the park. Many had scantier swimwear on. She could not believe that she was being told off, while they let the others be.

She Felt Violated

She felt emotional then and there. Her face told everyone what they needed to know about her feelings. Madelyn felt deep shame and embarrassed after what she was just told. We can see why she felt totally violated by their words. After all, who wouldn’t?

Taking A Stand

This feeling did not last long, however. Anger soon enveloped her! “I was embarrassed for a second, and then it was no, no way,” Madelyn said. She worked hard to get to where she was now. These women had no reason to do this to her self-esteem.

They Singled Her Out

“My body is different than the young girls that were walking around in their bikinis, but why should I be made ashamed of my body?” asked Madelyn. Not only that, but she also said, “I am comfortable in my bikini. I am happy with who I am.”

Embracing Your Body

“My first reaction was why are you singling me out? They said that my bottoms were inappropriate. That was funny to me because they are full-size bottoms,” she said. It does not even matter what your body is like! No one has the right to make you feel bad about it.

Time To Take A Stand

Madelyn looked at the two female staff members. They were still looking at her body without any shame or hesitation. What made Madelyn speak up for herself? If this happened a few years ago, she would have felt too shy to defend herself. It was a good thing that things were different now.

Standing Up For Herself

She was aware that she had to say her piece. It was clear that the employees were singling her out without a reason. It was a good thing that her confidence was much more stable now. There was no way she was going to let these nasty women tear her down like that.

They Gave Her Two Options

However, the female park employees just could not let it go. They said that Madelyn had two choices. If she refused to throw on a pair of shorts over the bikini bottoms, she needed to leave the premises. This only made Madelyn angrier, so she asked to see the supervisor.

Choosing

“Well I am not covering up,” Madelyn informed them in her fury. She said, “And if you expect me to leave, you had better call the police and have them escort me out.” It was already embarrassing enough to be singled out like that, but she had to make sure that they would not do it to anyone else as well.

She Was Booted Out

Sadly, the waterpark employees actually got in touch with the police. They soon arrived to escort her out of the premises. She said, “Fifteen minutes later the police did arrive and said that while they did not agree, they had to do their job. ‘We can’t actually say anything,’ they said as we walked outside… but I hope from the expressions on our face you can tell how we feel.”

Even The Police Agreed

Madelyn told the story through a Facebook post that went viral. She said, “They were compassionate. They, too, though it was ridiculous.” We are sure that the police knew that an injustice took place at the waterpark on that day.

Looking Too Good In A Bikini

“I am a 43-year-old woman who did not have the confidence or the body, to put on a bikini until [I was] 40 years old,” she explained in the viral Facebook post. She also shared, “I will not be discriminated against because I look too good in one.”

Wearing A Bikini At Any Age

“This was not a thong. It was a standard, summertime, two-piece, string bikini… the same as everyone else, who felt confident enough in their body to wear one,” Madelyn explained. No one deserves to be treated like that based on the way they look. It is simply not right.

It Was Completely Unfair

In her fury, Madelyn said, “I felt like it was both age and body discrimination and I felt like I could look around me and I could see a handful of other girls half my age, wearing the same size swimming suit and not being singled out and told to put on clothes or leave.” However, what was she planning to do next?

It Went Viral On Facebook

Madelyn could not believe just how much attention her Facebook post received. People from different parts of the world learned about the story. They were all shocked by the treatment she received when she visited the Adventure Oasis Water Park. This was not the end of it either…

Spreading The Word

She knew that it was not enough to simply talk about her experience. The name and shame game would just not suffice. But what could she do? Madelyn was not making a big deal out of this for personal reasons. She also wanted to speak out for all the women who could not.

She Received Local Support

“Long story short, I called the media and will be on tonight’s local 41 news. Several people walked out while I waited outside for the newsman, and told me how ridiculous this all was, and complimented me on my swimsuit,” Madelyn said. It was a good thing that people supported her after reading her post!

Supporters From All Over The World

Of course, she showed her surprise and gratitude on Facebook. There were a lot of people sending her love online! She just could not believe it. She said, “In addition to other countries already mentioned, I have now heard from Greece, China, Hong Kong…and received over 500 beautiful letters from Brazil. I have been wanting to see the world, and now the world is coming to me, and sending much Love.”

Appreciation For The Human Body

“One thing I have learned so far is that there is a much greater viewpoint and perspective of the human body than what is to be found in Independence, Missouri worldwide… and I thank and appreciate you for that!” she said.

Appreciating What We Have

“Much Love to those who express pride over shame for all shapes, sizes, in addition to various ages and stages, of this beautiful human body we inhabit our time on earth,” Madelyn said. Even so, what exactly did she want to happen? Why did she let everyone know about these unfair policies at the waterpark?

Money Is Not Going To Fix The Problem

“While I stand by my grievance that I was discriminated against at Adventure Oasis Water Park, and I do not believe it should happen again,” she explained. She added, “It is not money that is going to correct the issue, but a change in the swimming park’s “appropriate swimming attire” policy, and also an improvement involving better education and orientation of their park management.”

Change In Policy

We agree that there is no other way to improve the situation. We are keeping our fingers crossed that things change for the better in no time. If the waterpark is adamant about its rules, it should at least enforce it fairly. In this day and age, there are clear signs that body positivity is on the rise. However, this has not stopped some crazy things from happening. Let us find out what happened to this young woman at her college gym!

Unwelcome

Sarah Villafane studies at the College of Charleston. She is a frequent visitor at the student gym, often dropping by the sweat it out. She visited often and did not have problems over there until this day. Usually, she visited the gym after going to her classes. What kind of problem did she encounter there?

Her Gym Top

Sarah went to three of her classes wearing the same outfit that she planned to wear to the gym. This was the reason she was wearing athletic clothes on that day. We all know that many people wear gym clothes when they have to run errands before they go to the gym.

A Matching Set

That day, she sported a black cropped sleeveless top and a pair of black leggings. The shirt was cropped but did not show a lot of belly. After all, the leggings were high-waisted and hid most of it. This is the sort of outfit that you will find in the gym or on the feed of an athletic influencer.

Approached Her

Sarah started to work out until she was stopped by one of the employees of the gym. She was asked to put on a different shirt because it was deemed inappropriate. Sarah could not believe it. Did she really just hear that? What was she going to do about it?

No Other Option

Sarah informed the employee that she did not have a different shirt with her. She continued to work out and ignored what had just taken place. Even though she was slightly embarrassed, there was actually more to come!

The Conversation

She went to the back corner so that she could do ab exercises on the floor. She was dismayed to find a different member of the staff go up to her. The young woman said that she was asked to please put her top back on. Sarah had to tell this person, “I have a shirt on.”

The Staff Member Argued

The gym employee told her, “no that’s not a shirt. You have to wear a whole shirt.” Sarah then replied, “How is this not a shirt?” The staff member told her that she needed to have full coverage in the gym.

Continued On

The staff member even told her that she could talk to the “boss” if she did not want to follow the rules. Sarah just laughed at this. In fact, she even said that they should call him over if they were serious.

The Manager

The manager actually approached Sarah. He told her that she would have to change her top if she did not want to leave. This situation was already embarrassing enough as it were. However, Sarah could not help but feel even more embarrassed with the eyes of her fellow students on her.

Referred To As Boss

The “boss,” the manager of the gym, told Sarah, “I need you to put on a shirt or I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” She replied, “But I have a shirt on.” He then asked her, “Are you gonna put a shirt on?”

Gym Clothes

Gym clothes are specifically made to be wearable and comfortable. There is nothing strange about the garments showing some skin either. If you go to the gym, you are going to see people dressed in tight and showy outfits. We daresay that Sarah was not wearing anything all that special!

Conducted Wrong

Sarah had to leave the premises. Even though she felt mortified, she knew that this was not the correct way to handle such a situation. For one thing, the employees should have acted in a kinder manner and explained that they had no choice but to enforce the rules. Unfortunately, this was not what happened.

Taking It To Media

Sarah decided to express her thoughts on the situation through a Facebook post. Of course, she was angry. She explained that her top might be considered a sports bra, but it would still be athletic wear. The gym should have allowed it for this very reason. Did they really have to condemn her like that?

People Reacted

It is interesting to hear that people did not unanimously agree or disagree with her. The post garnered mixed responses! Some wanted to focus on the fact that she had not been wearing something appropriate not to the gym but to her classes. ” I would question how appropriate they are for class or lectures or discussions with your professors,” a user called Caryl Hogan said.

Another Reason

The gym eventually explained what really happened. It turned out that there was a reason for their request! Based on this piece of information, it looks like the situation was simply mishandled. Things could have ended on a better note if the staff members explained it right away.

Sanitation

The gym enforces a rule that says patrons need to wear vests or t-shirts to keep the place safe and clean. However, the gym only has a dress code sign that says, “Athletic wear must be worn.” Despite this, let us not forget that the employees did not mention sanitization and only talked about coverage.

Additional Responses

There were people on the post who said that this was true for the gyms in their colleges as well. Students are not allowed to wear crop tops or cut-offs because they had to minimize contact with gym equipment and machines.

Valid

The truth is that this is a perfectly valid request to make. However, couldn’t they have just said this from the get-go? It would also help if the employees had been friendlier towards Sarah. We can’t argue with the reasoning behind the rule, but they could have enforced it better!