Chock up another amazing idea to Ragen Chastain of the Dances With Fat blog! Ragen is a huge inspiration to me because she embraces her athleticism as well as her weight. She’s not pudgy, curvaceous, etc. She’s fat, and she OWNS IT!

And now she and Jeanette DePatie have joined forces to develop Fit Fatties Virtual Events. This appeals to me so much because I enjoy the idea of participating in athletic events like marathons. However, they’re not always a feasible option for some of us. And hell, some folks just can’t sign up for a triathlon at the time it’s scheduled because of their crazy busy lives.

Now you can sign up online for an individual Fit Fatties virtual event for just $5. (All proceeds go to support and offset the cost of the Fit Fatties Forums.) You then perform your chosen event on your own, with friends or with a local exercise group. When it’s done, take a picture of yourselves holding one of these nifty signs and post it to the Fit Fatties Facebook page.

You could, of course, just accomplish the cool events on your own without any accountability online. Of course you could. But personally, I like the idea of a little recognition when I swim a quarter mile. I want to be on the leader boards when I complete the 30 minute shimmy event. And I want a badge for my Facebook profile pic when I do 100 squats in a day.

In the end, this is about finding a little inspiration to get into the gym or exercise outside. And I find it amazing. Once Gibson is here, I know I’m going to have to find very good reasons to drag myself away from him and take care of myself. If I know there’s a little accountability and $5 on the line, it will help me promise Gibson I’ll be back in an hour.

And I want him to be proud of me. His mother, with her rheumatoid arthritis, may not ever sign up for the Iron Man or a Mud Run. But she will still be healthy and active, dammit.

Did I mention there are also monthly prizes? Well there are. You could win cool Fit Fatties swag for being the first person to complete 10 events in a month. Or developing the wackiest “Create Your Own Event.” And even having the “Most Epic Event Complete Picture.”

There’s a lot more to it, but please visit the Fit Fatties Virtual Events site for more information. When I complete an event, you know I’ll be bragging about it here on the blog! Join me!

By the way, if you’re looking for a role model on your road to health, you’re looking for Ragen. If you need guidance on dealing with healthcare professionals who refuse to treat your symptoms and instead push all your issue off on your weight, you’re looking for Ragen. If you just want to read about an empowered woman who loves herself as she is, you guess it… you’re looking for Ragen. I can’t recommend her blog enough!