In August 2022 it was over for her. After 18 years in competitive sports, Kim Bui turned his back on gymnastics after the European Championships in Munich. Six months later she talks about the downsides of her competitive sport.
On her Instagram channel, Kim Bui addressed her followers with an important message on Wednesday: “In the past I suffered from an eating disorder – bulimia“It took many years before she could have dealt with it,”too much shame, disgust and guilt plagued me“, the Tübingen native continues. But now she wants to deal with it openly and create sensitivity for the topic: “I want to say that you who are affected by this are not alone.”
Eating disorders in competitive sports
From their point of view, many competitive athletes are at risk, like them, of developing an eating disorder. “Figure skating, ski jumping or other sports where weight classes are involved‘ she cites as an example.
In gymnastics, too, a lot is about aesthetics and the sport is often characterized by a child’s body shape, says Bui. She also talks about “wears body-hugging leotards where every proportion of the body is emphasized“.”You often have a certain predisposition to an eating disorder and competitive sport with its demands fuels this.“
Abuses at the Olympic base in Saxony
As early as February 2021, Kim Bui was the athletes’ spokeswoman for her gymnastics colleagues at the Olympic base in Saxony. She spoke before the Sports Committee of the Bundestag. Because at the end of 2020, the German gymnastics world experienced a tremor when several gymnasts made public serious abuses and psychological violence at the Olympic base in Saxony. Allegations of obesity and the resulting eating disorders are said to have occurred there. “I’m not as shocked by what’s happened as some outsiders are“explained the then 32-year-old, “because unfortunately they are part of our turn reality.”
ARD documentary “Hunger for Gold”
On March 5th at 5 p.m., ARD will show the documentary “Hungern for Gold” on the subject of eating disorders in top-class sport with Kim Bui, among others. From February 27th you will find the article in the ARD media library.
Studies parallel to competitive sports
For years Bui performed gymnastics at the highest level: Several German championship titles, participation in the Olympics and two bronze medals at European championships ennoble her career. In addition, she wrote her master’s thesis in technical biology in 2020, which deals with new forms of cancer therapy.
