Holley Mangold is a 330-pound weight lifter who has a brother in the NFL, an unbelievable personality, and an athletic talent that has surprised even herself. But, hey, doesn't her hair look great?
The Olympic contender will be heading to London to partake in the clean and jerk and two-hand snatch weight-lifting competitions, but what's grabbed our attention this week isn't her unparalleled skill — it's that someone decided it was very important to give her a makeover.
The Daily visited Holley's training center in Dayton, Ohio, and from the video's opening voiceover — "She's an Olympic darling who can hoist more than 300 pounds over her head. But, come at her with tweezers? And Holley Mangold crumbles." — we knew this was going to be trouble. Sure, Holley herself wanted to learn more about what makeup to wear on her big day, but something about this clip makes us feel as uncomfortable as Holley seems to be throughout it.
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With her bubbly disposition and comedic timing, the intention is that we laugh along with her lackadaisical approach toward makeup application. "Usually, I just throw it on, and wipe it," says Holley. But, it feels more like we're laughing at her in a Mean Girls kind of way. Add to it the sarcastic jokes made throughout taping and the "it's crazy…" she flatly says while catching her reflection in the mirror, and something doesn't sit quite right.
Between Hope Solo's Simple Skincare sponsorship and P&G's Olympic partnerships, it's not to say top athletes shouldn't be concerned about their looks while the whole world is watching. And, yes, at the end, Holley does look positively smashing. But, we can't help but think she should be heralded for her accomplishments ... and not how well her bronzer defines her cheekbones. For an athlete who's bucked the odds as a football player on a men's team, an accomplished athlete, and a brilliant young woman on the verge of Olympic glory, we'd just prefer to focus on cheering her on in London rather than what beauty tips she'll use to contour her chin. (The Daily)