She Went To The Water Park With Her Family But Got Shamed For Her Body

When summer rolls in, one of the best things to do is to head to the water park with your loved ones! This woman knew this and decided to spend the day at the water park with her family. Her plan started great because they were all relaxed and having a blast. There were a lot of other families with kids all over the place, so there was nothing unusual about their day. However, things took a sudden turn for them because she was eventually booted out of the establishment despite not doing anything wrong. What on earth made the employees of the water park reach this decision? The good news is that she had not been planning on letting it go. Keep reading to find out what it was about her outfit that caught the attention of the employees in the first place…

Her Name Is Madelyn Scheaffer

Let us first introduce you to the heroine of the story. Madelyn Scheaffer is a family woman who lives in a Missouri city called Odessa. Her family and friends can tell you just how dedicated she is to her children! She is a great person who worked hard to get to where she is in life. However, it turns out that hard work would be invalidated by the waterpark employees in the blink of an eye…

Hard Work

The water park employees took it seriously enough that the police even had to get involved! It has been a couple of years since the incident took place, but it still affected the life of Madelyn Scheaffer. What could have led to such a mess anyway? Before we talk about the day in question, let us first find out more about the woman who was not only the heroine but the victim as well.

It Was Time To Make A Decision

It is important to talk about something that happened in her past. A pivotal moment for her took place while she was in the bathroom in 2005. She slipped by accident and fell straight into the tub. The fall had been so bad that she even got a slipped disc from it. Also known as a herniated disc, it is a type of spinal injury that involves the dislocation of a bone from its original position. She was in a lot of pain.

A Change

Madelyn was suffering from a lot of back pain when this happened. The injury was so bad that she started to think about something fo the first time. Even though it was awful, the accident eventually motivated her to change her lifestyle. She took this as a sign to reevaluate her life. If she wanted to live life to the fullest, she had to do it!

It Was A Sign

After the accident happened, an ambulance went to her house to respond to the emergency call. In the end, however, she sent them away. She refused their help and decided to stay where she was. She did this because the pain had been so intense that she could not even move at all! She had no choice but to stay in the tub for a couple of days for this very reason. The pain started to subside after that, which meant that she could finally leave the position and go to a medical professional.

A Sense Of Calm

In the days that she spent in the tub, she had to be strong for the family. Lying there, a feeling of calmness overtook her body. Who knew that this accident would result in deep introspection? Madelyn had done everything she could for her family, but she ended up forgetting to take care of herself as she did so. She always ranked last in terms of her priorities, which probably explained why she wound up in that situation in the first place. After some reflection, she knew that she had to change her ways.

She Was Determined To Change

Once she recovered from the incident, Madelyn made up her mind. There was no way she was going to return to her old lifestyle after that! Among other things, she knew that she needed to lose some weight. It was not going to be easy, but she was determined to slim down for her health.

Best Shape Of Her Life

Madelyn decided to finally work on herself after being focused on her family for the longest time. This was the reason she started following a healthy diet. With her consistency and determination, she was able to drop 100 pounds in only two years! Five years after she started her fitness journey, she looked like a new person. The challenge now was for her to maintain her figure, but she was doing great at it.

Mustering The Bravery To Do It

After she lost a hundred pounds, she started to feel more confident in herself. By the time she turned 43 years old, she weighed 170 pounds. One day, she decided to take her family on a trip to Adventure Oasis Water Park. She was excited because she planned to wear a bikini! It would be the first time in her life that she would do such a thing. Sadly, she had no idea that it was not going to be a good day for her…

Someone Was Watching Her

As soon as they got to the water park, Madelyn saw a lot of people wearing their preferred swimming outfit. She could not believe that she did not feel a hint of self-consciousness at all! She felt totally happy with the way she looked. It turned out that there were people who would put her down for this later on… Someone was already staring at her when they arrived! Who could it have been?

Confidence is Key

For the first time in her life, Madelyn had no insecurities about the way she looked! She was happy and confident in her appearance. It was quite a huge step forward for her to put on a bikini without a care in the world. She did not worry that people would judge her for wearing something like that. Everything was good.

She Could Not Believe It

It was a hot day, so she could not wait to enter the waters! When they got there, she left her towel on the bench and went to the pool. The reason they went to Adventure Oasis Water Park was to take a dip and relax, after all. It was only a couple of minutes later that two female staff members came up to her.

Employees Say What

Madelyn was shocked by what the employees were telling her. But at first, she was confused. She assumed that it was just a matter of miscommunication, that she did not hear them properly. However, her worst thoughts were confirmed after she asked them to repeat themselves. After the employees told her the same thing once more, she could not believe how the day was turning out for her.

Her “Inappropriate” Outfit

The employees tried to explain to her that they considered her bikini inappropriate. According to the staff members, it was simply too small and revealing. They went on to tell her that it was a water park with a lot of families and young children around, so her outfit allegedly went against the rules of the establishment. As you can imagine, Madelyn was not at all happy to hear such a thing!

According To Who’s Standards?

She was of the strong opinion that there was nothing wrong with the outfit that she was wearing. When the two employees talked to her about it, she looked around to check out what the other women were wearing. Why, there were a lot of girls wearing bikinis that were more revealing than what she had on!

She Felt Violated

Even though she felt ashamed at first, feelings of anger and embarrassment soon replaced the shame. She was also very confused about where they were coming from. According to the female employees, her outfit was unacceptable even though it was not even among the worst ones there. She went to the water park to have fun with her family, but she was now being made to feel bad about her body.

Taking A Stand

Even though she was initially embarrassed by their complaint, Madelyn started to see red. It did not make sense to her that they were singling her out like that. On top of that, they were clearly doing so because her body was not the same as the other women in the water park. She did not deserve this!

They Singled Her Out

Madelyn pointed out what she has observed to the two women. She told them that her bikini was actually decent when you compare it to what other girls and women were wearing in the water park. The only difference was that she was not as skinny as a stick. How dare they single her out for that!

Embracing Your Body

Madelyn went as far as to ask them what made her bikini so different from the ones that other patrons were wearing. According to the two female staff members, her bikini bottoms were too small. This was silly since she was actually wearing full-size ones. She felt discriminated against once she heard what they had to say. Madelyn worked so hard to be at peace with her body, and they were trying to ruin the fruits of her labor.

Time To Take A Stand

By then, other visitors and employees at the water park started to pay attention to what was going on. As expected, the feud was starting to pique the curiosity of those around them. There was a time when she would have simply agreed to what they said. But she has changed since then and stood her ground.

Standing Up For Herself

There was no other way around it – she was clearly being discriminated for the way that her body looks. It was a good thing that she was now confident enough not to back down. Madelyn started to explain to them that it was not fair for them to pick on her just because she did not look like everyone else in the park. No one had to right to make others feel ashamed about their bodies!

They Gave Her Two Options

Despite her best efforts, the staff members stood their ground as well. They kept insisting that she was wearing an indecent outfit. It boiled down to an ultimatum. They asked her to either slip on a pair of shorts to cover up her bottoms or to vacate the water park. Fed up, she asked to talk to the supervisor.

Choosing

Needless to say, it was not at all easy to go through something like this. She was completely humiliated and embarrassed by what they did to her! Despite this, Madelyn knew that she had to stay strong for both her sake and that of other women going through the same thing. When she met the supervisor of the water park, she said that she did not want to wear something that would cover her outfit. On top of that, she was not planning on leaving unless they called the authorities.

She Was Booted Out

Sadly, things did not work out for her in the end. The employees of the water park ended up calling the authorities so that she could be escorted out of the establishment. When she talked to the cops to ask for their opinion, they explained that there was nothing that they could do about it. However, she could tell that they took her side in this ridiculous situation.

Even The Police Agreed

Madelyn decided to talk about this harrowing experience on Facebook. She explained that the cops had been kind and understanding towards her. They even said something along the lines of how it was ridiculous for the employees to say that she was wearing something inappropriate. What do you think? Whose side are you on? Did she deserve to be singled out even though the bikini was actually full-sized?

Looking Too Good In A Bikini

The Facebook post did not end there. Madelyn also talked about it was the first time that she felt good enough about herself to put on a bikini. It took her a long time before she could get to where she was in life. She worked hard to build up her confidence, only for it to be broken down just like that.

Wearing A Bikini At Any Age

Madelyn also seized the opportunity to talk about what the bikini is like. She explained that it was a standard two-piece bikini that you can find in just about any department store in the world. There was nothing unusual about it nor did she pick anything scandalous. According to her, she felt she was singled out and discriminated over a regular swimsuit. The female employees at the water park did not even bat an eye at the other people wearing skimpier outfits.

It Was Completely Unfair

Madelyn could tell that they picked on her because of her age and body. Keep in mind that these are things that she could not control! How was it fair for them to single her out for what she looked like when she could not do anything about it? Clearly, she was not going to look the same as the young ladies there. The experience made her feel angry, disappointed, and embarrassed all at the same time.

It Went Viral On Facebook

Her post on the social media platform eventually went viral and reached people she did not even know. After some time, it received thousands of comments and reactions. Many of them felt indignant about what she went through at the water park. On the other side, there were also people who thought that it was within the right of the employees to boot her out of the establishment. Regardless, we are glad to see that most commenters sympathized with Madelyn and her experience.

Spreading The Word

Even though it went viral, Madelyn was aware that it was not going to be enough. The water park employees needed to learn a lesson, which would take more than this. She tried to come up with other ways to make them pay for what she did. This was the reason she made up her mind to do something even bigger than a simple Facebook post. To her, it was no longer just about her and her feelings. She did not want people in the same boat to feel bad about their bodies! But what did she plan to do?

She Received Local Support

Madelyn got in touch with the media to share her experience at the Adventure Oasis Water Park. The local 41 news channel reached out to her to get her side. The station sided with her in this feud and even complimented her for her confidence! We can totally see why they did. After all, the employees had been ridiculous to kick her out for things that she could not control. Many people felt the same way.

Supporters From All Over The World

When the interview came out, the story attracted even more attention from different parts of the globe. People from China, Hong Kong, and Greece even reached out to her to express their support. Madelyn was shocked by the amount of attention that her story received. She received letters and comments from her supporters. While she was shocked by it all, she was also happy about this turn of events.

Appreciation For The Human Body

Madelyn knew that she was not the only person in the world who was shamed for the way she looked. She knew that it was an excellent opportunity to talk about something that she was passionate about. By doing this, she hoped that she could help people who struggled with insecurities about their looks. Of course, she was grateful that people gave her their love and support.

Appreciating What We Have

Madelyn expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the people who got her through such a tough time. After all, no one deserves to be shamed for their body and looks. By taking a stand, she was able to show her passion for this issue. Hopefully, more people would start to become more confident in their own skin after hearing this incredible story.

Money Is Not Going To Fix The Problem

Madelyn did not want money from Adventure Oasis Water Park. For one thing, it was not going to do anything about the damage that they dealt towards her. What she wanted was for the employees to undergo a training program so that they can become more educated when it comes to these things. On top of that, she also pointed out that they had to fix their policies about proper attire within the premises. We are glad to see that she did not back down!

Change In Policy

She really hoped that the water park management would take her concerns seriously and at least consider her suggestions. Considering how much attention and support she received, she was not the only person who thinks like that. We are glad to see that people are starting to embrace the concept of body positivity! We are sure that Madelyn is not the only person in the world who had to go through something like that. As a matter of fact, we have another story like this one for you… Let us see what happened to Sarah Villafane!

Unwelcome

She had been a college student attending a public liberal arts college called the College of Charleston. Every day, she would go to the college gym once her classes are over for the day. It was a part of her daily routine by then, so she expected that day to go just like every other day did. Unfortunately for her, it did not work out like that. Something happened that would take her by complete surprise.

Her Gym Top

She attended a couple of classes before she went to the gym to squeeze in some exercise. As usual, she already put on her gym clothes for the sake of convenience. You have probably seen how popular gym clothes have been getting now. In our opinion, there was nothing really strange about her doing this!

A Matching Set

On that day, she slipped on black leggings and a black sleeveless shirt. It was a crop top, but it was not scandalous at all. It only showed a small part of her mid-riff, so there was nothing wrong with wearing it to class. Normally, it worked well for her because it doubled as casual clothes and athleticwear.

Approached Her

When she went to the gym, she looked around for a spot that she can claim. As she had been working out in peace, one of the employees came up to her. According to the staff member, she would have to change into something else if she wanted to keep using the gym equipment! Sarah could not believe what she was hearing. Why would they ask her to do such a thing? It was the first this has happened.

No Other Option

According to the employee, Sarah needed to put on a different top to stay in the gym. However, she explained that she did not have an extra shirt with her. After that, the employee left and returned to the counter. While it was embarrassing, she soldiered on and tried to forget about what just happened.

The Conversation

After some time, she moved to a different corner in order to work on her abs. Another member of the staff approached her to interrupt her workout. What could it be now? Once more, the young woman was asked to put on a shirt. Sarah was annoyed and replied that she was already wearing one! The employee went on to say that she needed a shirt that was going to be long enough to cover her torso.

The Staff Member Argued

Even though she was annoyed by all the interruptions, Sarah made sure to be polite as she asked for clarification. How on earth was her crop top not a shirt? According to the employee, it was too short and revealing to be considered one. After all, it exposed her midriff, especially as she worked out.

Continued On

By that point, both she and the employee were already losing patience with each other. After that, the staff member even offered to fetch the manager so that she could speak to him instead. Sarah accepted the offer and waited. She hoped that she was going to be luckier by talking to the person in charge.

The Manager

Sarah was probably hoping that the manager would follow the golden rule: “The customer is always right.” Was the manager going to be on her side? Sadly, the manager only repeated what the other employees have already told her. According to him, it was the policy of the gym. Guests needed to wear a shirt with full coverage! After this, Sarah just decided to leave of her own accord. She was not comfortable with all the stares that they were attracting by that point.

Referred To As Boss

The manager of the college gym only gave Sarah two options. She could stay at the gym under the condition that she would put change out of her top and put on a full-coverage shirt. If not, she should leave the premises. Sarah was starting to feel embarrassed not only because they were shaming her outfit of choice, but also because other students were paying attention to them now.

Gym Clothes

It is a no-brainer that the best gym clothes are comfortable. As a matter of fact, most athletic items of clothing are revealing to a certain extent. But what was the issue with her decision to put on a crop top? Do you think that it was right for the gym to call her out for something like that? Or did they go too far?

Conducted Wrong

Sarah refused to abide by their request to wear a different shirt. This was the reason they escorted her out of there. In essence, they kicked her out! Say what you will, but it is clear that the manager and the employees did not handle this incident well. Many of the people at the gym at the time could attest to this. Was it really too hard for them to be patient and polite when they talked to her about it?

Taking It To Media

Sarah decided to take to Facebook to air her grievances just like Madelyn Scheaffer did! She talked about how embarrassed and disappointed she was over what took place at the school gym of the College of Charleston. Through her post, she went on to narrate every single detail from her outfit of the day to the way they spoke to her.

People Reacted

It did not take long before the Facebook post attracted the attention of other users. People expressed support for her as well! They also said that the employees should not have taken that approach. But some people believe that there was nothing wrong with what the manager and employees asked of her. There were also netizens who thought that she should not wear gym clothes outside of the gym.

Another Reason

After the post went viral, the gym issued a response about what happened. It said that there was a good reason for the request. They might have a valid reason, but we really think that they could have talked to her in a more professional way. After all, we can’t come up with a reason to justify a lack of manners.

Sanitation

According to the management, students are all required to wear full-length tops. It claimed to have singled her out because this dress code has been around for years already. The gym explained that they asked her to change to keep the gym clean and sanitary! This might be a valid reason, but Sarah did not hear anything about this before she was kicked out of the establishment. At the time, the only thing that they told her was that she needed to wear something that was not as revealing.

Additional Responses

Did the tide change after the gym released its official statement on the incident? A lot of students wanted to give their two cents. Some people said that it was reasonable for the gym to have a strict dress code to ensure that there would be minimal skin and physical contact between the guest and the equipment. As a matter of fact, some netizens said that their own school gyms implemented the same rule for that very reason.

Valid

Even though the reasoning behind it made sense, we are sure that the employees could have been more diplomatic about it. Of course, let us not forget the fact that Sarah claims they did not mention sanitation when they asked her to change. She is not an unreasonable person. We are sure that she would have agreed if they brought that up instead of focusing on how revealing her outfit allegedly was!