This chapter provides a thoughtful insight into the sometimes cruel world of elite sports, as seen through the eyes of Oluyinka Idowu, a former British Olympic athlete and Commonwealth Games silver medallist. As a medical doctor, parent, and educator, Dr Idowu reflects on her own experiences of how the perceptions and behaviours of others can have a profound effect on our body image and self-esteem, leading to long-lasting and significant psychological and mental health problems. Her account depicts a reality that many of us experience in everyday life, although we often do not appreciate its impact. Dr Idowu uses the world of athletics to describe how certain words and expressions can shape our thinking about our inner self. This positive personal story is intended to help the reader to recognize the power that they have over the inner critical self which has been created by their environment.