43-Year-Old Mom Kicked Out of Water Park Due to Male Gaze

A 43-year-old mom, after being kicked out from a water park, alleged discrimination, citing the incessant stares from male visitors.

Madelyn Sheaffer, a 43-year-old resident of Independence, Missouri, leveled accusations against Adventure Oasis Water Park staff, claiming discrimination due to her fuller figure. She recounted being ousted from the community pool after employees deemed her string bikini inappropriate, as reported by Daily Mail.

Accompanied by four family members, Madelyn Sheaffer entered the pool with her niece and nephew, only to be approached by pool personnel who deemed her bottoms too small. As per Dayton Daily News, Sheaffer requested to speak with a manager, but upon the supervisor’s arrival, she was informed that her top was also inadequate. Once more, she was instructed to cover up or exit the premises.

Sheaffer, a 43-year-old mom, found the demand unsettling. “I am a 43-year-old woman who did not have the confidence — or the body — to put on a bikini until [I] was 40 years old. I will not be discriminated against because I look too good in one,” she disclosed.

“I just felt like I was singled out,” Sheaffer expressed to 41Action News. “I felt like it was both age and body discrimination, and I felt like I could look around me and I could see a handful of other girls half my age, wearing the same size swimming suit and not being singled out and told to put on clothes or leave.”

Madelyn Sheaffer, upon being instructed to either cover up or depart, requested the supervisor to summon the police for her to complain. Upon police arrival, Sheaffer was escorted off the premises, though she claimed they empathized with her. “Fifteen minutes later the police did arrive and said that while they did not agree, they had to do their job,” she detailed in a Facebook post.

“‘We can’t actually say anything,’ they said as we walked outside, ‘but I hope from the expressions on our face you can tell how we feel.’ They were compassionate. They too, thought it was ridiculous,” Sheaffer recounted as they exited. “This was not a thong. It was a standard, summertime, two piece, string bikini. The same as everyone else, who felt confident enough in their body to wear one.”

Officials at Adventure Oasis Water Park declined to comment on the incident, deferring to the City of Independence, which stated, “the facility made the call and we rely on their judgment.” The city emphasized the manager’s discretion in attire judgment and denied discrimination against Sheaffer, a sentiment she disputes.

In an exclusive interview with Daily News, Madelyn Sheaffer expressed feeling misunderstood by the park’s staff, who seemingly focused on her attire rather than her journey from overcoming obesity to becoming a role model. “I am a person who at one time wore clothes that covered my arms and legs completely,” she explained. “I am not someone who would wear something that was revealing or inappropriate.”

Over the past seven years, Madelyn Sheaffer recounted her journey of diligent weight loss maintenance. From an initial 255 pounds to a trim 170 during the bikini incident, she had cultivated self-assurance in her body. Despite feeling comfortable in her bikini and content with herself, she was singled out for her supposedly inappropriate bottoms, which struck her as ironic since they were full-sized.

Reflecting on the incident, Sheaffer suspected her busty figure drew more attention, leading to a brief moment of embarrassment swiftly replaced by defiance. She refused to feel ashamed of her body, asserting the unfairness of being scrutinized differently from younger bikini-clad women. Having battled obesity, Sheaffer never expected her slender figure to thrust her into the spotlight, yet it did, leaving her with a poignant message for women everywhere.

“I have a hundred and one messages for women,” Madelyn Sheaffer said. “My top message to women would be to say don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. Take time to honor yourself. Women should be comfortable in their skin and be comfortable with the way they look. Imperfections are what makes us all beautiful.”

This 43-year-old mom raises valid points, yet a public pool reserves the right to uphold a family-friendly atmosphere. While bikinis are common, the extent of revealing attire remains debatable.

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