‘You Did Deserve to Feel This Big’: A Stroke Survivor Says Gym Staff Mocked Her on Her First Solo Workout — and the Video Has People Furious

A woman who had just been cleared to work out alone for the first time since suffering a stroke was mocked by gym staff, who called her a 'hippo' and a 'fatback.' The video of Instagram user @nicoledanilamoureux narrating this story has gone viral, as she mentioned that she also confronted her tormentors.

In the video, she describes the encounter in detail, saying two women and a male personal trainer mocked her while she exercised.

"[They were] just making fun of me and called me a hippo and a fatback — you did deserve to feel this big," Nicole says.

Nicole went on to say that she had only recently been cleared by her doctors to visit the gym without a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, her husband, her best friend, or a cane. She explained that she had worked through a long and difficult recovery. But instead of the milestone being encouraged, it was met with ridicule.

After the encounter, Nicole reported the staff members to the gym's front desk. "You should not be a trainer at a gym making people feel bad," she told the camera. She added that the accused bullies were visibly ashamed when she revealed her medical history.

The video, reshared by @TheJoeySwoll on X, who called out the behavior in his caption. He wrote that such incidents are "why so many overweight people are afraid to even step foot in the gym."

A user wrote that "Genuinely still the reason I won't go because I'm terrified of being judged for not being in perfect shape to begin with and for not knowing what I'm doing." Another user said she has had a gym membership for months but has never used it. "I keep seeing videos of people humiliating, degrading and bullying other people," she wrote.

Another X user addressed how toxic fitness culture can get by writing: "I don't feel confident or knowledgeable enough to get in a good, productive workout while being able to adapt to what's available." Several commenters also criticized the personal trainers. One such user said he has more than three decades of lifting experience, but "most personal trainers [he had] heard and seen (...) are poor by standard and design."

At least one commenter questioned where overweight people are expected to exercise if not at a gym. "People making fun of others that are overweight and in the gym — it's like, where do you want them to be?" one X user wrote.

The gym has not been publicly identified, and it is unclear whether the staff members involved have faced disciplinary action.