Finding swimsuits is hard. It’s harder when you’re a plus-size woman. It’s even harder when you’re an ACTIVE plus-size woman. This is the story of how—after a lifetime of terrible swimsuits—I wound up designing a suit. (Also you can pre-order it now.)

I want to be active and outdoors—but for most of my life my options have been limited because of the lack of availability of gear, and the astounding level of bias that the gatekeepers of these spaces have against large bodies.