A fitness coach’s workout session has gone viral for all the wrong reasons after she captured a fellow gym-goer’s wild act on camera.
Elena McCarthy, 36, had been recording a warm-up tutorial for a client, unaware of what was occurring through the glass door behind her.
“I needed the light and the rest of the room was full, so I was close to the door,” McCarthy told news.com.au.
“Honestly, I didn’t even think about it that someone would be looking.”
While in a bent-over position, commonly known as a yoga puppy pose, a man can be seen entering the shot through the glass of the door.
He takes a phone out and allegedly begins to take photos or record her from behind without consent.
It’s unwanted attention that many women recognize, which is why it has likely struck a chord online.
Only her experience at the gym was the tip of the iceberg.
What occurred after she posted the video has proven just as troubling.
“I didn’t think there would be such a big number of men defending this guy, and this is the reason why I want to pursue this till the end. I feel it happens a lot more than men realise and I refuse to be told that I need to cover up to ‘protect’ myself,” she said.
The footage of the incident occurred at a gym in Vienna, Austria, and has since had more than five million views.
On the post, the text read ‘Not all men… but always a man!”
Her caption points out that there’s a difference between utilising a public space and being “public property.”
“Recording women without permission while they are stretching or training isn’t just ‘creepy’. It’s a violation of the safety we all deserve in this space,” she wrote.
She also anticipated negative commentary as a result of hitting post.
“If your first instinct is to critique my outfit instead of condemning the person holding the camera, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. By shifting the blame to what I’m wearing, you are choosing to excuse predatory behaviour and silence women. My clothes don’t give anyone the right to my image, and your comments don’t justify their lack of boundaries,” she explained.
The reaction has been worldwide, with some turning to defend the man’s alleged invasive act.
“But, who in their right mind, in an empty room, sets up in the middle with their a** up facing the door? Not only is it asking to be stared at, but it’s also making you a vulnerable target if someone were to attack you,” a user commented.
“Only crime is he didn’t pay for it,” another said.
Some accused her of staging the incident, but McCathy insists it “absolutely wasn’t.”
It’s another stark reminder of what women face when attending the gym.
Sydney personal trainer, Max Dimarco, is a male trainer who specialises in women’s fitness, working with women for the last 13 years.
When workout videos like this go viral, he likes to look at them from all angles, but in this instance, that’s just not possible.
“There is no possible way of defending the actions of this guy or putting any of the blame on that poor woman,” Dimarco told news.com.au.
He says women shouldn’t have to base their decisions at the gym on the men surrounding them.
“If she’s making decisions based on the fact that it’s going to make some creepy little man like that feel the need to take photos, or sexualise her or make her feel uncomfortable, that is ridiculous,” he said.
“I’ve got about 70 different women that I work with around Australia at the moment, and I think a lot of them don’t want to go to the gym. They’re concerned about these scenarios that they see online.”
McCarthy has notified the gym of the incident and submitted an official complaint.
