Olympic volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings explains why she didn’t wear mask in store

Olympic beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings explained in a lengthy Instagram post that she chose not to wear a mask inside a store as part of a ‘little exercise in being brave’. 

The three-time Olympic gold medalist laid out her opposition to wearing face masks Sunday night, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encouraging the public to take such precautions to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

Walsh Jennings, who is looking to represent the US in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, first explained: ‘I had a little exercise in being brave yesterday & I’m still a bit edgy about it. I went shopping without a mask on [sic] & this is why … I read a quote the other day that shook me.

‘THIS HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED, IT’S BEEN CONSENTED TO,’ Walsh Jenning wrote.

She said that the quote ‘woke me up & the truth of it has had me obsessing on the matter of how I can mindfully & compassionately stand up for my rights & for the freedoms our constitution has granted us all WITHOUT being reckless or putting anyone else in danger.

‘We are all endlessly complaining about the restrictive & arbitrarily selective rules that we are being strongly “suggested” to follow & yet we are all consenting; Not much of a fight, just a lot of complaining & strongly disagreeing with this manipulation, but we keep consenting. 

‘It’s maddening. It has crushed our society, people’s livelihoods, our children’s spirits, & the fabric of our world. We have become a country & a world estranged from each other & it is more deeply unhealthy than any virus could ever be,’ she added. 

Walsh Jennings said that she’s aware that many people have been sickened by COVID-19 and many have died. There are more than 6.3 million cases in the US and at least 189,000 deaths.  

‘I would never downplay the impact of a single loss of life. That is it’s own conversation & my heart goes out to all those suffering poor health, the loss of a loved one and the fear that the reaction to & media coverage of COVID-19 has created in your days,’ she wrote.

Walsh Jennings described her interactions at the store as ‘incredibly uncomfortable’. She then continued her thoughts in the comments section of the post by advocating for people to start or continue ‘to live healthy lives’. 

‘Eat well and eat real food. Prioritize sleep. Move and get your heart working every day. Pay attention to your breath and perhaps start a breath work protocol to work and strengthen your lungs. Get outside. Think good thoughts. 

‘KNOW your immune system is designed to support you through any illness — we must support our entire system. I want people to stop living in fear and start living in a way that strengthens themselves body, mind and spirit.’

Her post drew harsh criticism from some of her followers and in a subsequent post on Monday, she apologized ‘to those I’ve upset so deeply’.

‘I was not looking to do anything but express my belief that FREEDOM IS RIGHT WORTH FIGHTING FOR, and amidst the chaos, divisiveness, fear and undeniable emotion of these times, I believe we have to stay mindful of the FACT that our freedoms have slowly been taken from us with our consent,’ Walsh Jennings wrote. 

Walsh Jennings, who won gold medals in beach volleyball in 2004, 2008, 2012 and bronze in 2016 in Rio de Janiero, then added that she is ‘not advocating for people to stop wearing masks’. 

‘I wear a mask most often. I don’t believe in their efficacy unless it’s of a certain caliber, yet I wear them. I am advocating critical thinking and civility. I am advocating personal responsibility.’

Since the pandemic began in mid-March, Walsh Jennings has been doing online talks with young volleyball players, including one with the team at her alma mater of Archbishop Mitty High School in California. 

Through her volleyball and lifestyle platform p1440, Walsh Jennings put together an online program mixing skills, fitness and mindset training. 

The four-week pilot called ‘The Fundamentals’ sold out in six days with 250 men, women, boys and girls of all ages, volleyball rookies up to semipro level.