Woman says she was denied post-half marathon massage for being too fat

A Colorado woman says a local masseuse refused to give her a massage because she was too fat for the facility's table.

KDVR reports Laura Smith booked an appointment at the Natural Healing Center in Aurora after running a half-marathon in Arizona.

“I planned it especially for the day after my marathon. I knew I’d be hurting,” Smith told KDVR.

However, Smith says when she arrived at her appointment, the center refused to serve her.

“She, the doctor, came out and said, ‘I’m sorry. But you are too fat for our table. You’ll probably break it and you’ll have to pay for it.’ I was like in shock. I’m hearing this?” Smith told KDVR.

Smith, who is 6'3 and 250 pounds, says she was stunned because she had gotten a massage when she was 50 pounds heavier than she is now.

“I’m not tiny. I know that. But I’m working on it. Doing things to make myself healthier and feeling better,” she says.

The center's owner Penny Wells says she was afraid Smith would break her massage table, because one had recently broken under a 165 pound man. However, she claims she called Smith "large" not "fat"

Smith says she has received no apology or explanation from Wells or any other employee of the center.

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