My journey as a disabled woman has become my superpower, but it’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there. In my twenties, I had been working in the travel industry, jetting around the world and enjoying life.
But I had to put my career on hold when I started to feel run down and my health began to decline. It was 2005 when my whole life turned upside down.
After endless tests, I was diagnosed with EDS and needed to restart my life as a wheelchair user. That was really tough on me and I’m not ashamed to say I went through five years of mental hell. It was the darkest time of my life.
“I had to discover who I was all over again and turned to social media to try to find someone I could relate to. I’d always loved fashion, but there were no Black, disabled women visible on any platform.
I knew then that I wanted to be a voice for women like me, but the first step was to accept my condition, embrace the future and start living life to the full again.
“As I gradually made peace with how my life had changed, I became comfortable in my body and started experimenting with clothes again. But there was always this niggling feeling that I didn’t matter.
“Ignoring the negative thoughts in my head, I decided to be my own hero, creating my own blog in 2016. My modelling dreams came true a year later when I was scouted by an agency.
I couldn’t believe I’d landed a career in the fashion industry. I was amazed they wanted a girl like me. and being able to take to the catwalk has been better than any of my expectations.
I find it really empowering to represent a community and most importantly show people with disabilities that anything is possible. But there’s still a long way to go.
There are a few models who use wheelchairs out there, but we need to focus on accessibility. The more people who ask if studios are accessible to wheelchairs, the more studios will cater for people like me.
“The work I do makes disabled people feel seen and it means that they are empowered to go after their dreams. It’s very rewarding. I’ve had a tough journey, but I am really proud of my achievements.
It’s taken a lot of mental work to get here, but when I look at myself in the mirror I’m genuinely pleased with what I see. I wouldn’t want to be anybody else.”
Rollinfunky.com; Instagram @Rollinfunky
Words: Olivia Devereux-Evans
Photographer: David Venni
Style Director: Michelle Darlow
Hair and Make-up: Katrin Rees, Sven Bayerback and Hannah Davies
Stylist: Lauren Goodwin-Grafton
Stylist Assistant: Brittany Davy
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