THE AMAZING LIZZIE VELASQUEZ

I’ll admit to being an Olympics fanatic, so I have one eye on the “telly” while I write. I’m also a fan of live action Olympics rather than the canned, choreographed version the networks give us, which means I’m watching the only sport I could find being shown live–table tennis. The reflexes of the participants are stunning, especially since the table looks about four feet long. I even did some research to make certain they hadn’t changed the regulation size. (It must be the angle.)

This is a long explanation for why this week’s blog post is not going to be an extensive essay. Instead, I’m going to introduce you to an amazing young woman named Lizzie Velasquez, who lives with Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome, one of only three such people in the world. The syndrome prevents her from gaining weight, no matter how much she eats. To those who struggle with gaining too much, that sounds like heaven, but watch the video before you come to that conclusion.

Because of the way she looks, Lizzie has been bullied–called Skinnybones and Pork Chop Legs, rejected, told that she should commit suicide. There are even websites that target her. But don’t feel sorry for Lizzie. She exudes a spirit we should all emulate. If nothing else, she makes our problems seem much smaller. And (almost) makes me glad I have absolutely no problem gaining weight. Here’s Lizzie in a  presentation for the It Gets Better project talking about her experiences and sharing her suggestions for how to deal with bullies. Prepare to be amazed.

Learn more about Lizzie in this article and video.

Instead of worshiping vacant-headed, reality television bimbos, young women today should look to people like Lizzie Velasquez for role models–and heroes. You go, girl!