ERIN:.
-- ERIN: VICTORIA ARLEN SAYS SHE
KNEW FROM A YOUNG AGE SHE WANTED
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
VICTORIA: WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD, I TOLD MY MOM I WANTED TO
CHANGE THE WORLD AND I WANTED TO
HELP PEOPLE.
AND SHE WAS LIKE, OK, BUT WE
HAVE TO GO TO BED FIRST.
ERIN: WHEN WE TALKED TO HER MOM
BACK IN 2012, SHE KNEW VICTORIA
WAS JUST GETTING STARTED.
>> I THINK SHE IS GOING TO START
IMPACTING THE WORLD ON A MUCH
BIGGER LEVEL.
I SEE IT HAPPENING ALREADY.
ERIN: AND VICTORIA HAD HER OWN
MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO EVER
DOUBTED HER.
>> NOW I WANT THEM TO KNOW I AM
CLEARLY NOT SICK, I AM STRONG
AND I AM CONQUERING THE WORLD.
ERIN: NOW AFTER A LOT OF HARD
WORK, THE WORLD IS WATCHING.
>> ♪ WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU ♪
ERIN: THANKS TO HER JOB AT ESPN
AND HER TIME ON "DANCING WITH
THE STARS," SHE'S IN A PLACE
WHERE, AT THE AGE OF 23, SHE CAN
REALLY START TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE
WHO NEED IT THE MOST.
>> TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE
WINGS TO FLY AND ACHIEVE THEIR
OWN VICTORIES HAS BEEN A DREAM
OF MINE, AND NOW THAT DREAM HAS
COME TRUE.
THE DIET REALLY -- AND I AM
REALLY -- I GET AT A LOSS FOR
WORDS, BECAUSE IT MEANS A LOT
FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO PASS ON THE
BLESSING, PASS ON ALL THAT I
HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO OTHER PEOPLE,
TOO.
ERIN: SHE RECENTLY LAUNCHED
VICTORIA'S VICTORY FOUNDATION,
AND A FELLOW GRANITE STATER AND
FRIEND TOM BERGERON HELPED HER
KICK THINGS OFF WITH A GALA,
COMPLETE WITH A RED CARPET --
HOLLYWOOD STYLE.
>> WHEN WE FIRST MET THE NIGHT
BEFORE WE ANNOUNCED THE CAST ON
"GOOD MORNING AMERICA," SHE WAS
THE ONE I WANTED TO MEET MOST
BECAUSE I WAS ABSOLUTELY
ASTOUNDED BY THE STORY OF WHAT
SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH.
ERIN: VICTORIA SAYS THE FEELING
WAS MUTUAL.
VICTORIA: WHEN WE WERE IN NEW
YORK, WE GET THERE AND I NEED
TOM, AND HE WAS THE ONLY ONE I
WAS STARSTRUCK.
I MET SO MANY PEOPLE THE LAST
THREE MONTHS, BUT I MET TOM
BERGERON AND I WAS LIKE, OH,
YOU'RE THE MAN, YOU'RE AWESOME,
AND YOU'VE BEEN IN MY LIVING
ROOM QUITE A BIT AND MY HOSPITAL
ROOM AS WELL.
I KNEW HE WAS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND I THINK HE HAD KNOWN AS WELL
, SO WE WERE KIND OF LIKE THE
TWO NEW HAMPSHIRE EAST COASTERS
ON THE WEST COAST, SO WE HAD TO
STICK TOGETHER.
ERIN: THAT EAST COAST BOND EVEN
INCLUDED A PERSONAL DELIVERY
APPLE CIDER DONUTS DURING
FILMING.
>> AS YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT HER
SOME APPLECREST DONUTS AS I CAME
BACK FROM THE FILM FESTIVAL,
LEFT THEM IN HER TRAILER BEFORE
YOU SHOWED UP FOR WORK.
>> IT WAS AFTER DISNEY WEEK.
I CRUSHED THEM.
I WAS LIKE, I HAVE GOT A WEEK
BEFORE I HAVE TO WEAR ANYTHING
ELSE.
ERIN: ALTHOUGH NOT ABLE TO TAKE
FAVORITES, TOM SAYS HE WAS
REALLY ROOTING FOR VICTORIA AND
WAS SAD TO SEE HER GO WHEN TEAM
VIVA'S REIGN ENDED ON THE SHOW.
>> TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU
WERE, WHICH WERE THE SEMI, IT'S
ALWAYS TOUGH.
BECAUSE THEN YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT, NOT ONLY THE CREAM OF THE
CROP, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE FINISH
LINE.
SO THAT WAS HARD.
ERIN: TOM EVEN HELPED TO WISH
VICTORIA A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
SHE CELEBRATED 23 ON SET.
HER ONLY BIRTHDAY WISH -- TO
HAVE HER NEPHEW VISIT THE SET
FOR SOME SNUGGLES.
VICTORIA: THAT WAS THE GREATEST
BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER.
ON TOP OF THEN CELEBRATING,
"DANCING WITH THE STARS"
SURPRISED ME WITH A CAKE AND A
TIARA AND TAYLOR SWIFT SENT ME
FLOWERS, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS
GOING ON, THIS IS THE CRAZIEST
BIRTHDAY I'VE EVER WITNESSED IN
MY ENTIRE LIFE.
ERIN: AND THE MAGIC OF HER FIRST
DANCE IS SOMETHING ANYONE
WATCHING WILL REMEMBER AS
SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL.
VICTORIA: I LOOKED DOWN AND I
WAS LIKE, I AM IN PINK FRINGY
PANTS AND I AM ABOUT TO GO DANCE
AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND THE MUSIC STARTED AND WE
WENT FOR IT, AND IT WAS AFTER
THAT, WHERE HE IS LIKE HUGGING
ME AND I CAN SEE MY PARENTS AND
WE WERE CRYING, WE WERE ALL
CRYING, AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE
MOMENTS I WAS JUST REALLY GLAD I
LIVE, REALLY GLAD.
AND I RAN OVER TO MY PARENTS
AFTERWARD AND SAID, THANK YOU
FOR NOT GIVING UP ON ME.
ERIN: THE HOLLYWOOD HOST SAID HE
SEES BIG THINGS IN THE YOUNG
STAR'S FUTURE.
>> I THINK THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ HER BOOK
WHEN IT'S OUT IN AUGUST.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WITH THIS INCREDIBLE FOUNDATIO
THAT'S BEING LAUNCHED TONIGHT.
I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF WHEN
I AM IN THE OLD HOSTS HOME, I'LL
BE WATCHING HER HOST TV SHOWS.
ERIN: WITH THE LAUNCH OF
VICTORIA'S VICTORY FOUNDATION,
THIS SUCCESS STORY PLANS TO HELP
OTHERS FIND THEIR WINGS, TO BE
THE ONES THAT DON'T GIVE UP, NO
MATTER WHAT.
VICTORIA: AND I AM SO FORTUNATE
TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN
GIVE BACK AND PAY IT FORWARD,
BECAUSE ME GETTING TO R.I.M WAS
NOT AN ACCIDENT, IT WAS NOT BY
MYSELF, IT WAS A COLLECTION OF
PEOPLE AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT
GAVE ME THE WINGS TO FLY.
THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN AMAZING,
AND I WOULD BE SUPER NOT COOL IF
I DIDN'T BESTOW THE BLESSIN
I HAVE RECEIVED ON TO OTHERS, SO
TONIGHT IS KIND OF THAT START TO
SAY, LET'S CHANGE THE WORLD,
LET'S HELP PEOPLE.
ERIN: A NEW FOUNDATION, A BOOK
COMING OUT, WORKING AT ESPN, AND
SOME SUPER-SECRET PROJECTS IN
THE WORKS -- NOT A MINUTE GOES
BY THAT VICTORIA DOESN'T
REMEMBER HOW FAR SHE'S COME.
>> I'VE NEVER BEEN PROMISED THAT
I AM IN THE CLEAR AND THAT I
WON'T LOSE WHAT I HAVE GAINED,
BUT I HAVE JUST THIS UNSHAKEABLE
FAITH THAT YOU CAN'T -- AND THAT
SAFE KIND OF OUTSHINES THE FEAR.
I AM HERE, I AM ALIVE, I AM ON
MY FEET, AND EVERY MOMENT THAT I
AM, I DON'T TAKE THAT FOR
GRANTED.
ERIN: AND THE STATE SHE CALLS
HOME --
VICTORIA: MY TEAM KNOWS THAT IF
IT IS SUMMERTIME AND THE
WEEKEND, I AM PROBABLY ON MY
DOUGHNUT FLOATY ON LAKE
WINNIPESAUKEE.
EVERYBODY NEEDS A DOUGHNUT
FLOATY.
THAT IS MY HAPPY PLACE.