>>> NOW, GRIT. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
YOURE ABOUT TO MEET A WOMAN WHO
DOES.
SHAHOLLY AYERS WAS BORN WITHOUT
AN ARM.
DESPITE BEING TOLD NO BY EVERY
MODELING AGENCY, SHE NOW GRACES MAGAZINE COVERS AND BECAME THES
MAGAZINE COVERS AND BECAME THE FIRST AMPUTEE TO WALK NEW YORK
FASHION WEEK WITHOUT A PROSTHETIC.K WITHOUT A
PROSTHETIC.
HERES MORE OF HER STORY.
WATCH THIS. THE CAMERA LOVES SHAHOLLY, AND
SHAHOLLY HAS LEARNED TO LOVE
HERSELF.
HERSELF.
>> I WAS BORN WITHOUT MY RIGHT ARM. WAS BORN WITHOUT MY RIGHT
ARM. BELOW THE ELBOW.
IT IS CONGENITAL AMP YOUUTEE.
AS A CHILD, I STRUGGLED WITH
SELF-CONFIDENCE ISSUES BECAUSE I
WAS DIFFERENT.
>> AFTER YEARS OF BEING BULLIED
IN HER HOMETOWN, SHE MOVED TO
HAWAII FOR A NEW START AND TO
PURSUE A CAREER IN MODELING.
>> ID KNOWN I ALWAYS WANTED TO
MODEL.
I TALKED TO AN AGENT, AND SHE
SAID, THERES NO WAY YOURE EVER
GOING TO MODEL BECAUSE YOURE
MISSING YOUR ARM.
I TRIED TO TALK HER OUT OF IT.
I WAS REALLY UPSET, BUT I REMEMBERED BACK TO DIFFERENT
TIMES IN MY LIFE.
I WAS IN SPORTS.
I HAD COACHES TELL ME, WE DONT KNOW HOW TO HELP YOU., WE DONT
KNOW HOW TO HELP YOU. YOU CAN DO IT, BUT WE DONT KNOW
HOW TO TEACH YOU.
I DECIDED TO START NETWORKING
WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS LOCALLY IN HAWAII, MAKEUP ARTISTS, ANDIN
HAWAII, MAKEUP ARTISTS, AND BUILT MY OWN PORTFOLIO.
>> SHAHOLLYS GRIT AND
DETERMINATION LANDED HER ON
COVERS OF LOCAL MAGAZINES, ADS FOR NORDSTROM.L MAGAZINES, ADS
FOR NORDSTROM. SHES EVERYONE WALKED DOWN THE
RUNWAY FOR SIX SEASONS OF NEW
YORKS FASHION WEEK.
>> WHAT IVE COME TO REALIZE
THROUGH ALL OF THIS, IN WORKING
REALLY HARD, IS MY ARM IS REALLY
MY BADGE OF HONOR.
I THINK WHATEVER YOUR DREAM IS,
YOU REALLY, REALLY LOVE IT, YOU
SHOULDNT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
>> NOW THATS MODEL BEHAVIOR.
PLEASE WELCOME SHAHOLLY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WELCOME.
WELCOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE. YOU LOOK AMAZING.
>> THANKS.
>> THANKS.
>> THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS. IS IT TRUE?U FOR DOING THIS.
IS IT TRUE? SO SIX SEASONS AT NEW YORKS
FASHION WEEK?
FASHION WEEK?
>> CORRECT. >> HOW DID YOU DO IT AFTER BEING
TOLD NO BY EVERY SINGLE MODELING
AGENCY?
AGENCY?
>> WELL, IVE BEEN TOLD NO A LOT IN MY LIFE, SO THIS WASNT A LOT
IN MY LIFE, SO THIS WASNT ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
ANYTHING DIFFERENT. I DECIDED I WAS GOING TO GO
AFTER IT ANYWAY.
>> WHY -- I HEARD YOU SAY YOUR
ARM IS LIKE A BADGE OF COURAGE
FOR YOU.
FOR YOU. EXPLAIN THAT.
EXPLAIN THAT. >> EVERYTHING THAT IVE GONE
THROUGH, I MEAN, IVE GONE
THROUGH BULLYING.
THROUGH BULLYING. IVE GONE THROUGH DIFFERENT
THINGS IN MY LIFE.
IN A WAY, ITS EMPOWERED ME TO
DO OTHER THINGS BECAUSE I FEEL
LIKE, OKAY, WELL, IF I CAN DO
THAT, IF I CAN DEAL WITH SOME OF
THE HARD THINGS, I CAN DO
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
>> I READ THAT YOU WERE A
TOMBOY.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU PLAYED SPORTS WHEN YOU
WERE YOUNGER.
WERE THE COACHES SUPPORTIVE OF
YOU?
>> COACHES WERE ALWAYS
SUPPORTIVE.
IN THAT SEGMENT, THEY DIDNT
DISCOURAGE ME FROM PLAYING
SPORTS.
THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, HOW DO WE
HELP YOU?
WERE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT WERE
GOING TO DO.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN PLAY.
>> THATS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS.
JUST YESTERDAY ON THE SHOW WE
HAD A FAMILY THAT ADOPTED FOUR
CHILDREN WITH SEVERE
DISABILITIES.
THEIR POINT WAS, WE NEED TO BE OPEN ABOUT IT.S, WE NEED TO BE
OPEN ABOUT IT.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. >> RIGHT.O TALK ABOUT IT.
>> RIGHT.
>> WE NEED TO SORT OF DESTIGMATIZE IT WITH OUR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
WE AS ADULTS NEED TO DO THAT
RIGHT AWAY.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT?
>> I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANTT.
I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS -- I MEAN,
KIDS ARE CURIOUS.
THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE CURIOUS.
SO WHEN KIDS ARE AROUND ME AND
THEY SAY, OH, MY GOSH, WHAT
HAPPENED TO HER ARM, MOM, AND
THE PARENTS USUALLY SAY, DONT
SAY ANYTHING, BUT I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THEM TO SAY SOMETHING.
>> WHAT SHOULD WE SAY?
TELL US.
TELL US.
>> ASK US, YOU KNOW. WHOEVER YOU SEE.NOW.
WHOEVER YOU SEE. >> WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM?
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?
IS IT OKAY TO TALK ABOUT IT?
ID SAY, I WAS BORN THIS WAY.
ITS OKAY.
ITS OKAY. IM USED TO IT.
>> I KNOW IN THE
AMPUTEE, IS THAT THE RIGHT WORD?
>> THATS OKAY TO SAY.
CONGENITAL AMPUTEE MEANS I WAS
BORN WITHOUT IT.
>> THE KIDS ARE THIS BEAUTIFUL
WINDOW, RIGHT?
WINDOW, RIGHT? THEYRE SO RADICALLY HONEST.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT IS KIND OF
SWEET, HOW THEYLL JUST SAY --
MY KIDS WILL SEE A LOT OF WAR
VETERANS AND SAY, WHAT HAPPENED
TO YOUR LEG?
IT IS ACTUALLY -- IT ALWAYS
LEADS TO A BEAUTIFUL EXCHANGE.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
IT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE OUR KIDS TO DO.
TO GET RID OF THE STIGMA AND TO
EDUCATE.
EDUCATE.
>> I KNOW YOURE A PAID
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GLOBAL
DISABILITY INCLUSION.
>> YES.
>> WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THAT?
>> SO OUR COMBINED MISSION IS TO
CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF DISABILITY.PERCEPTION OF
DISABILITY.
SO GLOBAL DISABILITY INCLUSION
IS A CONSULTING FIRM THAT
CREATES MARKETING STRATEGIES TO HELP BUSINESSES HIRE PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES.
DISABILITIES.
MY JOB IS, YOU KNOW, TO BE THE
FACE AND SPOKESPERSON AND SHOW VISIBLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DOW
VISIBLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO IT.
IT. I CAN MODEL MISSING MY ARM.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. AND BEAUTY TAKES MANY FORMS.
>> IT TAKES MANY FORMS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHAHOLLY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ALL THE BEST TO YOU.
FOR MORE ABOUT SHAHOLLYS STORY AND HER WORK ON GLOBALYS STORY