SCARLET CHECKERS: I’ve been extra flexible
for my whole life. So, I’ve always known that there is something different about my body.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The type that
I have is type 3 hypermobility.
SCARLET CHECKERS: It’s a collagen disorder; it affects all the connective tissue in my
body. It makes all of the joints and the ligaments and the muscles and skin very loose and stretchy.
So, I can do things like this.
SCARLET CHECKERS: So, growing up I didn’t know that I had a genetic condition. I just
thought I was naturally very flexible. I would like sit in strange positions at the dinner
table, because it was what was most comfortable for me. My step mom would yell at me, but
instead of like ‘elbows off the table,’ it was more like, ‘get your feet off the
table’. Because I’d just like sit with my leg. I don’t know, it’s, like I’m
comfortable in strange positions. Comfortable in strange positions, by Scarlet Checkers,
those are my memoirs. Someday I’ll write an autobiography.
SCARLET CHECKERS: Pretty much anything that
can happen to your body, that’s painful or uncomfortable or inconvenient, EDS can cause it.
SCARLET CHECKERS: From just walking around town, like if I just step wrong, I could just
snap my ankle out of place.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I actually try my best to raise awareness for EDS because it’s considered
an invisible disease.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I was just diagnosed this past year. It was just, it’s very hard to
get a diagnosis because a lot of doctors don’t know what it is, because it’s so different
and manifests differently in every person and there is no cure for it at all.
SCARLET CHECKERS: If you guys don’t know, the reason that I’m a contortionist is because
I have a genetic condition: type-3 Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I remember being really into the circus for most of my life. I remember
the first time I saw a circus and I was always really into the animals and the clowns and
the acrobats, literally everything about the circus; just drew me right in.
SCARLET CHECKERS: About two years ago, I started
performing full time. I do clowning, contortion and side show. I’m currently in a small
variety show troop right now called ‘The Birthday Party’. And it’s four of us,
four girls, three clowns and an alien.
OLIVE-IT THEE CLOWNE: Scarlet is really inspiring because she’s got this crazy disease and
uses it to her advantage. Which is really, it’s really awesome; super impressive.
SCARLET CHECKERS: And I’m going to attempt
to touch those two body parts together. If I can do it, I get a point. If I can’t do
it, all of you get a point. Got it?
SCARLET CHECKERS: That is the contortion game, I’m still undefeated and now I’m about to see another weird body trick.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I tend to get some backlash from the EDS communities sometimes because
they think that I’m setting a bad example for other people with EDS. I’m going to
be confined to a wheelchair within the next ten years probably. But it happens. I do use
a wheelchair every once in a while. Some days I just can’t do anything with my body. I
would really like the EDS community to appreciate that we’re all different.
SCARLET CHECKERS: So, this is more than 90 degrees, would you confirm that? Can you confirm... LADY: Yes.
SCARLET CHECKERS: Yeah, thank you. More than 90 degrees? That’s disgusting.
SCARLET CHECKERS: There is a safe way to contort
while also having EDS and that really is just being aware of your own body and what your
own limits are and listening to your body when it tells you ‘No, that’s not a thing you can do.’
SCARLET CHECKERS: I should have at least loosened the corset.
SCARLET CHECKERS: My career goals really are very short term. I do want to enjoy what
I’m doing and not ruin my body.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I love everything about this.
SCARLET CHECKERS: I really enjoy performing,
I really enjoy contortion and I really enjoy making people laugh.