Life is not ever going to be perfect for any of us but sometimes, we just need to take a situation and make the best of it. For some people, living with a disability means that they are going to be disabled and it is a struggle, nobody is arguing that fact. For a young woman named Grace Strobel, however, disability was not about to let her lose out on life. You see, she was born with down syndrome but she also had a desire to be a model and now, she is the face associated with an international skincare campaign. It truly is a beautiful thing when you see somebody turn a disability into an advantage.
Strobel is more than a model, she is also a down syndrome advocate and a motivational speaker. She is part of a campaign associated with Obagi Clinical Kinetin+ Exfoliating Cleansing Gel, and I don’t think they could have chosen a better option as an ambassador. They have others who are also skincare ambassadors, but the beauty of her skin and the fact that she is a motivational and inspiring individual makes it all the much more beautiful when you see it in action.
Currently, Strobel is on Facebook with more than 18,000 followers and on Instagram, she has over 16,000 followers. She became the first model with down syndrome to represent a skincare brand in the United States. As a result, she wants to help other people to understand her condition more and to use the campaign as a platform.
Strobel would travel around to schools to talk about overcoming issues, an initiative that she referred to as #TheGraceEffect. That initiative was launched in 2017 after she was bullied.
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She said: “This partnership means the world to me and I am so excited to be a SKINCLUSION Ambassador because I love what Obagi stands for. Diversity, Inclusion and Beauty. I think people with disabilities sometimes feel invisible. [sic]”
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“I became a model and speaker to help people see the value in others. And that’s what Obagi does – looks into our faces and our hearts and sees the beauty in all of us. To be fearless. To be strong. To stand up for others. And to feel beautiful in our own skin. [sic]”
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“I am very proud that I have Down Syndrome and that I could turn pain into purpose and help others to believe in themselves. I think sometimes people are afraid of what they don’t understand. We are consumers, our lives have meaning, and we want to be represented [sic].
“Working with Obagi has been a dream come true because it gives me a voice. Through exposure, we can create change and break down barriers, fears and create understanding. It’s about making people with disabilities feel valued and included. And Obagi is helping us to do that [sic].”
She continued:
“With elegance, humor, ambition and determination, Grace is working to change society’s view of people with disabilities. She believes that when faced with trials and adversity we learn to have courage and to be strong. We welcome and encourage Grace to use SKINCLUSION as a platform to amplify her message, to advocate for people with Down Syndrome, and to challenge our biases to become more inclusive [sic].”
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We look forward to seeing more of what this beautiful young woman is able to accomplish.