“No legs, no limits.” That’s the mantra of Kanya Sesser, one of those rare people who seems incapable of self-pity. She is someone who encounters a setback and immediately gets to work figuring out how to overcome it-no whining, no resentment, just positive action.
Kanya, 23, was born with no legs– but she doesn’t let that stop her from surfing, hiking, swimming, skating, mono-skiing, breakdancing, and modelling underwear. As if that weren’t enough, she is currently training to be on the USA paralympics team for track and field.
Kanya was born in Thailand, and abandoned as a baby outside the doors of a Buddhist temple. She spent five years with foster parents before being adopted by an American couple, who took her home to Portland, Oregon. There, she learned to walk on her hands, and had a happy, normal childhood involving lots of different sports. In high school she played tennis and was on the school swimming team, excelling at everything she tried, and refusing to give up.
Kanya caught surf brand Billabong’s eye last year and wrote a short article about her experiences and motivation for their website. In it, she said:
‘Growing up as a kid I made many friends. Mainly for being a friendly, funny, free spirited and outgoing human being. I believe they were more impressed by my traits and personality than their curiosity of me not having legs. Since a very young age my approach to life has been to live without limits and to not be afraid to do new things. Even though there are certain things that I might not be able to do, that doesn’t stop me from trying and finding a way to do it my own way.’
‘I enjoy four wheeling, shooting and a long list of awesome outdoor activities. I like to dance, break dancing specifically, and I enjoy going out when I have time. You see, my schedule is pretty tight. I start my day at about 5:00 am raining to make the USA Paralympic Team in track and field. I compete in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events. I love speed! After my daily workout and practice, I head to school. And then after school, you might see me skating downtown Tucson or at the Santa Rita skate park.’
Is there anything this woman can’t do? Watch the video above to find out more about Kanya and her passion for sport, and please share her story if you found it inspirational!
This article (This Sporty Model Born Without Legs Is An Inspiration To Us All) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.
