Meet Paola Antonini, an Amputee Model Who Treats Her Prosthetic Leg as a Beautiful Accessory
We all can remember an incident that became a key event in our life that changed things to some extent. Some of these crucial events are very positive and optimistic, like getting married or giving birth to a long-awaited baby. But some things in our life may happen against our will and are meant to make us stronger. Such a thing happened to a famous model named Paola Antonini, and this fragile woman appears to have such a vivid love of life that she keeps blossoming and spreading light, even after an almost fatal accident.
We at Bright Side were inspired by Paola’s undefeatable positivity and strong will. We’d love for you to read her story, which, against all odds, turned out to have a really happy ending.
One single day has turned Paola’s life into a total challenge.
Paola Antonini is a Brazilian model. She has been inspiring people through her Instagram and has become a symbol of optimism and positivity for the over 2.5 million people who follow her.
Paola became the victim of a driving case. She was hit by a car while putting her luggage inside her own car’s trunk. As a result, she went through 2 surgeries and had to have her left leg amputated.
After the accident, Paola had to learn how to live in a completely new way, like how a small child learns. In her candid post on Instagram, she wrote, “Before and after! 7 years between these photos and so much has changed! I can only thank God immensely for this chance to live and for this beautiful purpose!”
Despite all her optimism, at the very start, she had a lot of hesitations. She says, “When I amputated my leg 7 years ago, I had several doubts. What would my life be like? How would my relationship with my body be from there?”
Living with a prosthetic leg and building a career was a new milestone.
Paola confessed that it was difficult to become comfortable with her new appearance. She says, “Looking in the mirror was a super special moment. It was there that I really understood what had happened and understood what my new ’me’ would be like. My new self, with several scars and a little leg, was no less handsome. It was just different.”
The model knows by her own experience how important it is to fall in love with yourself and respect yourself. She calls it a courageous effort that pays off in total peace and harmony.
She explains, “It was beautiful to rediscover myself as a ’woman’ and discover that our beauty is everywhere, the least of which is our physical body. While it was challenging, it was beautiful to relearn how to balance at 20. It was beautiful to take those first steps again. I look back, and I know that there were always fears and uncertainties, but I know that courage prevailed.”
Now Paola is a real ray of light for those who seek hope in hard times.
It took a lot of physiotherapy sessions for the model to get to where she is today. She posts bikini snaps to Instagram and never thinks of hiding her prosthetic leg because she wants to be a “model for other amputees.”
But she charges other people with her positive energy and love of life, and the gratefulness that she receives from people is immense. People call her “their warrior” and are amazed at her endless positive energy. Others can’t hold back their emotions when they say a huge thank you to Paola because, with her example, she helps them get through tough times.
In every photo of hers, Paola appears smiling, laughing, and enjoying her life to the fullest. She has become a favorite on the runway in Brazil and is in high demand as a model. She has become an inspiration to all, not only for her optimism, but also for her fashion and lifestyle.
Her Instagram shows tons of stylish outfits and fashion inspiration. She treats her prosthetic leg as one of her accessories and changes its style according to her outfits. This is true proof of her total acceptance and gratitude for the life she lives.
Who’s an optimistic person you know that keeps inspiring you with their attitude toward life? How do you treat difficulties that life brings your way?