Zizifo has achieved everything on her own.
The woman who was bullied because of her “crooked” legs at boarding school proved the people who criticized her wrong.
Zizifo Soldat was embarrassed by her birth defect that caused her to have deformed limbs, but then she defied her critics and accepted her disability to become a model.
The 27-year-old woman from Johannesburg was born with phocomelia syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that manifests itself in the absence of upper limbs or parts of them. The birth defect prevented her left arm from forming fully, and her left leg was significantly shorter than her right.
Soldat’s upbringing was handled from a young age by her grandmother, and from the age of six, Zizifo moved to a boarding school. The blogger recalls that time with tears in her eyes.
“I was very vulnerable at boarding school. It was like a prison for me. I felt so alone and intimidated that I just couldn’t defend myself. Bullying was constant, and the kids felt entitled to say whatever they wanted,” the woman recalled a difficult time.
Soldat developed anxiety and depression as she struggled to cope with the cruel taunts. Still, Zizifo found the strength, studied and received a degree in public relations from Walter Sisulu University in South Africa.
The future model even dreamed of becoming a director. But a few photos she posted online changed her life.
First, people began to subscribe to Zizifo, supporting her unusual appearance. And then the woman was contacted by representatives of major modeling agencies who offered her contracts.
“I posted one picture on the Internet, and people liked it. When I started posting the posts, they had an overwhelming effect! Hundreds of comments and likes…I wasn’t even prepared for that! The first time I published a post showing my whole body I felt insecure. But photos like that get the most likes,” Zizifo said.
Now Zizipho Soldat collaborates with many brands and actively blogs on social media. The woman is completely happy with the way she looks and is not shy to show herself from completely different angles.