‘Relentless bullying made me hate my dwarfism but Strictly’s Ellie Simmonds makes me proud’
08.10.2022 - 18:31
/ ok.co.uk
"I’m sitting with my family watching Ellie Simmonds take to the Strictly dance floor in a beautiful gold dress.The Paralympian smiles from ear to ear as she performs her incredible cha-cha – and I’m grinning right back at her. As the audience applauds Ellie, I feel like it’s one of the best moments of my entire life. My excitement has been building up to this moment since August, when it was announced she’d be taking part.
I actually screamed! I’d been waiting for this day for 33 years.There’s so little representation of dwarfism, let alone the positive kind. If I’d had this growing up, I’d have felt less alone. My parents are average height, so initially they had no idea what was different about me when I was in pain as a baby.
I was diagnosed just before my first birthday. My childhood was filled with hospital appointments for back, spine and shoulder problems, and operations, including getting my bowed legs straightened. We lived in Norfolk but Mum constantly travelled to Sheffield with me for specialised treatment, leaving my dad to care for my two average-height siblings at home.The physical pain made life hard, and at primary school I was relentlessly bullied.There were cruel words spoken and I had things thrown at me, even slammed into me.
My love of musical theatre became my release. Listening to Jesus Christ Superstar or going to drama club became my escape – my safe space. But by the time I reached high school the bullying had grown worse.
I’d be eating my lunch and someone would sneer, “Why are you so weird?” I felt bad about myself every day and didn’t want to be there. Even those who didn’t verbally abuse me directly never stuck up for me, and that hurt just as much. I cried most nights and avoided going to
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