With her Instagram update, Ebba Årsjö wants to encourage you to like your own body.
Ebba Årsjö took three Paralympic medals from Beijing last winter. AOP
Swedish para-sports star Ebba Årsjö came out openly about his disability on social media. The two-time Olympic champion in alpine skiing has concealed his illness until he was 18 years old.
Årsjö suffers from congenital Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, which usually occurs in the lower extremities. The syndrome consists of varicose veins and local overgrowth of the supporting organ. Dark red capillaries in the skin are also one visible sign of the syndrome.
As a side effect, Årsjö suffers from muscle loss in his right leg, which makes him a para-athlete.
Now the 21-year-old wanted to show an example of how he has accepted himself. At the same time, he showed his skeptics what his feet really looked like.
Årsja was much in the public eye after winning the Paralympics last winter. Aftonbladetille he comments he has received suspicions from competitors and coaches. Some have even been angry with him.
– Coaches and other skiers have questioned why I am in the race when I seem to have a healthy leg, Ärsjö told the Swedish media.
Instagramwith his account, the Swede poses with a smile in a bikini, presenting his right leg, which is covered in dark red.
– Here I am. Don’t forget to like yourself, he wrote in the description.
Part of identity
Aftonbladet asked why he wanted to post a picture of his disability on Instagram.
The athlete star said he had been considering taking the picture for more than a year. He even counted for months until the moment was right.
– I hope I can help others. I think I can influence people, and when I hear about my influence, it makes me very happy, Årsjö explained.
On Instagram, he is followed by more than 12,000 people. Årsjö’s bold output has garnered a lot of heart in the comments.
– My foot has become part of my identity. I make money because of it. I’ve got a lot of new friends. I am happy on my feet, Årsjö said.
The athlete star says things were different before.
– It affected me negatively. It depressed me because I felt a burden and it made me angry.
The syndrome continues to cause pain and distress, but the alpine skier says he is already used to them.
– I encourage others to be themselves, whether they have a disability or not.