Episode 8: Gabe Adams-Wheatley - Living Life Without Limbits

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Hello, beautiful humans, welcome
to today's episode of Role

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Models juicy conversations with
beautiful humans.

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My name is Jennifer, Norman
founder of the human Beauty

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movement and your host.
Okay, so, I am fangirling pretty

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hard right now because my guest
today is none.

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Other than gave Adams Wheatley,
gave is a makeup artist.

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He's a singer songwriter a
dancer.

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A social-media influencer.
He is an unrelenting Optimist,

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which I absolutely adore about
him.

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He lives Life Without Limits or
as he likes to say truly

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Limitless.
Welcome game.

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Hi.
Thank you for having me and

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we're so glad you're here.
So you have a pretty fascinating

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story.
So I would love for you to tell

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everybody all about yourself.
What your origin story is?

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Yes, so I was born in Sao, Paulo
Brazil without arms or legs.

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Eggs, and my birth mother.
When she found out, she knew

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that she would not be able to
care for me or he did me the

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life that she knew that I could
possibly have.

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So she put me up for adoption
and my story traveled all the

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way across to the United States
here to Utah, where my adopted

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mom was going through the
grocery store and she was nine

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months pregnant with her 11th,
and she was going through the

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checkout.
And the cashier was like what

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number is that?
And she's like, well, it's just

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my 11th and she's like, oh no
way.

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That's so exciting.
My daughter.

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Mom was like yeah it is.
And then she's like, well, you

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know, I know a family that's
adopting their 13th child.

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That's from Brazil.
But there's also a board that is

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coming but was born without arms
legs.

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That needs a family.
And and my adopted mom was like,

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no, I would take them in a
second.

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Not even knowing how she was
going to even care for me or

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anything like that.
And so she went home and since

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she lives in a very religious
belief, life with being LDS,

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also known as the Mormons.
She went home and she prayed

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about it.
And the angel gave her all

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popped up in her head and then
she turned on the TV station and

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it was talking about the angel
Gabriel and then, my adopted dad

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was a seminary teacher in the
school system.

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And he came home from work one
day and she's like, we need to

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adopt this little boy and he
says, you know, we already have

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our 11th child coming.
We do not need to adopt another

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child and she's like, no, we
really do.

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I just need you to go pray about
it.

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And in the Mormon belief system,
they have a temple that they go

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to, and he went there and he had
a spiritual revelation of me and

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the baby that my mom was
pregnant with growing up

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together and becoming best
friends.

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And so he just instantly knew
that it was something he needed

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to get on board with.
And so he went home and told her

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and they call the adoption
agency, the next day and the

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lady said, sorry mrs.
Adams.

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You are not a good candidate to
adopt.

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You have too many children.
Your husband did not make enough

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money.
It's just not going to be a good

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fit for what this little boy
needs and my adopted mom just

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instantly turned back around to
her on the phone and said, you

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know, what?
We will adopt this little boy

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and God will intervene in our
behalf and make it possible just

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too late.
And the lady on the phone, kind

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of just laughed and said, okay,
whatever you say have a nice

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day.
Bye.

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And then weeks later, they
brought it up to the board of

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directive at the adoption agency
and to the hospitals and

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everything and within seconds of
Everybody in the room just stood

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up and said, you know what,
we're on board.

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Let's bring this little boy to
the United States.

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Let's get him adopted with this
family.

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And so they sent a letter to my
family and said, the Lord has

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intervene on your behalf.
You will become the parents of

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this little boy and things just
started following to place.

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One thing after another at the
American Airlines called and

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said that they would fly me or
my parents, anywhere around the

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world to bring us together as a
family, the Brazilian quartz

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called and for that, they would
bypass the six weeks residency.

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Just let me come straight to the
United States, be with my family

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as soon as possible and just all
miracles and everything and it's

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all because my mom did not give
up with the instant of knowing

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that she was supposed to be my
mom.

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Oh my gosh, I'm trying not to
cry right now.

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Your story is so compelling.
Number one because God bless

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your parents.
God bless your mom and your dad

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as well.
As this is hard.

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I also am adopted some people
live with that pain of feeling

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like they were Were unloved.
But then you turn around and

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know that when you start
rewriting your story, when you

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start, getting to the place
where you recognize look, how

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many people were rooting for
you.

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Look.
How much love was able to get

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you to where you are today, and
look at the determination and

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how God works in such mysterious
ways.

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Right?
And really has this amazing

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magnificence of compassion and
love and just this outpouring of

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willingness to serve that to me
is Life is all about.

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I'm just curious because I've
heard that there have been

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definitely some values and
lessons that your family,

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instilled in you from an early
age.

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It wasn't easy.
It wasn't all like, you know,

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let's be easy on him, right?
Correct.

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So when my family first decided
that they were going to adopt

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me, they already had ten
children that were well above

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the age of 13, 14 and stuff like
that.

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And they just set them all down
with the aunts and uncles and

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grandparents.
And just said, we're not going

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to baby this try.
Child.

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When he comes into this family,
he's going to be required to do

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everything that we all do.
It may take him a little bit

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longer, but we just need to be
patient and willing to teach him

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and learn with him and grown.
When I first came into this

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family, they lived in a
split-level home and my mom had

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always seen a life of
Independence long before myself

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and those around her.
And so, she actually got a lot

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of rude things toss towards her
Direction because people thought

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that she was being to talk to a
person with disability and that

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she should Little bit nicer, a
little bit more loving bubble of

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long but looking back at it.
Now.

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I was a young adult who is now
23 and living on my own married

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successful house.
My own job has my own life away

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from my parents and everything.
I respect everything that she

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put me through to get me to
where I am today.

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And so going back to the home
that we lived in.

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It was a split-level home.
And so I needed to learn how to

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go up and down those stairs.
And nobody was going to carry me

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up and down those stairs.
And so there were a lots of

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times that we'd set up those
stairs for hours and hours and

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hours.
I'd been tears.

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She'd be in tears.
And finally, we just give up

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some points because we just were
not seeing eye-to-eye.

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And then it wasn't until I think
I was in the seventh grade that

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it really clicked that, you
know, I don't want my mom doing

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every little thing for me and
nobody else is Mom, does every

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little thing for them.
So I think it's about time that

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I take the reins and I see my
own potential and becoming

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independent and It got to the
point with my mom where she's

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like, you're a little too
independent.

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Now, let me help you and I'm
like no you raised me to do it

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on my own.
I'm gonna take the time to do it

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and she's like, but it will just
take me two seconds where it's

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going to take you five minutes
and like I don't care.

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That also is a great lesson for
a lot of people who are either

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used to be coddled or they want
to be coddled.

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They want life to be easy for
them and they don't realize that

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the struggle.
It's kind of like what they say.

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No grip, no pearl, you know, you
almost have to go through those

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really hard times and sometimes
it sucks, right?

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Sometimes it really is painful
and you feel like it's just not

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worth it.
But then you realize, wow, look

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at how it helps to shape you
into a stronger person.

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Going forward.
Now aside from that you're

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openly gay non-binary and so
many people struggle with their

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sexuality and identity.
I mean, it can be a really tough

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road for people and I think a
lot of people could benefit from

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hearing that part of your story.
So, you know, feel free to share

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as much as you like about your
early days and your journey of

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understanding your eye.
Entity or arriving at

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self-acceptance and self-love.
Well, I did grow up in a very

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Mormon LDS religion home with my
dad being a very public figure

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in the school system of being a
seminary teacher.

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And my mom was always a part of
the church's growing up.

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Being gay was very, very, very,
very difficult because they

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never wanted to accept it or
believe it or let it be true.

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And we had so many discussions
growing up because I knew at

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such a young age by the time.
I found out that I was really

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gay.
I was in the second grade

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because I had this crush on this
kid at the playground and he

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ended up being a new classmate
in my class the following year

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and we start right next to each
other.

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And I remember going home and
telling my older sisters one

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time.
And I said, well, do you think

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he's cute?
I'm like, yeah, I think he's

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cute and I well, what do you
think of that?

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And I was like, but it's not.
Okay?

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And they're like, what do you
mean?

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It's not.
Okay, and it's like, I shouldn't

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like boys and I know you can
like whoever you want.

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So it was always nice.
Stories are my siblings, having

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my back with being who I was
wanting to be, but my parents

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being who they were at the time
and not wanting to understand

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it, not wanting to allow it or
anything.

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We're always so against it and
we would have conversations.

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Like it's always a marriage
between a, man and a woman.

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It's not Adam and Steve.
It's Adam and Eve.

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Why would you ever want to be
with a man?

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But will bomb sounds like you
don't get it.

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This is who I am.
This is who you raised me to be.

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And so it wasn't until I was 19
years old.

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And I was getting ready to move
out of our house and I had been

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crying myself to sleep for years
and years and years because I

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was constantly having to be
someone, I wasn't.

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I was also starting to step into
the public eye with being a

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dancer social media, public
speaking.

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And there was one time where my
dad was my manager.

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And for motivational speaking,
and I was doing a meet-and-greet

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afterwards and somebody came up
to me and they whispered in my

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ear and said, I feel like you're
not giving us your All truth.

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And I feel like you're hiding
something and it just instantly

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ate me alive and it was
something that I never forget

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and it was just something that
made me feel so disgusted with

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myself that I couldn't be
honest.

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And people were starting to see
that and feel that.

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And so I would still go to the
church and sometimes just

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because I really loved hearing
other people's testimonies, but

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I did not like hearing people
teachings of the church and

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everything because it It just
didn't really line up with who I

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was or who I wanted to be or who
I was going to be in.

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And I knew that there was never
going to be a chance of that

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happening in that religion.
And so the only way I felt a

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connection in that church was
hearing other people's

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testimonies and hearing what
they struggled with with the

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daily basis, and how they would
come and pray and stuff like

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that, and get their own benefit
from it.

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And so, one day I was going to
church and there are three

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different meetings in the Mormon
church where you have sacrament.

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And then you have Sunday school
and then you have either young

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woman's young men's early
society, and all these other

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things that you're supposed to
go to.

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And I usually would head out
after Sacrament or Sunday school

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because none of it really
applied to me after that.

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And so, I was getting ready to
leave one day and my mom caught

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me.
I'm 19 years old.

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I've graduated high school and
said, like, but the day at home,

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I'm grown up.
Let me just do my own thing.

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I'm leaving and she's like,
well, did you pray about it?

226
00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:32,300
And I was like you Did not just
ask me if I prayed about it and

227
00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,700
it just made me so curious.
I still ended up leaving and I

228
00:11:35,708 --> 00:11:38,500
went home and I sent her this
long text and I was like, I'm

229
00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:42,700
gay in all capital letters.
I was like and I'm not changing.

230
00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:44,800
I'm never going to change.
I'm done.

231
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,100
Bowing down to you and dad, and
your wishes and your Mormon

232
00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:49,400
beliefs.
It's not me.

233
00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,200
It's never going to be me.
You raised me to follow my heart

234
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,100
and to be who I am, but the
second I do that, you get mad at

235
00:11:55,100 --> 00:11:57,200
me and showed me and told me
that it's something I can't be

236
00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,800
and and I'm done.
So if you Relationship with me

237
00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,300
after this moment, then that's
on you.

238
00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,400
But from here on out, I'm done
trying and goodbye.

239
00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,700
And then instantly, she came
home from church.

240
00:12:10,700 --> 00:12:14,400
She was sobbing, and she just
went to a room for the rest of

241
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,400
the night.
And then the next morning, she

242
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,700
came into my room and I could
tell that she had been crying,

243
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,600
and she just says, can we talk?
And I was like, yeah, I guess.

244
00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:27,700
And she's like, okay.
Well, I just want to first off,

245
00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:33,100
start off with saying I'm sorry.
And I was like, okay and she's

246
00:12:33,100 --> 00:12:35,500
like, I'm sorry for all the
times that I told you that you

247
00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:36,700
couldn't be who you wanted to
be.

248
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,300
I'm sorry for making you feel
like you're a disgrace or making

249
00:12:41,300 --> 00:12:43,200
you feel like I don't love you
or that I won't love you.

250
00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,600
I'm sorry for never
understanding, were wanting to

251
00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,800
understand, but from here on
out.

252
00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,100
I want you to know that I do
love you and I don't want to

253
00:12:52,108 --> 00:12:55,100
lose you as a son or as a
friend, or as a person in my

254
00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:57,900
life.
I want to be there when you get

255
00:12:57,900 --> 00:12:59,600
married.
I want to meet the person that

256
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,200
you're Mary, I want to be in
your life after you get married

257
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:04,700
when you decide to have
children.

258
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,900
I want to be the mother of your
grandchildren.

259
00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:08,500
I want to be in your life,
please.

260
00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:10,500
Don't shut me out.
Please.

261
00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:15,800
Let me come to understand you
and who you want to be and and

262
00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,900
that was huge because all the
other conversations that we had

263
00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,400
before, then were nothing like
that.

264
00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:24,900
And then minutes after my dad
had come in, choosing my room,

265
00:13:25,300 --> 00:13:28,000
and pretty much just stated all
the same things, which was very

266
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,200
very, very huge for him.
To say that because he raised

267
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,400
nine other sons that were all
athletes and straight and

268
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,800
everything.
He could have ever imagined and

269
00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,900
then to have a gay son who was
also adopted, not be what he

270
00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:44,800
wanted.
Was very, very hard for him.

271
00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,900
And I don't think he really even
truly came around until I

272
00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:53,900
started dating my husband and he
saw the connection that my

273
00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:57,900
husband and I had and that it
wasn't what they thought it was

274
00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:01,400
to be in because I know A lot of
people have this stipulation

275
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,100
that for gay people.
It's all about sex and passing

276
00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:08,900
around STDs and AIDS and not
having the real authentic

277
00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:12,400
connection and relationship and
a love life.

278
00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,700
That's more than just the sex
and more than just the hookups

279
00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:17,800
and dirty texts and stuff like
that.

280
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,500
And I feel like it was up to me
in that moment to prove to them.

281
00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:24,100
That it was way more than what
they thought it could ever be.

282
00:14:24,100 --> 00:14:28,300
And I remember I started getting
into makeup when I was in high

283
00:14:28,300 --> 00:14:31,900
school and my my parents were
like, you're not being makeup.

284
00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:34,700
You do not need to wear makeup,
but then I joined the dance

285
00:14:34,700 --> 00:14:37,300
company to you and I was like,
well, I need to wear makeup to

286
00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:39,900
be on with you and to be
onstage.

287
00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:43,000
So thank you.
And for started wearing makeup

288
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,800
here in there and one time I put
makeup on and it was just blush

289
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,500
all over my entire face.
And I went shopping with my

290
00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:52,600
brother.
Who's the same age as name and

291
00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:53,800
the entire time.
We went out.

292
00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,500
He's like, are you mad?
And it's like, no, I'm not mad

293
00:14:56,500 --> 00:14:58,600
and he's like, you look really
upset.

294
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,400
And I was like, no, I'm not.
Laurel.

295
00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:03,500
And then we get into the car and
he's like, if you're going to

296
00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:06,400
put makeup on, at least, learn
how to put it on right now.

297
00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:11,200
He's like, okay, fair enough,
fair enough and even my parents.

298
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,400
I remember the first time they
saw me photograph in makeup.

299
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:20,300
I had gone to this event in
California and and it was taken

300
00:15:20,300 --> 00:15:23,900
with Getty Images and it's the
worst picture I've ever seen in

301
00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:29,100
my head now, but I was so happy
to wear makeup on the red carpet

302
00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:30,100
and everything.
Thing.

303
00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,400
But the foundation was not the
right seed.

304
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,600
The concealer is not the right
shade or anything.

305
00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:39,800
I'm eyelashes were falling off
that my youngest sister was

306
00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:43,900
still living with my parents and
she texted me and she said, moms

307
00:15:43,900 --> 00:15:47,100
crying right now and it's like,
why is she crying?

308
00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,100
And she's like, she just saw you
in the picture of you wearing

309
00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:52,900
makeup.
I was like, okay, what about it?

310
00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:55,100
And she's like, she's not happy
about it.

311
00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,000
And I was like, why does she
care?

312
00:15:57,500 --> 00:15:59,600
And she's like, she didn't raise
you to wear.

313
00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:03,900
The Pipers and I was like me
wearing makeup has nothing to do

314
00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:06,700
with her and make this has
everything to do with me and my

315
00:16:06,700 --> 00:16:09,900
confidence and my life and
everything else.

316
00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:14,300
And so I called her and I was
like, hey, I heard you didn't

317
00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:17,100
like what I was wearing makeup
and she's like, well, where did

318
00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:19,800
you hear that for us?
I was like, I got little birds

319
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:24,500
everywhere and she's like, okay
and I was like, so what's going

320
00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:26,200
on with that?
And she's like, I just don't

321
00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,400
think that boys should be
wearing makeup when then I was

322
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,100
like, you see those actors and
actresses on TV.

323
00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:36,200
They're all wearing a cup.
You see those news anchors that

324
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,300
are males.
They're wearing makeup.

325
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,500
You see those people that you go
watching plays, they're wearing

326
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:44,800
makeup and tights.
Like there's no difference.

327
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,600
Makeup is just makeup.
It's a way of me, showing my

328
00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,200
creativeness, letting out my
emotions and just really getting

329
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,400
passed something with the type
of artistry, and that is out

330
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,900
there and she's like, oh, okay,
and then from that moment on,

331
00:16:58,900 --> 00:17:00,800
she's always texting.
Samia ask me.

332
00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:03,100
What's the best foundation for
her to use?

333
00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:06,400
What kind or should you use?
What's going to help our skin?

334
00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,500
And I was like, oh 91 in the
hole and right.

335
00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:13,700
Yeah, and then my dad even had a
huge turnaround because there

336
00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:17,099
was one point where I put on
mascara and going to a family

337
00:17:17,099 --> 00:17:21,599
party him when I was way younger
and he found out and he's like

338
00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:24,800
the day you wear mascara again,
is the day I die.

339
00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:30,300
I was like, okay and then a few
Months ago.

340
00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:33,400
I did an article with the
magazine and I was talking about

341
00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,000
how when I put on mascara.
I have to put it in this very

342
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,900
uncomfortable position, put it
on and I'm getting it all over

343
00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:43,200
my lids and getting all over my
face and it's very difficult,

344
00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,500
especially when I'm filming for
a video because I have to rinse

345
00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:49,100
that off in between takes and
he's like well, is there any way

346
00:17:49,100 --> 00:17:51,400
that I could like build
something to make it easier for

347
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:56,100
you to apply it and I was like,
wait you want to help me put

348
00:17:56,100 --> 00:18:01,400
mascara?
But it's very, very cool to see

349
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,300
their whole, turn around in my
supportiveness now.

350
00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,100
And I feel so lucky because I do
know that there's so many people

351
00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:11,100
out there that have a way worse
than I could ever even imagine.

352
00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:14,100
And I'm very, very, very lucky
to have them now.

353
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,600
Thank you so much for being so
open about your story.

354
00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:23,800
It stands to reason that kids
are their parents best teachers.

355
00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,100
I mean, if we think about the
dogma and the religion and the

356
00:18:27,100 --> 00:18:30,800
fact that your father was In the
Seminary, like and your mother

357
00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,700
that just like the whole entire
upbringing, everything that they

358
00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:36,400
had learned their whole entire
belief system.

359
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,500
Revolved around a certain way of
life and a certain way of being.

360
00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,100
And here you come this wonderful
ball of energy and you just

361
00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:47,400
disrupt everything that they
know about their beliefs.

362
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:54,200
And what is the way to live out
your own truth and it's not easy

363
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,500
for them.
And so I have great compassion

364
00:18:56,500 --> 00:18:58,700
for people who live just like
your parents.

365
00:18:58,900 --> 00:19:01,900
Instead and we're brought up in
a certain way, which was very

366
00:19:01,900 --> 00:19:03,900
restrictive.
You can only imagine how much

367
00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:06,800
that they had to keep holds
within themselves and not be

368
00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,300
true to themselves in a matter
of respects because of what

369
00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:13,500
other people might think of what
their religion is telling them

370
00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:18,100
is right and wrong and then
recognizing that you buy.

371
00:19:18,100 --> 00:19:21,000
Just you continuing to be who
you are.

372
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,900
That's when you shine your
brightest.

373
00:19:22,900 --> 00:19:26,900
And yet, everybody is going to
recognize that eventually, it's

374
00:19:26,900 --> 00:19:30,200
going to take some time, right?
But But your dad wants to build

375
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,500
you something to make your
mascara, go on easier.

376
00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:37,400
I mean, that is incredible.
That is an amazing amazing

377
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,100
Story.
How are your other brothers

378
00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:43,800
about your transition and about
you starting to wear makeup.

379
00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,300
My brothers always knew at a
young age that I was gay, and

380
00:19:47,300 --> 00:19:50,400
they always teased me about it,
and give me a hard time and

381
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,300
everything, but they all showed
up to my wedding.

382
00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,400
And I, honestly, when I was
younger, I never thought that

383
00:19:57,500 --> 00:19:59,400
any of my siblings would Be at
my wedding.

384
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,900
I mainly thought that maybe just
my four sisters would be there

385
00:20:02,900 --> 00:20:05,200
because those were the ones I
was closest to.

386
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,800
And so for years and years and
years, when I would dream about

387
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,100
my fairytale wedding.
I always imagined it without my

388
00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:14,400
family and just my four sisters.
Yeah.

389
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,100
I remember leading up to the
wedding.

390
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,300
I was so nervous because I was
like, I don't know if I asked my

391
00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:24,200
family to come and stuff and
then when I started dating, my

392
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,800
husband I was like, oh no,
they're definitely gonna come to

393
00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,500
my wedding.
Yeah and one of Of my brother's

394
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:33,900
was kind of taken back seeing my
dad at my wedding and there was,

395
00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:38,300
I guess a conversation that was
passed by the two of them at the

396
00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:40,800
wedding that I didn't care
about, which is good.

397
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,100
I didn't hear about it until I
was on my honeymoon.

398
00:20:43,100 --> 00:20:46,600
One of my older brothers, called
my dad out and was like, why are

399
00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,300
you here at this wedding?
And my dad's, like, why wouldn't

400
00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:52,300
I be here at this wedding?
And he's like, you never ever,

401
00:20:52,300 --> 00:20:54,400
ever supported Gabe and being
getting.

402
00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:58,500
So why are you here now?
And he's like, well, I support

403
00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:02,300
him.
And I've changed, and it made me

404
00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:06,000
super emotional hearing on my
honeymoon because I had actually

405
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,300
asked my dad to give a speech at
my wedding.

406
00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:13,500
And I know that was probably
very, very hard for him to go

407
00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:19,200
against his beliefs and stand up
there at my wedding and condone

408
00:21:19,500 --> 00:21:21,900
what we were doing and allow it
and everything.

409
00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:25,000
I know that's so silly to even
say that had to be condone or

410
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,600
allowed, but for a white
straight male.

411
00:21:28,700 --> 00:21:31,600
Male that has been brought up in
such a religious strong,

412
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,800
religious background to now get
up and be there for his gay.

413
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,700
Son is huge and I just really,
really really respect my dad and

414
00:21:40,700 --> 00:21:42,700
that aspiration of doing that
for me.

415
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,400
He reminds me of Footloose to a
certain degree.

416
00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:50,800
I'm curious, because since he is
probably a staple in his

417
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:56,200
community, has it had any impact
on the Mormon community at large

418
00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,500
as far as openness towards those
who are Gay or who have a

419
00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:02,600
different gender identity than
the norm.

420
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,700
Honestly, I don't know how it's
affected my parents religion,

421
00:22:06,900 --> 00:22:12,100
now, and there are people in
their Ward, so speak.

422
00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:15,100
Mainly just because I've
completely left the Mormon

423
00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:19,300
Church overall because of the
hurt that I felt from it growing

424
00:22:19,300 --> 00:22:21,700
up and what they've done.
Now.

425
00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:25,800
I don't feel like there's really
been much of a change and I feel

426
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,100
like there's been so many people
that I know and that I love Love

427
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,600
that I've even grown up with and
garbage school that have ended

428
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,100
up taking their own lives
because they felt like they

429
00:22:35,100 --> 00:22:38,900
would never ever be loved or
supported within their families

430
00:22:38,900 --> 00:22:41,800
or the church.
And it just became too much of a

431
00:22:41,808 --> 00:22:45,500
pressure of them thinking, that,
that just was all I could ever

432
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,400
be in.
And it makes me so sad and

433
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:53,400
that's why I continue living my
life and being who I am in hopes

434
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,500
that it supports them in their
efforts of wanting to be who

435
00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:00,400
they wanted to be.
But couldn't be now, I know that

436
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,600
you're a supporter of Love loud
and having familiarity with love

437
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,400
loud, and the understanding that
it is really speaking up so that

438
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,500
we can open up the conversation
about being queer, being gay,

439
00:23:12,500 --> 00:23:15,800
particularly in the Mormon
Community, where Dan Reynolds is

440
00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,600
from, just recognizing that I
believe, probably, one of the

441
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,000
highest per capita suicide rates
among teens, in Salt, Lake City

442
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,800
in Utah, because of the strife
and struggle with the Mormon

443
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,700
religion and And their leaf that
it is evil or it is perverse and

444
00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:36,500
kids, just not being able to be
okay with their own, sexual

445
00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:41,200
identities is so true and just
going to the love lot of fun.

446
00:23:41,300 --> 00:23:44,200
It was my first time this year,
super honored to be a part of

447
00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,000
it, and I was also super
emotional seeing all those

448
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,600
beautiful young teenagers there
and that had their parents,

449
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,000
their their friends, their their
grandparents, their supporting

450
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,600
them and wanting to understand
and support them in that.

451
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,600
We was just so huge and so
memorizing to because I know

452
00:24:02,700 --> 00:24:05,900
growing up I probably would have
never had the opportunity with

453
00:24:05,900 --> 00:24:09,100
my parents.
It is really, really sad to know

454
00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:11,000
that here in Salt Lake City
Utah.

455
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,400
We have the highest rates of
suicide just within our

456
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,900
teenagers and I know that there
was a time in my life.

457
00:24:17,900 --> 00:24:21,200
When I was a teenager that I
almost took my own life because

458
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,300
of thinking that there was no
way of doing two and two and

459
00:24:25,300 --> 00:24:29,200
being where I wanted to be.
I had to be inside the Line or

460
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,400
outside the line.
And if I was outside of the

461
00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,800
line, I was completely crucified
and was in the outer Darkness.

462
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,900
So to speak.
And I wasn't going to have my

463
00:24:37,900 --> 00:24:39,500
family.
I wasn't going to have my church

464
00:24:39,500 --> 00:24:42,300
and it was all that I ever knew
at the time and it's very, very

465
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:45,600
hard at that age to understand
that there are so many other

466
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,000
people outside of that world
that are ready to support you.

467
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,800
Love you be there for you.
Listen to you and cheer you on

468
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,800
as you have your fails and your
Triumph against all throughout

469
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,400
life.
That's why I love that.

470
00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:03,200
I My platform on Tick-Tock,
we're able to show people that

471
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:04,700
yes, I have a disability.
Yes.

472
00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:06,700
I'm gay.
But none of that matters.

473
00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:09,100
At the end of the day.
I'm still human in, you're still

474
00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:13,900
human and I think in today's
society we bring social media

475
00:25:13,900 --> 00:25:16,200
into so many things.
Whether that's marketing,

476
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,200
whether that's Entertainment,
whereabouts, a getaway place for

477
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,200
some people but there's still so
much bullying that goes on.

478
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:29,700
It is also bringing suicide to
people and Seeing people down

479
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:31,700
and making them feel like they
can't be them.

480
00:25:31,700 --> 00:25:34,500
True selves.
I remember, when I first came

481
00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:36,400
out.
I posted it on my Twitter

482
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:38,800
account.
And 6 months later.

483
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,400
It went viral.
And it wasn't the fact that I

484
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,800
had come out as gay.
But it was the fact that I had

485
00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,400
no arms and no legs.
And people were making all these

486
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,800
memes and all these jokes.
And it was really the first time

487
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,300
that I was really getting key on
social media for just being

488
00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,100
myself.
And I Is on tour doing a

489
00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:04,200
speaking engagement thing in
schools and I just instantly

490
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,900
broke down in my hotel room.
And I remember calling my sister

491
00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:10,700
and my brother cuz I really
knowledgeable about Twitter.

492
00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:13,600
I was like, why am I going viral
on Twitter right now?

493
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:15,800
And so they looked at it and I
called my gosh.

494
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,400
This is so stupid.
You need not worry about it, but

495
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,400
it just kept getting reviewed
and likes and reviewed and like

496
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,200
1200 block over and over and
over again.

497
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,200
So I finally just turn my phone
off then, I turned it back on

498
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,800
and I was like, you know, I
don't want to sit in the This

499
00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,400
anymore.
I want to pick myself up and get

500
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,200
back up in the saddle.
And so I went onto YouTube and I

501
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,900
looked up motivating videos.
And first thing that popped up

502
00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:42,400
was Nick Wojcik, who has no arms
and no legs.

503
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:47,500
And he was talking about how in
life were put in this world as

504
00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:49,800
seeds.
And people are either going to

505
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,100
water us or pour oil on us
because I either want to watch

506
00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:55,400
his grow or they want to watch
us die.

507
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,000
And then it came into my mind as
everyday.

508
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,400
We wake up at the choice.
We wake up to choose to get

509
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,200
ready.
We wake up to choose to go her

510
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:05,600
down.
We wake up to put new clothes

511
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,600
on.
We wake up to choose what we

512
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,500
want to eat for breakfast.
We choose how people make us

513
00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:12,100
feel.
Nobody makes us feel a certain

514
00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:14,500
way.
We choose how they let us go.

515
00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:17,600
And so it became a bigger thing
to wear.

516
00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:21,300
I'm no longer going to let them
choose how I feel.

517
00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:25,600
I'm going to pick up for myself
and I want to spread that to

518
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,600
you.
Everybody on social media, but

519
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,300
nobody gets to choose how I
built.

520
00:27:29,300 --> 00:27:31,300
Nobody gets out.
Jeez, how you feel?

521
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,200
You get a takeaway at the end of
the day, how you feel, and you

522
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,400
own up to it.
I think that that is such

523
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:41,400
Priceless information.
It is so valuable because you

524
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,500
are exactly, right?
The people who are going to be

525
00:27:44,700 --> 00:27:47,400
spreading that kind of
negativity or that kind of

526
00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,200
meanness.
It's more about them and how

527
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,400
they feel about themselves.
It's a reflection on their own

528
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,500
values or their lack of value of
Cells.

529
00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,300
Then it is about you or anybody
that they might be being mean

530
00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:02,400
to.
You're exactly right as far as

531
00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,800
being complicit in being
offended, or being upset by what

532
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,400
other people might say or what
other people might do.

533
00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:12,900
I think that there's always this
Choice as you were saying about

534
00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:15,900
whether or not if something
happens, it can make you bitter

535
00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:17,900
or it can make you better.
It is a choice.

536
00:28:17,900 --> 00:28:20,100
It's a choice every day to wake
up and say, you know what today

537
00:28:20,100 --> 00:28:22,400
is going to be the best day of
my life today.

538
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,000
I choose to be better today.
There are going to be more Teas

539
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,100
for me to prove what I can do
over, what I can't do.

540
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,600
And I think that you are so
courageous and you have such an

541
00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:37,200
ability to be able to inspire so
many people because of those

542
00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,900
choices that you make every day.
And I think that there is a

543
00:28:39,900 --> 00:28:41,800
falsehood to say.
Yeah, you're going to be

544
00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,000
completely bulletproof every
day. 24/7 know you're human.

545
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,100
There are going to be better
days, and there's going to be

546
00:28:47,100 --> 00:28:51,000
days that really suck.
But but, you know, so long as

547
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,200
there's more days where you can
say, okay, I think today I'm

548
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:55,700
going to be able to get it
together.

549
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,700
The amazing things that I can do
and what my body can do over.

550
00:28:59,700 --> 00:29:02,200
What it can't do.
Yeah.

551
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,300
Yeah.
And speaking of can do.

552
00:29:04,300 --> 00:29:06,600
Oh my goodness.
You talked about dancing.

553
00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,200
I saw some videos of you
skateboarding.

554
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,200
I'm like what can't this dude?
Do here are just amazing.

555
00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,100
You were just amazing.
I think it's extraordinary about

556
00:29:15,100 --> 00:29:17,600
all the things that you've
challenged yourself and you've

557
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,100
risen up to say, okay, what
next, what next?

558
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:22,900
How was it that first of all,
you decided that you would like

559
00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:25,200
to dance in that you're going to
join a dance team.

560
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,700
Tell me about that.
That I was in the seventh grade

561
00:29:27,700 --> 00:29:31,500
when I first started dancing.
And it was because I was

562
00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:34,700
constantly getting looked at as
a kid in the wheelchair and

563
00:29:34,700 --> 00:29:36,300
nobody was asking me to hang
out.

564
00:29:36,300 --> 00:29:39,500
Nobody was wanting to really be
my friend really because they

565
00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:43,000
thought that it was a mental
disability as well because of

566
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,400
having no arms and legs and they
weren't really open to the idea

567
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,400
of getting to know me for me.
And when I was in elementary, it

568
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,800
was always, I'll be games ground
for the day because I know that

569
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,000
the news is coming up and we
Besties for that day.

570
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,200
And then the day after it's
like, no, I don't really want to

571
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,300
be your friend.
It's like, okay.

572
00:30:02,500 --> 00:30:06,700
And so it wasn't until I did the
talent show where people kind of

573
00:30:06,700 --> 00:30:10,000
opened up to the idea of, oh, he
can actually get out of his

574
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,800
wheelchair and he can actually
walk.

575
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,400
He can actually do other things
without it and maybe he doesn't

576
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,300
need it when we going out.
And so then I was able to make a

577
00:30:17,308 --> 00:30:21,000
really good group of friends
throughout Junior High, and then

578
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,500
I got into high school and I was
like, all right.

579
00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:25,500
Well, I'm sitting in a
wheelchair all day long.

580
00:30:25,900 --> 00:30:27,300
And this is too much.
I need to get out.

581
00:30:27,300 --> 00:30:30,100
Because when I'm at home, I'm
not in a wheelchair all day.

582
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,800
And so to be in a wheelchair for
that many hours is a lot on my

583
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:35,800
body.
And because when I was younger,

584
00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,500
my mom raised me to not be
attached to my body if I didn't

585
00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:41,300
need to be attached to it and
when I got into high school, I

586
00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:44,900
was taking a dance class for one
of my periods and there was a

587
00:30:44,900 --> 00:30:47,300
girl in my class that came up to
me and she's like, hey, there's

588
00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:50,500
going to be a dance company.
Troiano you should audition and

589
00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:52,800
I kind of just laughed at her
and I was like, I am not trying,

590
00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,100
not the audience come with you.
That's real cute.

591
00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,600
She's like no audition wish you
and I was like, no, I'm not

592
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:00,500
going to audition which is like,
no really.

593
00:31:00,500 --> 00:31:01,900
You sure?
It was like okay fine.

594
00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:06,100
I will Just for kicks and
giggles and so I got all ready

595
00:31:06,100 --> 00:31:09,200
for the audition and I lived
about two blocks from the high

596
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,400
school and I had gotten a
brand-new electric wheelchair

597
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,000
and it was almost dead because
of the school day.

598
00:31:16,300 --> 00:31:20,600
So I drove home and I plugged it
in and then I was running late

599
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,500
to the dance audition.
And so my phone needs to be

600
00:31:24,500 --> 00:31:27,100
almost like lanyard.
Thing because it was easier for

601
00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:30,200
me to use in school and stuff.
And so I just threw it over the

602
00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,900
wheelchair and it got caught in
the will and then the motor.

603
00:31:34,100 --> 00:31:36,100
But I didn't stop because I knew
that I was late.

604
00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:37,700
So I was like, I can forget
about my phone.

605
00:31:37,700 --> 00:31:38,700
It's fine.
It's fine.

606
00:31:39,100 --> 00:31:41,800
So you can hear my phone just
rattling the wheelchair as I'm

607
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,200
driving down the halls and then
I get there.

608
00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,700
And I came here in the first
group in the front of the line

609
00:31:47,100 --> 00:31:50,800
is like, when he had already
taught, all the choreography was

610
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,200
like, oh my gosh, you've got to
be kidding me.

611
00:31:54,700 --> 00:31:55,600
Answer I call right?
Yeah.

612
00:31:55,900 --> 00:32:01,500
Take your places, 5678 began and
I just sit there and I'm like, I

613
00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:05,200
don't know what I'm doing and I
look over there and like she's

614
00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:06,500
really good.
She's really good.

615
00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:08,700
And then I look in the mirror
and like they're definitely

616
00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:10,800
making it.
They're definitely make it.

617
00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:13,100
I should probably just walk out
right now.

618
00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:16,500
And so I got done with the
audition and it was a three-day

619
00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:18,900
audition.
And so I go home and I tell my

620
00:32:18,900 --> 00:32:21,300
mom, I'm like, I'm not going to
finish auditions.

621
00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:24,200
That was embarrassing.
And she's like, no.

622
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,400
You just barely started.
I'm not going to give up now and

623
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,500
I was like, no, like, I don't
think I even have a shot and

624
00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:31,900
she's, like, no, you're gonna go
back there tomorrow and you're

625
00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:34,500
going to give it your all.
I was like, okay, sounds good.

626
00:32:34,700 --> 00:32:37,500
So, the next day before
auditions, I'm at lunch.

627
00:32:37,500 --> 00:32:40,400
And I hear these two girls
talking behind me and they're

628
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,200
like, they're only going to put
him on the team because he's

629
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,600
handicapped.
And I was like, are you freaking

630
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,500
kidding me?
And I was like, I don't even

631
00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:48,900
want to be on the team and I
don't want to be some poster.

632
00:32:48,900 --> 00:32:52,300
Child that they need to put on
their dance to because it will

633
00:32:52,300 --> 00:32:54,900
make them look better and make
them all feel better about

634
00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:58,300
themselves.
I don't And so I went home again

635
00:32:58,500 --> 00:33:01,700
and I told my mom I was like I'm
not going to do it not if they

636
00:33:01,700 --> 00:33:03,100
want me to be some poster.
Child.

637
00:33:03,100 --> 00:33:05,600
That's not what I need.
It's not what I want and she's

638
00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,500
like no, that's not what you're
going to be.

639
00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:09,800
Let's go talk to the dance coach
and I was like, no.

640
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,200
That's so embarrassing.
She's like no, it's go.

641
00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,300
So we went and we talked to the
dance coach and I've already

642
00:33:14,300 --> 00:33:17,200
know the dance coach for half
the school year because taking a

643
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,100
dance class and she's like, no,
I'm not going to put you on the

644
00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:21,900
dance team because I feel sorry
for you.

645
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,500
If I put you on the dance team,
it's because you'll work hard to

646
00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:27,000
keep it.
I was like, okay.

647
00:33:27,300 --> 00:33:30,200
And so that the next day we had
auditions and I had stayed up

648
00:33:30,300 --> 00:33:32,700
all night practicing the
choreography.

649
00:33:32,700 --> 00:33:34,700
I'd called my cousin.
That was a dancer.

650
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,200
I talked to my neighbor that was
already on the dance team and I

651
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,200
just made sure that the dance is
good and that I had it all and I

652
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:46,800
went and I gave it my all and
then I went home and waited for

653
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,900
callbacks and everything and I
went back over to school and on

654
00:33:50,900 --> 00:33:54,300
the way over, I started to get
emotional because it was

655
00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:57,600
something that I worked so hard.
Or it was something that I did

656
00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,400
for myself.
I didn't have my mom sitting

657
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,800
there holding my hand.
She wasn't at every dance class

658
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,400
and stuff like that, or
something that I did for myself,

659
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:10,000
you know, something that I set
out for myself to go do and so I

660
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:13,100
go over to the school building
and all the kids are like

661
00:34:13,100 --> 00:34:15,300
smiling.
And they're like getting me all

662
00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:17,400
these looks and everything was
like, right?

663
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,500
And then I go over and my name
is at the very top list.

664
00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:24,800
Oh my gosh, I made it.
And I just remember, sobbing the

665
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,100
whole way home.
Oh, yeah, then we ended up

666
00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:31,000
moving halfway through that
dancer.

667
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,300
And and so I was so frustrated
because it was something that I

668
00:34:34,308 --> 00:34:38,000
really wanted and my friends
were like, no it's going to be

669
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,800
okay, you'll find another dance
studio thing to do where we

670
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,800
move.
I was like, yeah, but I work so

671
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,699
hard we part of this one.
She's like it's okay.

672
00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:50,699
And so we moved and I wasn't
taking dance or anything for

673
00:34:50,699 --> 00:34:54,000
another house, the school year.
And and then I went and did a

674
00:34:54,000 --> 00:35:00,400
speaking thing for This Youth
Camp and the kids were the

675
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,600
Rivalry high school that I went
to and I K.

676
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:05,300
Would you love to come?
Do a dance with us?

677
00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:08,500
And I was like, yeah, sure.
And then I did the dance with

678
00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:11,300
them and the coach came up to me
and she's like, would you like

679
00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,100
to be on the dance company team?
And I was like, well, yeah, I'd

680
00:35:14,100 --> 00:35:16,800
love to but I don't want to just
get it to me and like, I want to

681
00:35:17,100 --> 00:35:21,100
audition have Fair audition and
she's like really and I was

682
00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:23,100
like, yeah, I don't want it to
just be given to me.

683
00:35:23,100 --> 00:35:25,500
A lot of other kids tried out
for this team the year.

684
00:35:25,700 --> 00:35:27,900
Before me and everything and
they either got on or didn't get

685
00:35:27,900 --> 00:35:29,200
on.
I don't think it's fair and

686
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,200
she's like, okay.
And so she gave me an audition.

687
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,900
She brought in like the
principal of that school and

688
00:35:34,900 --> 00:35:38,900
another teacher, and the dance
company captain and stuff.

689
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,900
And so I did the audition, they
gave me pointers and everything.

690
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,500
And then I was on the team and I
choreographed about 70 ounces

691
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,200
and we took two of them to stay.
One of them.

692
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,600
We took second place, we would
have taken first place, but my

693
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:56,800
partner dropped me.
And the judges were like You

694
00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,800
really played off that drop, but
it looked like a drop set of.

695
00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:02,700
We're going to Marquee some
points down for that.

696
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:09,100
But dancing is always been a
huge part of my life because

697
00:36:09,100 --> 00:36:12,600
it's been something that I've
been able to express myself and

698
00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,800
it's been something that's a
huge shock to people because

699
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:20,600
they don't expect someone like
me to be a dancer or to be

700
00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,200
somewhat good at it and be able
to stay on be and be able to

701
00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:25,500
stay in line with all the other
day.

702
00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:26,900
Answers and everything like
that.

703
00:36:26,900 --> 00:36:28,700
And that's what I really like
about it.

704
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,800
That is mazing.
Well, congrats on that.

705
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,800
Those are fun.
Fun memories.

706
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:35,200
Now.
It must be.

707
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:39,100
It's almost like one of those
balancing acts where you don't

708
00:36:39,100 --> 00:36:42,200
want people to feel sorry for.
You don't want to get these

709
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:46,400
immense or these special
conditions because of the fact

710
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:47,700
that you don't have arms and
legs.

711
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:52,100
But yet there are certain things
where accessibility does matter

712
00:36:52,100 --> 00:36:55,600
and you want to make sure that
people who have any kind of

713
00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:59,500
Physical or mental disability
have a seat at the table to a

714
00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:02,200
certain respect.
Is there a specific line that

715
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,800
you can identify where you're
like, people are either being

716
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,900
unfair or Society is being
unfair versus?

717
00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:09,300
Well.
I don't want them to just give

718
00:37:09,300 --> 00:37:11,500
me handouts because of my
condition.

719
00:37:11,900 --> 00:37:15,500
It's always such a tough line,
to really comment on.

720
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,200
Because I am a person with a
disability.

721
00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:21,200
I've grown up with other people
with different types of

722
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,500
disabilities as well and my
senior year of high school.

723
00:37:25,900 --> 00:37:29,500
I was actually a peer tutor for
disabled students.

724
00:37:29,700 --> 00:37:32,800
At first, when I was in that
class the teacher thought that I

725
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,500
needed to be in that classroom
because of my physical

726
00:37:35,500 --> 00:37:37,800
disability.
And I was like, no, I'm here

727
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:39,400
mentally, you know, everything,
like I'm good.

728
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,700
And she's like, oh, okay, and
she's like, well then how about

729
00:37:42,700 --> 00:37:45,800
you just be a peer tutor and
take the kids to the classes and

730
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:49,000
take notes for them and make
sure that they're on their best

731
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,700
behavior and everything and it
actually really opened my eyes

732
00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:55,500
to see other people with
different types of disabilities.

733
00:37:55,700 --> 00:38:00,600
Reason how they were treated by
other peers and teachers and

734
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:02,700
stuff like that or how they
looked at themselves.

735
00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:06,300
But I grew up I grew up with a
5048 because I did need certain

736
00:38:06,300 --> 00:38:08,700
help in the classroom.
Other without was dropping my

737
00:38:08,700 --> 00:38:11,200
pencil or getting things in and
out of my backpack.

738
00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:14,400
And not wanting have to bug
other peers, in the classroom.

739
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,500
We get it out for me and then
them not have their stuff out

740
00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:18,800
time.
I always had apply before Aid.

741
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,200
That would push me and not.
Let me get away with half-assing

742
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,500
things and making sure that I
did it to the top notch.

743
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,500
And even Beyond Top Notch
because they knew that it was

744
00:38:28,500 --> 00:38:30,200
within me.
And my parents knew that it was

745
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,400
within you and they never let me
suck off.

746
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,700
And so, when I would see other
people with disabilities, when I

747
00:38:35,707 --> 00:38:38,600
was a teacher doing that, it
just bugged me because I was

748
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,400
like, no, you're fully capable
of doing this.

749
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,700
Maybe other people that you get
off doing it because they don't

750
00:38:44,700 --> 00:38:47,600
understand, they don't want to
understand, but you're more than

751
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:51,300
capable of doing some things on
your own and I don't think that

752
00:38:51,300 --> 00:38:55,500
you need to be given a lower
attention, so to speak.

753
00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:59,200
There was one moment where I was
being are pure, teacher, one

754
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,500
time, the student that I was
working with had autism.

755
00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:05,300
He was very, very smart.
He was doing his math and I had

756
00:39:05,300 --> 00:39:08,000
been with it for almost the
entire school year.

757
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,500
So I knew all of his tics that
would make a mad things that

758
00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:13,800
would make him happy.
What would get on his nerves

759
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:16,700
like, how to start the day off
with it, what to say, what not

760
00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:18,500
to say, what to do, and what not
to do.

761
00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,200
And you are not very quickly out
of respect for them because you

762
00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,200
don't want to set them off and
it's very easy to set them off.

763
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,200
When You do set them off, it can
sometimes be very scary.

764
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,800
And remember when I first
started be a teacher.

765
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,600
My mom was like, I don't know if
that's a good idea for you to be

766
00:39:33,700 --> 00:39:37,200
doing because what if they get
like very temperamental and they

767
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,500
go to hit you or they throw you
out your chair or something and

768
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:41,800
it's like, no, that's not going
to happen.

769
00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:43,300
Like it's fine.
I'm not scared.

770
00:39:43,300 --> 00:39:47,300
I'm not worried that one time.
There was a new teacher.

771
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,800
The head teacher was out on
teacher leave.

772
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:52,400
This substitute teacher was
getting mad because I was just

773
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,300
sitting there, and I was letting
him do his math work.

774
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,900
I wasn't hoping because I knew
that he knew how to do it.

775
00:39:58,300 --> 00:40:03,000
And so I wasn't going to and
she's like, what are you doing?

776
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,200
And I was like, I'm letting him
do his work and she's like, no,

777
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,000
you need to be helping him and I
was like, me sitting here.

778
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,800
Quietly is helping him.
And she's like, no, your job

779
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:16,400
here, as if your teacher student
is to be in here, helping not

780
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,400
just sitting and I was like, you
don't understand because you're

781
00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,500
not in this classroom every
single day and you don't see

782
00:40:22,500 --> 00:40:24,100
these students every day.
Nor.

783
00:40:24,100 --> 00:40:28,500
Do you know the 30 of some of
these people's disabilities and

784
00:40:28,500 --> 00:40:30,300
what really took them off and
what does it?

785
00:40:30,300 --> 00:40:32,700
So, I'm not even going to have
this conversation with you

786
00:40:32,700 --> 00:40:36,600
because you don't understand and
she just was super mad and she

787
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,600
wrote me up and everything.
And then the next day, the head

788
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:41,800
teacher was there.
And she's like, so what is this

789
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:44,300
note about?
And I was like, you don't even

790
00:40:44,300 --> 00:40:47,400
want to know and she's like well
tell me it's like I told her and

791
00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:48,900
she's like, probably all know
that's ridiculous.

792
00:40:49,100 --> 00:40:53,600
And that teacher ended up trying
to always get onto this one

793
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:58,900
students nerves, because she
just thought it And so all of us

794
00:40:58,900 --> 00:41:02,300
other students caught on to it.
And we started to write down the

795
00:41:02,300 --> 00:41:05,100
things that she would say or do
to get on his nerves.

796
00:41:05,100 --> 00:41:07,400
Because she knew that it would
and she didn't care.

797
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,900
And she thought that she just
ran the classroom, and she ran

798
00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:12,000
the student.
Everything runs.

799
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,800
Like that's not okay.
So we ended up getting her fired

800
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,200
halfway through the school year
because I was like, that's not

801
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,800
okay.
I'm not going to put up with

802
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:21,100
that.
And then there was another time,

803
00:41:21,100 --> 00:41:24,000
because I was over five
different students, because my

804
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,900
senior year, I had.
The opportunity of either

805
00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:31,100
graduating early or becoming a
teacher and so, I had five

806
00:41:31,100 --> 00:41:34,500
different students.
And one day I was in class with

807
00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:36,200
one of them in their US history
class.

808
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:41,100
And she also had autism.
The kids around heard.

809
00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:45,400
We're taking videos of her on
Snapchat and laughing at her and

810
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,700
making fun of her and I turned
around.

811
00:41:47,700 --> 00:41:51,000
And I said, how would you like
it if I filmed you and I put it

812
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:54,700
on my social media, for a bunch
of people to laugh at and they

813
00:41:54,700 --> 00:41:57,700
instantly just froze in their
tracks and was like, it's not

814
00:41:57,700 --> 00:41:59,800
funny.
You're not better than her.

815
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,000
You're not cooler than her.
Knock it off.

816
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,100
It's not funny throughout the
entire rest of the school year.

817
00:42:05,100 --> 00:42:06,500
They were always friendly to
her.

818
00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,200
Always nice to her and never
pulled her far out again.

819
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:13,000
Proper those common sense of
respect.

820
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,300
In the same thing.
Goes on social media, people do

821
00:42:16,300 --> 00:42:18,600
anything to get a job and get a
like.

822
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:20,700
Now.
I see that all the time in my

823
00:42:20,700 --> 00:42:25,400
comments and my favorite things
to delete the most ridiculous

824
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:29,000
root cruel comment that has over
thousands of likes.

825
00:42:29,300 --> 00:42:31,200
And then I just leave it because
I'm like, I'll give you your

826
00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,600
moment because apparently you
need it, but it's not going to

827
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,800
last for very long.
And I get that a lot of People

828
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,600
that put those kind of comments
in those kind of options out

829
00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:43,300
there are hurting themselves and
it just makes me feel really bad

830
00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:47,100
that they don't have any other
Outlet to let that out and it

831
00:42:47,100 --> 00:42:50,700
has to resort to bring other
people down to their level.

832
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:52,900
Yeah.
Yeah.

833
00:42:52,908 --> 00:42:57,400
Well, you've definitely learned
by living and are able to really

834
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:00,300
be an advocate for so many
others that are in the same boat

835
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:04,100
or coming up in your wake and
finding ways to get by as well.

836
00:43:04,100 --> 00:43:07,400
I really appreciate that.
And speaking of That I know that

837
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,900
you said at one point you were a
motivational speaker, but you

838
00:43:09,900 --> 00:43:12,600
never really either liked it or
enjoyed it.

839
00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:15,500
You said that you felt like it
was more of an obligation.

840
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:17,300
Do you think that being an
influencer?

841
00:43:17,300 --> 00:43:20,000
It's a bit better that you get
to express yourself through your

842
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:22,400
passion and also be a voice for
others.

843
00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:26,700
A lot of the really good one.
I still get asked to be a

844
00:43:26,700 --> 00:43:29,600
motivational speaker a lot of
times and I just turned it down

845
00:43:29,900 --> 00:43:32,900
because it's still something
that I just don't enjoy doing

846
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,800
and even just being on social
media.

847
00:43:36,100 --> 00:43:39,900
I don't even Even like doing the
voice overs or like, talking in

848
00:43:39,900 --> 00:43:42,000
my videos.
That's why all the videos always

849
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:45,200
have some sort of soundtrack
over it and every once in a

850
00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,500
while my management team will
have me, do some sort of Wars

851
00:43:48,500 --> 00:43:52,300
over and I'm dragging and
dragging dragging to have to do

852
00:43:52,300 --> 00:43:56,800
it because I just for me, I feel
like I already put so much out

853
00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:01,400
there on social media and she be
put in another vulnerable

854
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,600
situation where I'm going to get
made fun of.

855
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,500
Because I know I have a speech
impediment and because I say,

856
00:44:06,700 --> 00:44:09,600
It's funny or I talked a little
bit too fast.

857
00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:13,100
And I Stumble over my words and
stuff like that or I sometimes I

858
00:44:13,100 --> 00:44:16,600
say the wrong words, when I'm
trying to say something else.

859
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:19,300
I know that I'm going to get
called out or made fun of.

860
00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:21,800
And so I try and keep that to
the bare minimum and that's why

861
00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:26,000
I don't really use my actual
voice and I try and just use the

862
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,400
text boxes and stuff like that.
Hope that the message gets

863
00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:33,200
across in that way or maybe
could have fooled me because

864
00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,300
here, I am thinking about how
articulate you are and I could

865
00:44:36,300 --> 00:44:39,900
not not detect a single bit of
the speech impediment could have

866
00:44:39,900 --> 00:44:42,200
fooled me.
Well, gosh, if there are about

867
00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,700
2.6 million people, that follow
you, on Tic Tac because they

868
00:44:45,700 --> 00:44:48,100
love seeing you succeed for the
most part.

869
00:44:48,100 --> 00:44:50,000
And so, how does it make you
feel that you've been able to

870
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,800
touch that many people?
That's like, whoa.

871
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:55,200
When was it that you realize
that you were inspiring other

872
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:58,400
people?
Honestly, it was just around

873
00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:01,900
this time of year ago after I
got married to my husband.

874
00:45:01,900 --> 00:45:06,700
I posted a clip of our wedding
video and to this day has I

875
00:45:06,707 --> 00:45:11,700
think 87 million views and we
were on our honeymoon to New

876
00:45:11,700 --> 00:45:16,100
York and everywhere.
We went, we were constantly

877
00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:17,900
getting stopped and same K.
You're that guy.

878
00:45:17,900 --> 00:45:20,600
From Tick-Tock your makeup on
Tick-Tock.

879
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:22,800
A, I just saw your wedding video
for my gosh.

880
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:26,600
You're so amazing block because
like, we watch this crazy and

881
00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:29,900
then I had a million followers
and then I hit a million point

882
00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:33,100
five and then I had a billion
points edit and then I had to

883
00:45:33,100 --> 00:45:36,100
point million and then I have a
2.5.

884
00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:40,500
Not At 2.7 and it just continues
to grow and it's always just a

885
00:45:40,508 --> 00:45:43,800
huge thing to get over that.
You know, there are millions of

886
00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:47,100
people that are watching and
it's also a very humbling moment

887
00:45:47,100 --> 00:45:50,500
to know that it is helping
millions of people in that a lot

888
00:45:50,500 --> 00:45:54,100
of people watch my videos, just
to start their day out, to get

889
00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:56,400
themselves out of that.
Want to get themselves through a

890
00:45:56,408 --> 00:46:02,600
hard time or to kind of smell,
be totally top goodness.

891
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:13,600
But it's just so crazy that
people love and respect my

892
00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:16,800
content that they want to follow
for the journey and that even

893
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:19,200
their kids are interested or
that their grandmas are

894
00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:22,900
interested and that it's just
out there for the world to see

895
00:46:22,900 --> 00:46:25,200
and that is hoping just means
the world to me.

896
00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:29,400
Yeah, you did speak a whole lot
about the bullying that you've

897
00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:31,600
endured in the past.
So how does it feel?

898
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,200
Now that you've set your mind to
things you've accomplished so

899
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:37,200
much?
We haven't even Yet talked about

900
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:39,700
your snack of a husband will get
to that in a moment.

901
00:46:39,700 --> 00:46:43,700
What would you say to those that
are in a place where they still

902
00:46:43,700 --> 00:46:46,400
feel like, they're getting
bullied and letting things get

903
00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:47,600
to them.
What kind of advice?

904
00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:50,600
Would you give to those people?
Like I said, social media has

905
00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:53,700
made it their game for anybody
to say whatever they want.

906
00:46:53,700 --> 00:46:58,900
However, they want whenever they
want, and I'm 23 years old and

907
00:46:58,900 --> 00:47:02,600
I'm still getting bullied online
in stores.

908
00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:03,900
Whatever.
It may be.

909
00:47:04,300 --> 00:47:06,500
I'm human, it gets to me all the
time.

910
00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:11,400
And there are some days where
I'm bawling in my bed at night

911
00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:13,600
because I just don't want to
even post anymore.

912
00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:18,100
But I've made it my job and I
just go back in the next day and

913
00:47:18,100 --> 00:47:20,700
put a smile on my face and just
keep going.

914
00:47:20,700 --> 00:47:26,200
And sometimes I don't want to
because it's hard and sometimes

915
00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:29,500
the things that people say Mike
how could they even get to that

916
00:47:29,500 --> 00:47:31,100
point?
But they would even have my

917
00:47:31,100 --> 00:47:34,800
whole thing is, nobody truly
knows a person until they lived

918
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,200
a day in their life.
Nobody is ever going to live a

919
00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:41,000
day in my life without arms
legs, the way that I do.

920
00:47:41,300 --> 00:47:45,000
So people can say what they want
to say, but they're never going

921
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:46,600
to know me.
And I never going to know what

922
00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:50,200
it's truly like to be and until
they do.

923
00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:52,900
I can't blame him and I can't
fault them for them.

924
00:47:52,900 --> 00:47:54,400
When you to say what they want
to say.

925
00:47:54,700 --> 00:47:58,100
It's their life and it's my life
and I'm not going to continue to

926
00:47:58,100 --> 00:47:59,900
let it bother me as much as I
used to.

927
00:48:00,500 --> 00:48:02,800
Yeah, let success be your best
revenge.

928
00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:05,200
I suppose.
All right, now on to the snack

929
00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:08,600
of a husband because you're Up
to a year anniversary.

930
00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:11,300
Is that right?
So tell us anything that you

931
00:48:11,300 --> 00:48:14,800
want to about how wonderful he
is Autumn and I met on Tinder.

932
00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:18,200
He likes to say that he got the
first messaging but it was

933
00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,500
definitely me that got the first
message in and I have the

934
00:48:20,500 --> 00:48:25,000
receipts and leading up.
My dating experience was never

935
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:27,100
the best.
It was always guys that were

936
00:48:27,100 --> 00:48:31,000
just trying to say that.
They either dated me or try and

937
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:33,100
get in my pants and take
advantage of me.

938
00:48:33,500 --> 00:48:36,100
And so, I kind of was getting
really fed up with the whole

939
00:48:36,100 --> 00:48:38,600
dating.
See because I didn't want just a

940
00:48:38,607 --> 00:48:40,100
hookup.
I didn't want to be taken

941
00:48:40,100 --> 00:48:42,900
advantage of, I didn't want just
a one-night stand.

942
00:48:42,900 --> 00:48:46,200
I wanted a mutual connection.
I wanted somebody that I could

943
00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:49,800
fall in love with and that would
see me for me and just love me

944
00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:52,100
for me.
Pleading out to meeting my

945
00:48:52,100 --> 00:48:55,300
husband.
I had got on a few days trying

946
00:48:55,300 --> 00:48:58,700
to like, test out the waters
again, see what I really wanted.

947
00:48:58,700 --> 00:49:03,200
And I had written down in my
notes, what I saw for myself in

948
00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:06,500
a future spouse, and what I
wanted for myself.

949
00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:10,300
Sell five years from now and how
I was going to attend that and

950
00:49:10,300 --> 00:49:15,200
what I was going to do on my end
to get there and I needed to

951
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:19,300
First be open to the idea of
just letting things flow

952
00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:23,200
naturally and not push for it
and not give up too easily as

953
00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:26,100
well.
And so, when I swiped on my

954
00:49:26,100 --> 00:49:29,400
husband, I just instantly knew
that there was some kind of

955
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:33,800
connection and that he was going
to be Sunday person in my life

956
00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:36,700
and I had no idea that it was
actually going to be my My

957
00:49:36,700 --> 00:49:39,800
future husband.
We had our first date a few days

958
00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:44,100
after talking and texting and he
took me to a coffee shop and for

959
00:49:44,100 --> 00:49:46,900
me to go on a date.
I have to be completely

960
00:49:46,900 --> 00:49:50,300
vulnerable because I need help.
Getting into people's cars.

961
00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:53,100
I need them to buckle me.
I need them to be okay to push a

962
00:49:53,100 --> 00:49:55,500
wheelchair.
I need them to be okay, to be

963
00:49:55,500 --> 00:49:58,300
seeing with the person with the
disability and to really take

964
00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:00,600
that on.
And so when it came to Adam, he

965
00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:04,000
took me on this date where we
went to this coffee shop.

966
00:50:04,100 --> 00:50:06,000
It was not just an ordinary
coffee shop.

967
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,000
It was called.
Shop where you play games?

968
00:50:08,700 --> 00:50:11,000
And I was like, oh this is going
to be interesting.

969
00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:15,000
And so I was getting all nervous
we walk in and he's like, hey,

970
00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:18,000
do you have a cup for him to put
the Dyson?

971
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,500
Do you have this for him to put
his cards?

972
00:50:20,500 --> 00:50:23,600
And so he was already thinking
of everything to make it feel

973
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:27,000
natural as possible, which made
me feel really good.

974
00:50:27,300 --> 00:50:32,000
And then my sister at the time
was serving in LDS mission, it

975
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:34,200
was the time where she calls
once a week.

976
00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:38,600
And so I ended up answering Me
and my mom and my aunt were both

977
00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:41,800
on the phone too.
And so I was like, oh, this is

978
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:47,100
awesome.
Adam just instantly connected

979
00:50:47,100 --> 00:50:50,700
with my mom and my sister and
which was a very big deal to me

980
00:50:51,100 --> 00:50:53,400
and then he started to drive me
home.

981
00:50:53,700 --> 00:50:55,800
It was like well, it was really
nice seeing you and hang out

982
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,500
with you and he's like, oh,
we're not gonna hang out.

983
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:01,500
So I was like, oh, we're not and
he's like, no, I still wanna

984
00:51:01,500 --> 00:51:03,900
hang out with you and I was
like, oh, okay.

985
00:51:04,300 --> 00:51:06,300
And so that at the time I was
living out my brother, my

986
00:51:06,300 --> 00:51:07,800
sister.
Someone's house and I was

987
00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:12,400
babysitting my kids part-time
and my sister-in-law was like,

988
00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:14,000
are you going to ask him to stay
for dinner?

989
00:51:14,300 --> 00:51:17,900
I was like, I'm not gonna ask
him to stay for dinner and she's

990
00:51:17,900 --> 00:51:21,700
like, okay, then I will, I was
like, oh boy, okay, and so that

991
00:51:21,700 --> 00:51:24,400
my nieces and nephew were like
jumping on top of him and

992
00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:27,400
everything, but he was jumping
right in which was also really

993
00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:30,600
big deal for me, was for
somebody to connect with my

994
00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:34,800
nieces and nephew and then he
ends up staying until two in the

995
00:51:34,808 --> 00:51:37,000
morning.
And then we had to Work the next

996
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:40,200
day, which was really sweet of
him and then he came back the

997
00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:43,400
other day after he had to work.
And ever since that day we were

998
00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:47,200
inseparable but then we got to a
point I think like two weeks

999
00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:50,000
after dating and I was like,
Aria, I need a break.

1000
00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,100
It's not you it's me.
Like we've been dating for a

1001
00:51:53,100 --> 00:51:55,000
minute.
I need my space.

1002
00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,100
I hope you need your space and
was like, what did I do?

1003
00:51:57,100 --> 00:51:59,300
Something wrong?
I was like, no.

1004
00:51:59,300 --> 00:52:02,900
I just I'm not used to this kind
of attention and he's like,

1005
00:52:02,900 --> 00:52:06,000
okay.
So I go back home and my

1006
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:07,900
sister-in-law is like, are you
stupid?

1007
00:52:07,900 --> 00:52:10,400
You finally have a guy that's
interested in you and you're

1008
00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:13,400
going to turn them away and was
like, it's just for a few days

1009
00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:15,900
and she's like, no, I'm calling
him and tell him to come to

1010
00:52:15,900 --> 00:52:20,800
dinner and it's like, okay, you
do that if he was there for

1011
00:52:20,800 --> 00:52:25,000
dinner and then he tried to ask
me to be his boyfriend.

1012
00:52:25,300 --> 00:52:28,400
A few months later and I told
him no.

1013
00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:32,100
And he's like, no.
And I was like, yeah, no.

1014
00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:36,300
And then I go home and I told my
sister mom and my mom, and once

1015
00:52:36,300 --> 00:52:40,200
again, I call you stupid.
You have a guy that's 500 to be

1016
00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,300
your boyfriend.
Like he's your boyfriend.

1017
00:52:43,300 --> 00:52:45,400
Do you bring him to everything?
He's your boyfriend?

1018
00:52:46,200 --> 00:53:06,400
He's not my boyfriend.
The future is like a see you're

1019
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:13,800
catching on and then he proposed
to me in October, 20, 20, and

1020
00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:18,600
then we got married last year in
June, and we are now coming up

1021
00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:22,000
on our first anniversary.
Oh my gosh, that is so

1022
00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:25,900
beautiful.
So he actually destruction of

1023
00:53:25,900 --> 00:53:29,400
makeup vanity, so that it would
fit your needs better, right?

1024
00:53:29,500 --> 00:53:32,600
He did.
When we first started dating, he

1025
00:53:32,600 --> 00:53:36,900
lived in this grungy.
A nasty apartment total, nasty

1026
00:53:36,900 --> 00:53:39,700
Bachelor had and everything.
I was like, this is so gross.

1027
00:53:39,700 --> 00:53:43,400
We need to get you a home.
And so I was already looking for

1028
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:45,300
a conference because I was
eventually going to move out of

1029
00:53:45,308 --> 00:53:47,000
my brother and my sister in
law's house.

1030
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:50,300
I had found an apartment that I
liked but then it wasn't

1031
00:53:50,300 --> 00:53:52,900
something that was going to line
up with him a few months into

1032
00:53:52,900 --> 00:53:54,600
dating.
I had told him that I was

1033
00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:57,900
looking for apartments and he
gave me like his puppy-dog eyes

1034
00:53:57,900 --> 00:54:01,400
and he's like, well, if you ever
want to be like roommates or

1035
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:07,500
anything totally like move.
Together and as I write, okay,

1036
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:10,600
and so then I started looking
for apartments for the two of

1037
00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:13,000
us.
And I found one that was in Salt

1038
00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:15,800
Lake City.
I pretty much changed his entire

1039
00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:18,100
world because I had him get a
new apartment.

1040
00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:23,700
I had him, get a new job and
then we moved in together and I

1041
00:54:23,900 --> 00:54:26,600
was doing Tick-Tock here and
there and I hadn't really picked

1042
00:54:26,600 --> 00:54:30,100
up or anything, but I really
like doing makeup on there.

1043
00:54:30,500 --> 00:54:33,700
And I was doing my makeup in the
bathroom.

1044
00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,200
Umm, on the shower bench and the
lighting was awful.

1045
00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:40,200
And so then I switched to you a
shelf that I had in the

1046
00:54:40,200 --> 00:54:43,000
bathroom, which was also awful
lighting.

1047
00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:46,300
And so finally he's like, I'm
going to get you something as

1048
00:54:46,300 --> 00:54:49,300
like, okay, so then my birthday
was right around the corner he

1049
00:54:49,300 --> 00:54:52,600
surprised me with the vanity and
I really light and a new makeup

1050
00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:56,300
palette and a mirror and all
this stuff and he's like, I just

1051
00:54:56,300 --> 00:54:59,300
really want you to be able to
dive into it because when we

1052
00:54:59,300 --> 00:55:02,800
first started dating, he wasn't
actually a big fan of me wearing

1053
00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:05,000
makeup.
And there was one time we went

1054
00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:09,300
on a date and my makeup was
pretty bold and he's like, are

1055
00:55:09,300 --> 00:55:10,900
you really gonna go out like
that?

1056
00:55:11,300 --> 00:55:12,600
And I was like, what do you
mean?

1057
00:55:13,300 --> 00:55:16,300
And he's like, that's kind of a
lot and I was like if you have a

1058
00:55:16,308 --> 00:55:18,700
problem with this and you have a
problem with you need to go to

1059
00:55:18,707 --> 00:55:21,600
prom with me, then we're not
meant to be in, because this is

1060
00:55:21,600 --> 00:55:26,200
me and he's like, oh, okay.
I just never saw myself as

1061
00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:28,300
dating somebody.
That's a guy that wears makeup

1062
00:55:28,300 --> 00:55:30,200
and I was like, well, I'm not
your average guy.

1063
00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:33,700
So either take it orally that
and he's like, oh, okay.

1064
00:55:33,800 --> 00:55:36,300
Okay, and it took him a second
to come around and he's like,

1065
00:55:36,300 --> 00:55:39,500
oh, I actually do like it.
And now there's times where all

1066
00:55:39,500 --> 00:55:43,000
Glam up for tick, tock videos.
But by the time he gets home,

1067
00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:45,500
it's already all on.
What did you take it?

1068
00:55:45,500 --> 00:55:46,800
All off.
I wanted to see it.

1069
00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:51,300
I'm like, oh sorry.
Yeah, you've got some really

1070
00:55:51,300 --> 00:55:54,100
great looks.
You're able to do a lot of those

1071
00:55:54,100 --> 00:55:56,800
Renditions really well, and I
love your wigs.

1072
00:55:56,800 --> 00:56:02,100
You've got a nice selection of
wigs, addictive, isn't it?

1073
00:56:04,000 --> 00:56:05,900
You cannot stop.
I tell you.

1074
00:56:06,300 --> 00:56:09,300
What does a normal day look like
in the life of Gabe when you're

1075
00:56:09,300 --> 00:56:11,900
not posting, when you're not on
social media.

1076
00:56:12,600 --> 00:56:15,400
Usually spending time with
either my dog that's in the

1077
00:56:15,400 --> 00:56:18,100
background.
I just got her a month and a

1078
00:56:18,100 --> 00:56:22,500
half a gallon or I'm with my
husband or with my family and

1079
00:56:22,500 --> 00:56:25,100
yeah, gave.
It was such a pleasure to speak

1080
00:56:25,100 --> 00:56:27,200
with you.
Thank you so much for coming on

1081
00:56:27,200 --> 00:56:29,700
today.
Wishing you all the best.

1082
00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:31,900
Thank you so much for having
this is great.