DiversiD Diaries Issue 4
DiversiD Diaries - Issue 4
Siobhan Cousins
Love Yourself!
I’ll admit, when I was first given mobility aids in 2024 it was like BOOM, there’s no way I’m ever going to feel attractive ever again, not to me or my husband, the sexy spark of light that I had for so long had gone.
Maybe it was the fact I walk like bambi taking his first steps, maybe it was the stares from passing strangers wondering what’s wrong with me, but my confidence and self esteem really took a hit for a while.
Don’t be fooled by the smiley happy girl posing with her new walking sticks, I mean they are pretty cool, Neo Walk do the best walking sticks! But behind that smile was a very fragile girl.
Coming from a dance/gymnastics/cheer and swimming background I was used to wearing skimpy leotards and outfits ect, tumbling round a gym without a care in the world, and then doing glamour and pin up modelling later in life, you need to be confident with your body.
It was a very strange switch up to not even wanting to leave the house!
This was when I took to the internet and found inspiration in other disabled models, they modelled so beautifully with their wheelchairs and sticks, some had prosthetic limbs, some were dancers, and I was blown away by their art.
And then it hit me, just like I did with everything else, I need to practice!
I need to practice posing with my sticks, find out what poses work and don’t, find the right angles in my wheelchair, experiment with different clothing to see what looks best in my chair, basically start from scratch.
And in doing so I found that sexy spark of light again.
That little voice inside my head telling me I can’t feel sexy anymore now that I’m disabled was getting quieter and quieter, and pretty soon I was back shopping at Victoria’s Secret and Boux Avenue yet again!
So my advice to anyone out there…especially as Valentine’s Day is coming up, find your inspiration, take it and roll with it (no pun intended wheelchair peeps) and remember to love yourself first, only then can you share that love with others.
Meet Siobhan Cousins, The Unbalanced Music Bunny: wife, mama, musician, and model navigating life with autoimmune challenges, AuDHD, and Dyslexia. Through her blog, she shares honest stories of hope and resilience, offering comfort to those living with invisible illnesses. Follow her journey of dreams, struggles, and everything in between.
