One of the women soon to be inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame has been breaking through barriers her entire life.
"I can do anything if I set my mind to it, which is a wonderful naiveté,” said Aimee Mullins. “Most people have it beaten out of them, just because of life."
Mullins, a motivational speaker, actor, and model, said she turned what some call a disability into a superpower.
She was born without shin bones, but Mullins won't allow herself to view this as an impediment to her goals. She conceived of and used special prostheses modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah to compete in national and international athletic competitions. Her prosthetic legs can do things that flesh and bones legs can’t.
"Definitely I was always headstrong; I was always very stubborn and very determined, and always had a very health sense of naiveté of complete possibility and that's the quality I struggle to hold onto now."
Lately, Mullins is determined to conquer Hollywood. She just had a role in Bravo's "Odd Mom Out" and will be producing her first feature film next spring. "It's an exciting time," she said. "I don't have to convince someone who's thirty that I have to play a character who has prosthetic legs, but I generally do have to convince someone who is in their sixties or older."
Mullins and nine other women will be inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls September 16.
Aimee is giving high school-aged girls from Upstate New York a chance to join her at the ceremony.
She is asking them to submit a 1,000 word essay on how they have faced adversity in their own lives. The winner will get two tickets to join Aimee at her private table at the luncheon and ceremony. Entries are due by 8 p.m. ET on Monday, September 11.
You can get more information by emailing adversity@newleafspeakers.com
Click on the LISTEN link above to hear an interview with Aimee Mullins.
