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Amputee model in S'pore wishes to spread positivity despite challenges: “Beauty is unique”

Rosalina Oktavia.
Rosalina Oktavia. (PHOTO: @thepinuprebels)

SINGAPORE – It takes a lot of effort and self-discipline to be a model, and we could only imagine how much more demanding it is to be an amputee model. A bad surgery caused Singapore-based Indonesian amputee model Rosalina Oktavia to lose a limb, but it did not deter her from her dreams.

Shortlisted as one of the Top 100 contestants for TheFaceShop’s #EcoBeautySquad contest, Oktavia speaks to Yahoo Lifestyle SEA on challenges faced as an amputee model, positivity in life, and what she hopes to achieve through the competition.

“In 2015, there were complications during a surgery I had back in Indonesia to correct a torn tendon which resulted after a motorbike accident.”

Being a part-time model prior to the operation, the then-24-year-old thought she could never become a model again when what seemed to be a correction surgery badly went wrong on the operating table. Complications had cropped up during operation due to medical negligence, and the severity of the damage led the surgeon to amputate Oktavia’s leg to save her life.

Despite the traumatic experience, Oktavia did not want her parents to worry about her condition and decide to regain control of her life again. Overcoming the adversity that would set most people back, she began to utilise her social media platforms to enact positive change around stereotypical ideals of beauty and went on to forge her path as an amputee model.

“I want to show them that even though I might only have one leg, I can still succeed in the things that I set out to pursue,” she shared. Indeed, the amputee model, now boasting 13.3 thousand followers on Instagram, started working with brands and bringing positivity into the photos she shares and the work she does.

“Although there are times when it is really difficult, I believe in myself that I can succeed. I believe that everything happens for a reason and what matters is that I should always stay positive,” she added.

Admitting that being an amputee model is challenging, Oktavia also let on that she will always need to present a confident front and have faith in who she is. She hopes to relay a different message from what the traditional models give when people look at her work.

“I wish to send a message to people out there that beauty is not about how you look, but in fact, it is about your soul and having that positive energy,” she quipped.

TheFaceShop’s #EcoBeautySquad became the right platform for Oktavia to further her message. The contest calls for applicants to best express what it means to be beautiful, inside and out, and encourages everyone to be free in their own skin.

“Beauty is unique. The contest aligns with my philosophy, which is to be confident in expressing beauty on the inside and out. Just like the campaign’s message ‘Dare to Be’ – beauty is not limited to what people say about us, but it is about being who we are and loving ourselves for it!”

With COVID-19 deterring leisure travel around the globe, Oktavia is itching to get back on her wanderlust adventures when it is safer. The amputee model documents her travels on her Instagram and also shares daily life and positive messages with her followers. When asked what she wants to achieve in the future, the amputee’s model’s answer is on-point with her brand.

“Travel around the world and motivate others through as many platforms as possible!”

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