Stephanie Barnes
Chelsea Werner is defying all odds and proving that with a little discipline and a lot of hard work, anything is possible. Werner’s Instagram shows a happy and beautiful young woman living her dreams. She’s a model and a gymnast, who also happens to have a developmental disorder called Down syndrome.
According to the CDC, “Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small ‘packages’ of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth.”
Like other children with Down syndrome, Werner developed at a much slower pace, but she isn’t letting that hold her back in pursuing her dream of modeling.
Werner’s mother, Lisa, said, it wasn’t an easy journey but it was ultimately worth it. In a previous interview, Lisa explained that it was difficult to find an agency that was willing to work with her daughter.
“We contacted all sorts of agencies in San Francisco and L.A., and every one of them told us that there’s no market for a model with a disability,” she explained.
Eventually, they landed a deal with WeSpeak, and the young model has been been featured in many ads and photoshoots, including L’Orelle and Aerie.
Before stepping into the modeling world, Werner was a gymnast. She began training at the age of five and has been making history with her long list of achievements.
Werner’s Instagram bio states that she’s a two times World Champion winner and a four times Special Olympic Champion in gymnastics.
Needless to say, Werner has been inspiring people across the world, simply by reaching for her goals.
“We get comments all the time and messages that Chelsea is giving them hope for their children because in the past they didn’t really see a great future for their kids,” her mother said.
“When they see someone like Chelsea achieving their dreams and doing things that have never been done, it seems to have a huge impact.”
Finally, Lisa said that seeing those comments only inspire them to do even more.