WEBVTT - Alopecia Bonus Content w/ Christie Valdiserri

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<v Speaker 1>What's up, Bartie t fan check out this bonus clip.

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<v Speaker 1>Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Christie Valdisari lost a job after

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<v Speaker 1>she lost her hair. Christie, how are you? Thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for being with us? Thank you so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>So can you share with us your journey. I grew

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<v Speaker 1>up as a ballerina, a cheerleader. I had long blonde

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<v Speaker 1>hair my whole life until college. I was in a sorority.

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<v Speaker 1>I felt like I fit in and things were going

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<v Speaker 1>my way. When I graduated, I found a tiny bald

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<v Speaker 1>patch on the top of my head and I had

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<v Speaker 1>no idea what was happening. As time, her grass hair

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<v Speaker 1>just continued to fall and fall and fall right. And

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<v Speaker 1>then I booked my dream job on a cruise ship

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<v Speaker 1>as a professional dancer with my long blonde hair. And

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<v Speaker 1>then within six weeks I was fired. I was told

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<v Speaker 1>that I stood out and I drew attention. And then

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<v Speaker 1>within three weeks from that, I lost all of my hair.

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<v Speaker 1>So I'm like twenty three years old, completely bald, and

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<v Speaker 1>I know where to live. I had no job, and

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<v Speaker 1>something in me was like, you can't give up yet,

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<v Speaker 1>glued on a blonde wig, and I was pretending to

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<v Speaker 1>be the girl that I used to be. And I

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<v Speaker 1>got to the point that I was sick of presenting

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<v Speaker 1>myself one way to the world and people perceiving me

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<v Speaker 1>as this happy, go lucky, blonde girl, but behind closed doors,

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<v Speaker 1>I was suffering. I worked at a bar in Hollywood

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<v Speaker 1>and people would always ask me, Oh, is your hair real?

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<v Speaker 1>Are you wearing extensions? What color is your natural hair?

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<v Speaker 1>Is it a wig? And I would go to the

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<v Speaker 1>bathroom and cry, and I feel so upset that I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't explain it. And I was sick of the exterior

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<v Speaker 1>factors dictating my happiness and making me have these emotional breakdowns.

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<v Speaker 1>So I decided it was time to take the power

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<v Speaker 1>back and get in front of it. And I took

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<v Speaker 1>off my wig and posted a video and shared my

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<v Speaker 1>story to the world. And I felt like that was

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<v Speaker 1>the first day of the rest of my life, and

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<v Speaker 1>that was the best thing I've ever done. And I

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<v Speaker 1>just felt so much freer that I wasn't hiding something

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<v Speaker 1>or hiding behind something. It's beautiful. I love that. So, Christie,

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<v Speaker 1>were you the first ball Sports illustrated model? Yes, you

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<v Speaker 1>got that. R's awesome. And I was like, that's it.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm filming a video. I'm ripping my weight off, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sharing my story and I'm submitting it to the the Sports

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<v Speaker 1>Allustrated Swim. And I'm not thinking twice. I'm just gonna

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<v Speaker 1>push myself. I'm just gonna do it and see what happens.

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<v Speaker 1>And now I have a centerfold in Sports Illustrated Swim

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<v Speaker 1>as the first fall. Mom. Okay, Sasha, we're seeing Yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I love it. Really inspirational. I feel so strongly, but

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<v Speaker 1>the standard of beauty needs to change, like people are

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<v Speaker 1>so much more than what they look like. And within

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<v Speaker 1>the past four years of my career, I've gotten so

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<v Speaker 1>many nose because I'm I don't fit the box of

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<v Speaker 1>what the beauty standards are and I'm not your traditional beauty. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>last question, tell us about working with kids with alopecia.

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<v Speaker 1>I created a community called the Bald Rage is a

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<v Speaker 1>community for women and girls and mothers with daughters with

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<v Speaker 1>hair loss of any sort. And we have all these

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<v Speaker 1>different events online. We have a mentorship program. I teach

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<v Speaker 1>them dance online. I feel really strongly that these little

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<v Speaker 1>girls and these little kids shouldn't have to walk this

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<v Speaker 1>walk alone. A lot of them feel like aliens in

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<v Speaker 1>their hometown because they don't see anyone in their family

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<v Speaker 1>and their friends at school, at their teachers that look

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<v Speaker 1>like them. So amazing. Yeah, girl power all the way.

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<v Speaker 1>I love it. You Know what I realize now is

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<v Speaker 1>that there's so many of us that feel ashamed, you

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<v Speaker 1>know this condition, and I've had so much outreach and

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<v Speaker 1>you know, so many beautiful stories. I feel like we're

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<v Speaker 1>part of the most awesome tribe. And yeah, thank you

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<v Speaker 1>so much for listening to this bonus content.