She says young people facing bullying need to know that it isn’t their fault.
Farah Sedky is a literal beauty queen, but that doesn’t mean her life has been easy. The young Egyptian woman has opened up about the teasing she faced at high school – and she wants to provide an example to girls who are going through the same thing right now.
Her story is heartbreaking, but of course, we know it has a happy ending. Sedky has well and truly taken control of her life.
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“Growing up in an all-girls school wasn’t the easiest. I was brutally bullied and to the point that I was once beaten by one of my peers,” she told People. “To this day, I still remember her looking down at me on the ground and saying, ‘I’d love to wake up tomorrow and not see you at school, no one will miss you if you’ll be gone forever.’ ”
Having put the past behind her, Sedky says she wants to show young girls that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’ve learned how to love myself, which was the hardest thing I had to learn,” she tells People. “I want to be a role model for little girls, just as I needed to have at their age.
“I want them to know that nothing is their fault; challenges will pass and they’ll go on with their lives to become successful individuals. They key is to learn to love and accept themselves.”
Part of Sedky’s journey to self-acceptance was changing her diet and exercise habits – she says she was overweight as a teen – but she says it’s still important for women to love themselves regardless of what their bodies look like.
“I truly believe it’s time to show women that they should appreciate, accept and love their bodies the way they are,” she tells People. “It’s about time that we all come together not just for women but also for children, to make sure they grow up in a healthy environment where they won’t feel pressured to focus on fitting in, and fitting a certain perception on beauty. Instead, they will grow to focus on developing their aspirations.”
The Miss Universe pageant took place in Los Angeles this week, with Miss France Iris Mittenaere taking out the title.
Images: Instagram
