The people who inspire us

Dear Readers,

When you think about role models, who comes to mind? It might be influencers on social media, such as TikTok or Instagram, who try and promote positive messages online and engage with their audience on a personal level. For others, it may be a family member or someone who has raised you to become the person you are today. But for me, it’s the people who don’t set out to become role models. It has happened as a byproduct of the way they have lived their lives bravely at the same time as raising awareness. By doing this they have inspired other people to do the same. In today’s post I will be sharing with you examples of who my role models are.

Celebrity Big Brother hit our screens on 4^th March and, as usual, I was eager to tune in. This year’s line up included Bradley Riches, a British actor who starred in the hit Netflix series ‘Heartstopper’. His reason for coming on the show was to raise awareness for autism, a diagnosis that he received at the age of 9.

By living in the Big Brother house, where every detail of his daily life is on show, Bradley has bravely shown people what it is like to live with autism. Often this includes a range of strong emotions with big highs and lows. Bradley has been tearful on a number of occasions, but not tried to hide it. People with autism are rarely judgemental or critical of others. This has led to some of the more heartwarming aspects of the show, as Bradley is popular with his housemates and is most upset when being asked to vote others out.

One of the things that most struck me was Bradley’s first interview where he explained how growing up he had felt “like an alien” and that it took him a long time to learn that “it’s cool to be different”. I was in a similar situation when I was younger. I now have lots of strong friendships. But when I look back and hear that someone else of a similar age was in the same situation, it makes me happy to see that I’m not the only one. Bradley has helped us to understand that these feelings are normal. He has also shown that we don’t need special treatment and we should be respected and included, just like neurotypical people, because we are still normal human beings.

Bradley has made a lasting impact on many viewers. But he isn’t the only one who has been making a difference. I have been watching Strictly Come Dancing since the age of 4. The winner in 2021 is my favourite contestant and one of my biggest role models, Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf.

Rose is best known during the series for her incredible ‘Silent Dance.’ The dance started just like any other, but halfway through the song, the music suddenly stopped. Rose and her partner carried on dancing in silence, with the spotlight shining down on them. By doing this, Rose transported viewers into her world, letting them experience what it felt like to be deaf. This was a huge moment, not only for deaf people, but also for others who felt different. Rose’s dance was truly inspirational, it encouraged us to question our feelings of being held back and to look for ways to take part in a different way.  

Rose has shown us that it’s ok to be different. By being herself, wearing her hearing aids with pride, and signing as much as she could, Rose made a lasting impact on many viewers.

Soon afterwards Rose told a story about a little deaf girl aged 6 who had started to draw pictures of herself wearing hearing aids for the first time. But that wasn’t all, a few months after Rose won the series, interest in learning British Sign Language increased by over 30%.

Rose’s appearance on Strictly Come Dancing was the first time I have seen a celebrity raise awareness about disability without hearing or seeing any negative public feedback. This has made me feel much more confident that raising awareness can make a positive difference. A few weeks after the silent dance, I was asked to contribute my Martin Luther King speech to the school magazine. For a moment, I was hesitant. What would people think? What might happen if I agreed to do it? But then I remembered Rose, and how her dance helped others, and I handed my work into the editor’s office. Rose inspired me to raise awareness for who we are, and teach people about inclusion and diversity.

Before I go, I’m curious to hear what you think. Are there any people that you look up to as role models? What makes you see them in that way?

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and I can’t wait to see you back next week!