West Chester native Christie Valdiserri is one of the 16 women in a diverse and inclusive group of finalists vying to land a spot in Sports Illustrated’s popular Swimsuit Issue, writes Brittany Talarico for People magazine.

Valdiserri, who currently resides in Los Angeles, is a dance and fitness instructor with alopecia. When her hair first started to fall out, she lost her dream job of dancing on a cruise ship as a result. After a short respite, it began once again to fall out in April of this year.

“I had to shave it all off to sustain my sanity, honestly,” said Valdiserri.

Soon after, she lost her eyebrows and eyelashes as well. However, she did not let it ruin her dreams again. So, instead of putting all of her energy into growing her hair back, she gathered enough confidence in herself as a bald woman and decided to attend Sports Illustrated’s Model Search in Miami.

“I knew this was my moment to be a voice for all the women and young girls who cry every day because they just want to feel normal again,” she said.

Read more about Christie Valdiserri in People magazine here.

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