Even though Chiara Bordi didn’t win the Miss Italy competition, she proved to the whole world, and especially her critics, that beauty is universal. The young woman, who lost her leg at the age of thirteen, came third in the competition and it was definitely a proud moment for the beautiful Italian from Tarquinia, an old city in the centre of the country. Although one of her legs is prosthetic, she still strutted her stuff on the catwalk in a bikini just like all the other candidates.
Discover our latest podcast
A wave of hatred against her
A number of internet users took to insulting her online, saying that she didn’t deserve her place in the competition and that she was only there because she got pity from the public.
‘I’m missing a leg, but you’re missing a heart and a brain,’ Chiara posted on her Facebook page in response to someone who had accused her of being in the competition ‘just because you’re disabled.’
‘There are all sorts of frustrations and dissatisfactions behind this nastiness. I’m not interested in winning, but showing the world that life is still beautiful [even] when reborn after a dramatic event,’ she continued. This is a lovely message of hope and tolerance that reminds us that life is still beautiful despite the difficulties we face.
