#Day5 – At 13 years old, Gigi Crouch (@Scolerina9247) was diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and prescribed years in a brace. Gigi had just begun intensive ballet training and this diagnosis could have really hindered her desire and motivation to succeed in the world of dance. “Just being comfortable in the brace was really hard to get used to. It was made out of hard plastic. In the beginning I had to wear it 18-20 hours a day which cut into my ballet training.” However, Gigi realized quickly that her condition could be an advantage instead of handicap. She currently studies at @PacificNorthwestBallet in their professional division, just like one of her favorite ballerinas @CarlaKorbes who recently retired. She also got to study at the School of American Ballet summer program in NYC. Gigi said that the best thing she did was “finding people that were going through the same thing as her.” She even learned about the ballerina Wendy Whelan (@WendyW) who also suffers from Scoliosis. “There is a great support group curvygirlsscoliosis.com that connects you with people in your state, your nation or the world who have scoliosis so you can share your story and hear others.” Check out Gigi’s instagram @Scolerina9247 – she’s showing her doubters that #IAmMoreThan my scoliosis! Gigi is amazing.