Who is Elizabeth Ann "Lizzie" Velásquez?

Elizabeth Ann "Lizzie" Velásquez (born March 13, 1989) is an American motivational speaker and author. She has a rare congenital disease which, among other symptoms, impedes her from accumulating body fat. This condition resulted in bullying during her childhood and early youth and ultimately inspired her to take up motivational speaking. She has gained many supporters and speaks out against bullying. Lizzie was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome by the Baylor College of Medicine.

Lizzie Velasquez was 17 when she stumbled upon a video about herself on YouTube called “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” Velasquez, who is blind in one eye and has a rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight, was shocked by the thousands of hateful comments viewers wrote about her appearance. Today, Velasquez, 26, is a YouTube influencer with her own channel, and has used her experiences to become a motivational speaker and anti-bullying activist. Her 2013 TED talk on the subject went viral and now has more than 9 million views.