Katie Meade is the First Woman with Down Syndrome to Be the Face of a Beauty Campaign

via Instagram

In February, GOOD shared the story of the father of a Down syndrome child who proudly believed the condition was “beautiful.” “It’s fun. It’s brilliant. It’s amazing. It’s funny. It’s kind. It’s cuddly. They’re great teachers, people with Down syndrome,” the father said in a heartwarming video. Now, a hair care line has also found the beauty in Down syndrome and has shown it by hiring Special Olympian Katie Meade to be its spokesmodel.

Last week, Beauty & Pin-ups announced that the face of its new “Fearless” campaign is Katie Meade, making her the first woman with Down syndrome to have such an honor. “The Beauty & Pin-Ups brand is a celebration of the empowerment of a woman,” Beauty & Pin-Ups CEO Kenny Kahn told PeopleStyle. “As soon as we came up with the name ‘Fearless’ it was really easy, we were like, ‘Well Katie’s fearless.’”

Meade’s fearlessness has helped her beat the odds throughout her entire life. As a child she battled myriad health problems including two open-heart surgeries. She would overcome her health setbacks and eventually become a Special Olympics athlete, participating in basketball and gymnastics. Meade has also been fearlessness when dealing with intolerance. “Being born with Down syndrome can cause many problems, both physical and mental,” she wrote in an interview for the Special Olympics. “Kids would make fun of me. I wasn’t always accepted by the ‘normal’ kids and that hurt.”