8 Women Prove That Looking Different Doesn't Make You Less Powerful

We'd like to think that because we've entered a new era of body positivity that the standards of beauty are becoming more flexible. No longer are pencil-thin frames the only definition of beautiful; fuller-figured models who more accurately depict our demographics are taking the spotlight. However, there's a sector of the population that might disagree that beauty standards are all-encompassing: those with disabilities.

Sarah Herron is one them. She's a former contestant of Sean Lowe's season of The Bachelor and appeared on Bachelor in Paradise. Sarah, who was in advertising before joining the show, was born without the bottom half of her left arm. Throughout her life and her experience on the show, she came to realize she needed to love and appreciate herself and her body, which is why she's spent the past year working on her nonprofit, SheLift.

The idea started after Sarah decided to try new hobbies she wasn't comfortable participating in in the past, like skiing and hiking. After experiencing them, Sarah loved the thrill and feeling of accomplishment after each adventure. She thought if she felt this way, many other women who have a physical disability could feel the same. Sarah told POPSUGAR during her appearance on Pretty Unfiltered, "If I'm capable of doing things I didn't previously know I was able to do that [these women] were capable also."

In March, SheLift held an all-expenses-paid retreat for seven women in Aspen, CO. The women, at first strangers, were brought together to experience not only how physically strong there are, but also to help build up their self-worth and even teach them things like how to curl their hair with one arm. "I wanted to choose girls that were born with physical disabilities like me, because I knew we'd be able to share commonalities about going through different stages of life," said Sarah. "I also wanted to focus on young women ages 20 to 25 because it's such a pivotal age for young women, coming into their identity and dealing with things like self-image, dating, and uniqueness. I spent several weeks Skyping with the girls, getting to know each of them personally. A lot of the selection process came down to chemistry. I wanted to find a group of girls that could bring out the strengths in one another and teach each other from their experiences."

Take a look at the video to learn more about the retreat and the women involved. It will surely give you faith in humanity.