Meet four women who may not look like everyone else, but have turned their physical differences into their most empowering attributes.

For as far back as she can remember, people have asked Alexis if she can slam dunk. For the record, she can’t. But at 6’5” inches (without heels) the slam dunk questions aren’t the only comments that come her way. People stare, people point, and she’s always the tallest woman everywhere she goes. She hated the attention until her mid twenties, when she decided that she could go through life miserable or she could embrace her height and live life to the fullest.

April dealt with the opposite problem than Alexis. Born with a form of dwarfism commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease, she’s stands just above 3 feet tall and is one of the smallest adults in the United States. But what April lacks in height, she more than makes up for in personality and determination.

Lisa Marie was the “fat girl” growing up. She struggled with her weight, loathed her body, and watched her self-esteem plummet with each pound she put on. Although she had the support and love of her family, she felt that society turned their back on overweight people. Then she found a BBW website! BBW stands for Big Beautiful Women and BBW’s all over the world are making their presence known online and in person. When Lisa Marie found a BBW chat room in her area, her whole world changed.