'No excuses': Melbourne woman born without hands, feet, competes in bodybuilding competition
Despite being born without hands or feet, a Melbourne iron woman is weeks away from competing in her first bodybuilding competition, but she is in need of support as she chases her dreams.
To take the stage at the Victorian championships for bikini body building, Vanessa Calafiore needs new prosthetic legs - and they don't come cheap.
The next time you're thinking about hitting the snooze button instead of hitting the gym, spare a thought for the brave young lifter who has not let her setbacks slow her down.
So determined to not be defined by her disability, the 28-year-old has been in serious training ahead of the IFBB Victorian State Championships, on October 8.
"I'm competing against the normal average human being whatever normal is, there's no special disabled division or anything," Ms Calafiore told 7 News.
"When I train upper body they're like, 'what is that chick doing right now'."
But to be competitive, she needs new legs.
Each limb costs $7,000 - and right now securing them before she competes is looking unlikely.
"Yep I didn't know it was going to be that expensive. Yeah, I was surprised!" she said.
Despite her physical disadvantage, Ms Calafiore believes her positive attitude is all she needs to help achieve success in her sport.
"By competing I hope to shine a little light on how if you believe in yourself anything is possible. Even someone like myself with no hands, no feet and chronic pain can achieve anything," she wrote on her GoFundMe page.
"No excuses. If you really set your mind to it, anything is possible," she told her YouTube followers.
"I just go in there and do it."
She admitted preparing for October's competition was challenging, but she said she was determined to work hard to get her there.
"Now I just need the new prosthetic legs to shine a little brighter and put my best foot forward on stage," she said.
Ms Calafiore has about six weeks of training left before competition day, however it takes about five weeks for her new legs to be made, so time is running out.
But a little bit of help from the community will go a long way.
A crowdfunding page has been set up in the hope of raising the $14,000 she needs.
To donate visit the GoFundMe page here.
