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Victoria Gracie: a scholar, model and inspiring speaker!
How one UTM student uses her journey to inspire others.

Victoria Gracie is someone characterized with many roles: body dysmorphia disorder (BDD) advocate, three-time TEDx speaker, Miss Canada finalist and a fourth-year UTM student pursuing a double specialist in psychology and exceptionality in human learning. In an interview with the Medium, Victoria explains her journey so far. 


Gracie’s path began when she was 13 when the studio director of her ballet company said that she looked ‘huge on stage’ and that she needed to “lose weight or else no judge would ever take her seriously.”

From there, over the next three years, she was continually criticized for her weight, eventually developing BDD. BDD is a mental health condition that makes a person preoccupied with the perceived flaws in their experience. In the end, the company even rejected her from participating in the Youth America Grand Prix competition for not losing weight.

Despite these setbacks and the emotional toll, Gracie persisted. As she explained, “Once you know what you want to pursue, that takes you off to an altogether different edge.” She decided to participate in the Youth America Grand Prix competition as an independent soloist, becoming the first Canadian to ever do so.  

Advocating for BDD Globally

 “BDD is something I have gone through and even my mother has gone through,” Gracie explained. Her experiences, and of those around here, have become one of the driving factors for advocating for body positivity globally.

One way Gracie does this is by creating a global space for spreading awareness through public speaking platforms like Tedx.  “I have always been an enthusiast for performing on-stage. In high school I was interested in Theatre, and in University I explored public speaking through TedxUofT,” Gracie explained.

Through her TED talks she depicts her story vividly, using personal examples and photos of her struggle to accept her body as it is. Gracie says, “Being a part of two different industries that are heavily body conscious, pageantry adds on a new perspective to her body-positive advocate aspect.” 

Gracie shared an anecdote about her first TEDx experience that came with an interesting story. Gracie had everything planned out for her application beforehand and then second thoughts got the best of her. She decided to rewrite her application just before it was due. “Sometimes that’s how the best ideas come through,” she explained with a smile. 

Gracie’s enthusiasm for being on stage also sparked her interest in pageantry during the pandemic. Gracie vividly recounts how she realized she wanted to be in a pageant after watching a state pageant show on TV during the pandemic.

“I saw these girls on stage, walking, public speaking, performing different talents and I realized this is something I want to do, this will help me rediscover myself,” Gracie explained.  

Pageantry is a platform that brings passionate young women with beauty and brains together on a platform to compete, inspire and make friends and memories that last a long time. Although it comes with luxurious gowns and extravagant beauties, it is a stepping stone for young women to address the issues of society on a worldwide platform.

Gracie explains that “pageantry is not just walking down a runway, it is a lot more and it pushes her out of her comfort zone.” It requires very specific skills like numerous costume changes and answering questions on the spot.

The most compelling part of pageantry for her was the advocacies that each contestant brought and hers was promoting body positive image on a global platform. “I get to talk about things like body image with predominantly young women, reach an audience and make an impact.”

She said that pageantry has helped her to form a connection with an audience that has faced similar issues.

“My personal motivation comes from when I was a young girl and I never saw women in the media who were like me,” Gracie explained. By participating in pageants, Gracie is determined to advocate for body positivity and be an icon for people who aren’t confined in their bodies– just like she was.

Academic Accomplishments

Despite her extracurricular activities, Gracie says that academics remain her priority. When we asked why she wanted to explore Psychology, Gracie explained that “My high school psychology teacher pushed me to pursue psychology, and I decided to consider it. I was always interested in knowing more about the clinical depth of disorders like BDD and PTSD.”

Additionally, Gracie has been working with the RGASC since her second year leading a facilitated study group. She also works as a senior program assistant and volunteers with the Health and Counseling Centre. 

An enthusiast for clinical labs and psychological disorders, Gracie has had an amazing journey of four years. From learning to navigate university to having hands-on knowledge on how to manage co-curriculars with studies and getting no sleep, she blends in well as a university student.

Scholarships, public speaking and pageantry are like a triad Gracie beautifully balances. Having a globally impactful voice and an advocacy with a dire need of being addressed is her motto for life. Victoria Gracie, a student at UTM is achieving high feats and instilling inspiration in all of us to be the best version of ourselves.

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