Miss Represented: Valentina Rodriguez-Zapata [Episode 37]

Valentina Rodriguez Zapata discusses her experience with body positivity and the challenges she faced growing up in Miami. She shares her journey of being diagnosed with PCOS and Lipedema and the impact it had on her physical and mental health. Valentina emphasizes the importance of self-education and finding the right specialist who finally diagnosed her conditions. She also highlights the need for more awareness and understanding of these conditions in society. Valentina shares her journey of overcoming PCOS, losing weight, and embracing her body through self-love and plastic surgery. She discusses her experience in pageants and how it empowered her to reclaim her time and body. Valentina also talks about her education at Parsons and her passion for size-inclusive fashion. She shares her plans for a size-inclusive brand and her community service platform, the Linus Corporation. Additionally, Jules discusses her involvement with the American Cancer Society and her upcoming Relay for Life event. In this conversation, the guest discusses her involvement in fundraising for Relay for Life and her family's business in hospitality. She also talks about balancing her responsibilities as a pageant contestant and her plans for the future, including applying for grad school and getting back into fashion.