The first time Mercado thought seriously about becoming a professional model, she surfed the Internet for someone with a physical disability in the modeling world. That was six years ago, when disabled models were 1. Thus, her search came up empty.
“I didn't think there was a 2.” she talks of the career she'd imagined "Not because I wasn't worthy of it, but because I didn't see anyone else like me out there. It was just not a thing.” However, Mercado has helped 3 that reality because of her not giving up. Last year, Mercado signed with IMG Models, the powerhouse agency which 4 top supermodels.
During a shoot, there are certain movements and 5 that are simply not an option for her. But her team has always found a way to work around these 6, and she's never been cut from a campaign because of concerns about her disability.
"There's 7 been a problem with the team not getting what they need to get from me as a model. There's never been an excuse where it's like—'she has a disability, this is not going to work because the 8 won't look nice.' "She says, "If I'm a model, a clothing company wants to showcase their 9 on me, that's great, "she says. "That's all it should be."
Her small body has more than a dozen surgical 10 and she fell both nervous and excited when she decided last year to 11 them for a shoot for a lingerie(女式贴身内衣) company. "12 I'm very outspoken with what I believe in, I'm very much of a 13 person still at heart. But I wanted to 14 a challenge. "Mercado liked 15 people that everyone can and should feel attractive in their own skin: "You shouldn't be ashamed of your own 16.”
In the meantime, she's focused on her work and using her blog to encourage those who want to follow her 17. When the next generation of disabled models searches the Web for 18, they'll find her.
Mercado 19 her success to confidence, faith and never 20,"I'm an example that you can do what you want, because… "she pauses. "Just because! That's it. You just can. "
