California model born without legs inspires fans

First, strong was the new sexy. Now, Kanya Sesser, 23, is proving that owning whatever makes you you is definitely just as hot.

“I'm different, and that is sexy,” she recently said in an interview. "I don't need legs to feel sexy."

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Born without them, Kanya was adopted into a U.S. family at age 5. She had been abandoned, presumably because of her condition, outside a Buddhist temple in Thailand only weeks after being born.

But with her motto, “no legs, no limits,” Kanya can kick it with the best of them. The California girl surfs, snowboards, and even runs (on her hands!) on the treadmill. (And you thought your treadmill workout was tough!)

Kanya spends most of her time on a skateboard; in between doing tricks, she uses the board to get around (no wheelchair here). And as a bada** mono-skier—she skis using a single, wide ski—she hopes to compete in the 2018 winter Paralympics in South Korea.

Between workouts, she’s working the camera. She got into modeling for sports brands at age 15 and now combines that passion with lingerie shoots. “I love showing people what beauty can look like,” she says. "These images show my strength." Follow Sesser on Instagram:@kanyasesser.

This article originally appeared on WomensHealthmag.com.