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Jessica Kruger from Vancouver, Canada has put a huge dent in her mission to change the way the world perceives beauty. In 2013, she won a nationwide modeling contest in Canada sponsored by Lise Watier, and she won. She is also a professional baker and owned The Stubborn Baker, a bakery she started post-injury. Read on to learn more of her story.
Why She’s Fearless
Jessica’s entrance into the spinal cord injury world was only 6 years ago. While working for a painting company when she was 15 years old, she fainted and fell from a ladder, breaking her neck in four different places. She is an incomplete C7 quadriplegic with partial finger control.
After high school, Jessica went on to attend one of the most prestigious schools in Canada, Simon Fraser University, studying literature. She also speaks for the Rick Hansen Institute as an ambassador, sharing her story and that life after spinal cord injury goes on.
Even early on in high school, Jessica exhibited her writing voice. In her short story, Conquered Fear, Jessica won a contest in Reader’s Digest that got her short story published. Check it out
A former athlete, Jessica also wanted to keep her body as active as possible, so she decided to partake in one of the toughest adapted sports out there – quad rugby. Since she’s a part-time cupcake entrepreneur and cake decorator, Jessica brings treats to practice too. Cupcakes; the instant friend-maker.
And perhaps the coolest thing about Jessica is her title as 2013 spokesperson for the fragrance and makeup company giant, Lise Watier. It was a contest she didn’t expect to win (her friends brought up the idea that she should enter in fact).
Jessica had previously sent out modeling photos to agencies wanting to model a couple years prior, but she never heard back. Fortunately, Jessica won. The Lise Watier judges loved her confidence and story, and she beat out 400 other contestants. She promoted their perfume Something Sweet, which goes hand in hand with her love of baking.
What’s Next?
Changing minds as a spokesperson, flying all over Canada making appearances at department stores, Jessica is an avid traveler who’s been to 37 countries (she grew up on a sailboat, traveling the world), and she had a ball representing Lisa Watier. And after getting her degree in baking, Jessica ran her own bakery in Vancouver, The Stubborn Baker, which she ran for 4.5 years. We can’t wait to see what she does next.
– Learn more about Jessica from Chatelaine: What it feels like to be a wheelchair rugby playing beauty ambassador
– Jessica Kruger for the Huffington Post: “Help Me Show the World ‘Different’ Is Beautiful”
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