- Living with functional neurological disorder (FND), Rebecca Vizi, 37, from Baringa, Qld found strength through colour therapy and pink fashion.
- She defied expectations, competing in bodybuilding and para-powerlifting events across Australia.
- Now teaching Zumba and inspiring thousands online, she dreams of representing Australia at the 2032 Paralympics.
Opening my wardrobe, I ran my hand along the rails.
Hmm, what should I wear today? I wondered.
It was a trick question – every single item was pink! From baby pink to hot pink, soft blush to neon fuchsia – if it was pink, I owned it.
But my love affair with pink didn’t start with fashion. It began 10 years ago when I was 27 and struggling with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression.
I’d left my job in childcare and was adjusting to new medication, which caused me to gain weight.
At 80 kilos and 159cm tall, I struggled to carry the extra kilos.
Then one morning, instead of reaching for my usual dark clothes, I threw on a pink T-shirt with pink leggings. And just like that, I had an instant mood lift!
‘You look so much happier and brighter,’ my mum Stella, then 60, said.
‘Thanks, Mum,’ I smiled. ‘I feel better.’
A friend said the same thing later. That’s when it hit me – colour therapy was real and pink seemed to work wonders for me.
Spurred on, I joined a gym to get healthier. I’d always been shy, but enjoyed the group classes, especially Zumba, and made some friends.
‘Loving the pink!’ other gym-goers would say.
But life had another curveball waiting. After a fall in 2018, I was left in agony and needed multiple surgeries on my right hip.
I was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), where the brain has trouble sending the body signals.
Despite physio, I couldn’t walk without a cane or walker. Sometimes I’d hire a wheelchair just to keep up with friends.
At only 30 I felt decades older. Unable to work, I was placed on a disability pension.
But one thing still lifted my spirits – the colour pink. It wasn’t just in my wardrobe, it was everywhere. The colour made me smile, and was a great conversation starter.
As I was unable to drive any longer, my dad Peter, then 65, took me to Zumba classes, where I’d sit on my walker and follow along with the arm movements. I couldn’t do the footwork but I was moving and feeling alive.
One day I saw a video of female bodybuilders online. They looked so strong and powerful, I was inspired.
I wonder if I could do that too? I thought.
I reached out to a gym specialising in the sport to ask if someone with a disability could enter a bodybuilding competition.
‘Why not?’ they replied. ‘Come on down!’
So I gave it a go, starting strength training with a personal trainer, focusing on upper body exercises since my right leg and hip were weak and painful.
I’d hobble in with my pink walker, head-to-toe in shades of the colour.
‘Rebecca has functional neurological disorder, but she hasn’t let that stop her,’
At first, I got a few raised eyebrows. But when a muscly guy came up to me and said, ‘You’re doing amazing,’ it meant the world to me.
When the Barbie movie came out in 2023, people started calling me Barbie – and I didn’t mind one bit. I also started an Instagram page, @pinkspirationbec, to encourage others with disabilities to take up bodybuilding and gained nearly 3000 followers.
Through training, I was able to bench press 35kg, and entered my first bodybuilding comp – the 2023 ICN Queensland State Championship.
‘Rebecca has functional neurological disorder, but she hasn’t let that stop her,’ the announcer said.
Then, with my sparkly pink walking stick, and in a pink bikini and trainers, I strutted on stage.
The crowd went wild and I was overjoyed to place first in the Ms Sports Model Physically Challenged category.
‘Well done, Bec,’ Mum and Dad beamed.
My brother David, then 34, and his five kids – especially the eldest, Maya, eight, my biggest fan – were thrilled too.
‘Go Aunty Bec!’ Maya cheered, hugging me.
In January, my trainer overhauled my diet, putting me on high-protein meals and shakes.
‘I’ve worn pink every day for the last 10 years and I have no plans on stopping anytime soon’.
I dropped 15 kilos, slimming down to 65kg – just in time for the FMG International Bodybuilding Competition in Sydney, NSW. I made history as the first person with a disability to take part.
The audience gave me a standing ovation and I was thrilled to receive a Remarkable Journey medal.
Now I’ve been accepted into competitive para-powerlifting, training with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Hani Watson, and I even met Olympian Lisa Curry, who was incredibly inspiring.
My dream is to represent Australia at the 2032 Brisbane Paralympics.
I’m working hard and just need a bit of sponsorship to help make it happen.
I still live with pain, but some days are more manageable than others.
I’m now teaching Zumba, adapted for people with mobility challenges, with fewer of the steps but all of the sass. My mission is to prove that disability doesn’t mean invisibility.
I’ve also done some modelling, proving you can sparkle, strut and shine on stage or in front of the camera – even with a cane.
I’ve worn pink every day for the last 10 years and I have no plans on stopping anytime soon.
Always be proud of who you are – and if something brings you joy, I say, do it!
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