For 12-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres, life is much more than being proud of her accomplishments as a swimmer. It’s also about making people feel good about themselves.
On Saturday, thousands across the globe will come together to celebrate World Psoriasis Day. Torres, who has been affected by plaque psoriasis since the 1990s, has teamed with biopharmaceutical Celgene Otezla to promote the “Show More of You” campaign that wants people to be comfortable in their own skin.
“The campaign raises awareness and celebrates life,” said Torres, 49. “A lot of people are embarrassed by psoriasis. I can help get the word out there to show more of you and not be embarrassed.”
The five-time Olympian, who was a reporter for Westwood One during the Rio Olympics over the summer, was asked to be the main spokesperson for the campaign that began earlier this year. Torres has never been shy to speak on her psoriasis, which psoriasis.org describes as “an autoimmune disease that causes raised, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin,” and refused to let the disease stand in her way.
“It didn’t hold me back,” she said. “You want to feel free to do what you want to do. It should not inhibit you from following your dreams.”
Torres’ main purpose as part of the campaign is to promote psoriasis awareness. According to the campaign’s website, “an estimated 7.5 million Americans are affected by PsO.”
To learn more about their efforts, visit https://www.showmoreofyou.com/.
