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'I struggled to fit in and I faced a lot of stigma at school': This Zimbabwean breakdancer is changing the way we see childhood disability

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Born with a leg deformity which left him wheelchair-bound for most of his childhood, Blessing Fire says it was the gymnastics skills he had picked up from his older brother that got him to try dance and movement.
Born with a leg deformity which left him wheelchair-bound for most of his childhood, Blessing Fire says it was the gymnastics skills he had picked up from his older brother that got him to try dance and movement.

The word incredible is used so often these days but there really is no better way to describe the Zimbabwean breakdancer known as Blessing Fire AKA B-Boy Crystals. 

Born with a leg deformity which left him wheelchair-bound for most of his childhood, Blessing Fire says it was the gymnastics skills he had picked up from his older brother that got him to try dance and movement. 

Starting with handstands, he eventually became so good that the transition into breakdance felt natural. 

He now teaches B-Boying to able-bodied dancers and no longer requires the use of a wheelchair.  But Blessing Fire still remembers his schooling years, recalling it to be his "first biggest challenge."

"I struggled to fit in and I faced a lot of stigma," he explained in a video interview, adding that he had been the only child at his school who used a wheelchair. 

Since dance changed the course of his life, Blessing Fire decided to volunteer his skills with NPO, Jibilika Dance Trust, enabling him to share his talents and passion for dance with teens. 

"If you want something, you've got to go for it and you have to keep believing." 

Watch the inspiring Blessing Fire do his thing in the video below: 

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