Maria Rabaino On Living Boundlessly
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Background: A white background with the words “LISTEN NOW” written in gold
Foreground: A dark green box with a black-and-white photo of Maria - a woman with short, brown, cropped hair, seated in a wheelchair wearing a turquoise mesh cropped t-shirt over a lime green crop top, denim shorts, and white sneakers. She is posing looking up with one hand behind her head and the other touching one of her wheels, smiling, in front of a sidewalk and a bush with flowers. Below is the white text “#70 Maria Rabaino - Living Boundlessly.” Below the text is a white line, the rewind, pause, and fast forward symbols.
Jillian Curwin: Hi everyone. Welcome to always looking up, the podcast where no one is overlooked and height is only a number, never a limit, hosted by me, Jillian Curwin. Each week, I will be having a conversation about what it is like to live in a world that is not necessarily designed for you.
In this week’s episode I sat down with Maria Rabaino. Maria is a wheelchair user, certified fitness trainer and founding member of the Rollettes, a wheelchair dance team that empowers women with disabilities to live boundlessly and shift perspectives globally. We discuss why disability belongs in fitness, the impact social media has to make a space more accessible, and the positive force for change that is created when disability communities come together. Let's get into it.
Hi, Maria.
Maria Rabaino: Hello.
Jillian Curwin: How are you?
Maria Rabaino: I'm doing good. How are you?
Jillian Curwin: I'm doing well. I am very excited to be talking with you today.
Maria Rabino: Me too. I'm really excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Jillian Curwin: Of course. Thank you for coming on. To start, why don't you tell my listeners who may not know who you are a little bit about yourself.
Maria Rabaino: Of course. My name is Maria Rabaino. I am one of the original members of the Rollettes dance team, which was founded ten years ago. So I've been part of it for ten years, which is wild. And I'm also a certified personal trainer who uses a wheelchair full time because I have an L-1 incomplete spinal cord injury.
Jillian Curwin: Okay. So many things are going to get into.
But the first thing I want to ask then, after that, is how do you define being disabled?
Maria Rabaino: Ooh, that's a good one. I've always been so on the whole :disability isn't a bad word” kind of thing like, making sure that people aren't afraid to say it. So, I mean, I guess it would just be…Ooo…Umm. I'd say disability is just learning to adapt with different, different abilities from what other people, or what the norm is.
Jillian Curwin: Yeah, I agree with that. I think that so much of being disabled, whether we're born disabled or we come into disability later in life, is adapting…
Maria Rabaino: Yes.
Jillian Curwin: Constantly adapting to our home environment and then our environment outside of, like, where we live, and just try to make it work for us.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I definitely agree with that. We are the best problem solvers.
Jillian Curwin: That is 100% true. [laughter] Like disabled people are the most resourceful people I have ever met. We come face to face with problems every day and, you know, like little problems that, like non-disabled people never think of, so when we actually come face to face with like a real problem like, non-disabled people can't figure out, we got a solution right there.
Maria Rabaino: We probably have, like, three backup solutions just in case.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly. Like, we know, we're prepared, we're ready to go. Where… Because I feel like there's always, in the figurative sense, we're always on our toes because you never know what environment you're going to walk into. Is it accessible? And if it's not, how are we going to adapt so we can be in it?
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. It's great. It's, it's we're very talented at that.
Jillian Curwin: For sure.
So you talked about the Rollettes. Can you… I know what they are, but I know my listeners may not. Can you explain who they are, what they are, what you guys do?
Maria Rabiano: Yeah. The Rollettes is an all women's wheelchair dance team, and our mission is to empower other women with disabilities to live boundlessly. And we shift the world's perspective of disability through dance. We've been… we started here in Monterrey, but recently moved down to L.A.. No, not recently. Like a year after the team started, moved down to L.A.. I'm still up in Monterrey, but I'm traveling down to L.A. all the time, at least once a month.
But we do… I mean, obviously, we dance, but we mainly just focus on empowering women. Either that's through my fitness or somebody else's makeup skills or just, you know, reminding them that they are incredible about boundless babes.
Jillian Curiwn: I love that message. Love, boundless babes, I’m stealing that. Love that. Was there like, a moment where you and the founders came together and said, like, we're doing this? Or was there something that sparked this idea of creating this team?
Maria Rabaino: Yeah!
Jillian Curwin: Or was it just something that came about naturally just with you and the founders?
Maria Rabaino: Yeah. When the team first started, it started with a dance camp, a week long dance camp that we put together, and we were going to have a little performance at the end. It was just going to be a one time thing, but we had so much fun. We were racing up and down the aisles of Target, cramming in seven wheelchairs in only three cars and, you know, dancing from ten in the morning till ten at night. And, you know, our bodies were exhausted, but our spirits were high. I was only five months injured when this happened, and I immediately realized how important it was with how I felt like a woman for the first time since my disability again. And… so we decided to keep it going. We decided to make it a team. We used to be called Team Hot Wheels, which was a really fun name. But I am really, really happy with Rollettes now. But yeah.
Jillian Curwin: You say… So this was five months in. So do you mind my asking like, what was that transition like for you from being non-disabled to disabled?
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, I honestly had a more kind of peaceful transition, if that makes sense. When I first got injured, I was injured in a drinking and driving related car crash, for those who don't know. When I first got injured, though, I had all the right support systems put in place like, my family was there for me. They were immediately making fun of me like they always do. My friends were there visiting me all the time. My grandma would make sure that I didn't get bored and she came and taught me how to crochet. The hospital that I went to was really uplifting and, you know, really just made sure that I was going to be able to do everything. There was, you know, nobody ever told me that I couldn't do anything, and I had a gut feeling that I was going to be okay. But I knew I was missing a puzzle piece, and that's when I met the girls through Facebook, thankfully. Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Love that. I love the power of social media and how it brings us together.
Maria Rabaino: Such a power.
Jillian Curwin: It, it really is. Did you dance before you were injured?
Maria Rabaino: I was a cheerleader before I got injured.
Jillian Curwin: Okay.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah. I mean, I wasn't like, exactly then, but for most of my life, I was a cheerleader, so I was like, always a little bit of dance for me involved. And I just knew when I went, because I was only five months injured, so I was still kind of figuring out how to live life, I knew I needed to be around girls with similar experiences, and so that's why I went. I went for the selfish reasons of, you know, asking them, how do I put high heels on? How do I shave my legs? All the things that I needed to learn how to do were easy, but the things that I wanted to learn how to do became a challenge. And they not only taught me, but they helped me embrace who I am today.
Jillian Curwin: Wow. And then, at the same time, you're learning, because dance has its own vocabulary of movement. So you're not only learning how to move in just the new sense of you being in a wheelchair, but also learning how to dance. Like, what was that like for you? What was that process like for you?
Maria Rabaino: It was a lot of fun. This was also when we were very obsessed with wheelies, and since I was so new to wheelies, I fell one time. And Chelsie, who's the founder and CEO of the team, she's like, “Are you okay?” I'm like, “Yeah, I'm fine.” She’s like, “Good, get back up. Do it again.” I was like “Okay!”
Like it was…just…We normalize, you know, the, the movements of everything and made it so even if it felt weird or awkward, we would just power through or figure out how to make it work. Since I'm a low injury, I don't have this problem, but higher injuries, they don't have full core control or even like their, their lats. They can't raise their arms above their head. So figuring out how to adapt it so it looks similar even if they can't raise their arms above their head, or maybe they go forward or out, changing up the look so we also look like a team, but everybody can do it regardless of what their abilities are. So…
Jillian Curwin: That's awesome.
Maria Rabaino: It’s problem solving again.
Jillian Curwin: Again, problem solving. I love that. I was a former dancer and, you know, I loved the movement and I love the expression that you can have with your body, and it took me a long time, because I was dancing with girls who… none of them looked like me.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And so trying to, you know, there's part of me that kind of felt like whatever I was doing, even if it was the right technique, it still looked wrong. And I wish that I had that community of other little people, or even just other disabled people, who are dancing, who were doing it because they just love that ability to move. And, you know, it wasn't like that, that pressure to, like, look like something that I knew I couldn’t be.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. It, it… having that community is the most important thing. One, it makes figuring out how to adapt to dance a lot easier, but it just lets us know that we're not alone. And sometimes that's all we really need, is knowing that we're not the only one going through this. And there are other people we have in our corner that are not just surviving but thriving through whatever has happened to us. And it's, it's really good to have community. I think you always need two things in life: You need the thing that makes you happy and you need the community that will do it with you.
Jillian Curwin: Could not agree more with that.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: When did it start becoming something bigger? Rollettes.
Maria Rabaino: I want to say about five years in the team we started becoming more professional. We were always aiming to get bigger and grow more, but we, we didn't have the right guidance on how to do that. And so we got a manager, his name is Joe and he’s fantastic. You were emailing him.
Jillian Curwin: Mmmhmm.
Maria Rabaino: He's, he's like our guard dog, always looking out for us. But he really helped us just kind of learn, learn the game so we could make our way in there and really start changing the way the world sees disability and changing the way the world sees us in a more professional manner, in a better manner. Because before it was like people were only offering to pay us an exposure and we… were like, “Oh, that's so cute, you're on a dance team,” instead of seeing what the dance was actually doing - of empowering other women. S,o I want to say about five years in was when we really started to make those adjustments to kind of level up to a more professional level and change the game even more.
Jillian Curwin: So I was… Okay. So then, when meeting with Joe… Because I worked at a talent agency prior to kind of what I'm doing now, and so I'm like, a little bit familiar with that representation side. And obviously being disabled, I feel like there's just obviously, again, like you said, like this hesitancy of wanting to work with us, not knowing what we can do. So like, and also like, just marketability itself.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: So like, when meeting Joe and working with Joe, like was there any hesitation on his end? Or like, in then moving forward, like how did you figure out like… build your brand?
Maria Rabaino: We…Gosh. So when…Let me think, let me think…how to word this. I don't think there was necessarily hesitancy on his side, moreso curiosity, and the year that we really started to develop and figuring out our professionalism and growing even faster and bigger and better. He actually helped us with our dance camp, because we made that one time dance camp an annual dance camp. And so he was there for one of the, one of the weekends helping us load chairs into cars and drive to all the locations. And while he was driving, he would hear the stories of the other girls that were attending who weren't necessarily on the team but with us, and how for some of them it's like, “Oh, this was the first time I flew,” or, “This is where I learned how to put my chair in the car.” And he realized how we were changing just maybe a handful of girls lives at the time, and he saw the image just by experiencing it with us one time. And he immediately just dove it and believed in us and showed us what we needed to do to move forward.
Jillian Curwin: That is so important and props to Joe, because I feel like a lot of times with people who are disabled, people who are trying to, whether it's entertainment, whether athletic, with getting representation, there's like it's, it's hard to just get seen, to try to pitch yourself to get seen. So props to him for saying, for seeing this and for wanting to learn.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: I feel like that's also so important when working with disabled people if you're non-disabled, to want to learn and just to understand and not try to presume and also like, push what you think is right where we know our bodies the best and we know what works for us and we're just asking you to listen and then work with us.
Maria Rabaino: 100%. Thankfully, he's already seen us put our chairs in the car by ourselves, so he had a little bit of an idea.
Jillian Curwin: Mmmhmm.
Maria Rabaino: But then it wasn't until he kind of dove in and he was used to our laughter about any kind of challenge that we face, because we kind of laugh our way through challenges now, and our giggles, and so he knew we would always embrace it with positivity and take on a challenge no matter what. So he just decided to laugh with us and figure it out from there. So we do appreciate Joe and love him to pieces. We, we joke around our dance dad now. So… yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Oh, I love that. And laughter is so important because again, we do face a lot of challenges as individuals just living every day in a disabled body in a non-disabled world. But I'm curious to know, like, what were the challenges you, as a team, faced over the years and then even now? And how did you find solutions?
Maria Rabaino: So I kind of talked about how the level of professionalism that we were trying to get to, that was one of our challenges. From getting people to see our image and know that what we were doing was really meaningful and really powerful and trying to just make a living off of it, and not get paid an exposure, so that way we could make it our fulltime job and dedicate our full, full time job towards changing the world.So that was definitely one of our challenges.
But another one of our challenges has been balancing the level between work and friendship. Because all of us are friends, we love hanging out with…we're not working, we are together doing so many fun things, going on vacations together, celebrating each other's weddings and everything like that. But finding that balance of alright, like we're at work mode and now we're in play mode, has been one of our challenges as we continue to grow. Sometimes we go a little too far in the work mode and we feel like, why are we doing this super stressed out? Sometimes we go a little bit more into the play mode and things will still get done, but not as well as we were hoping they would. But it's, you know, but balance is movement. It's, if we find ourselves leading a little bit too far, one way we got to push back and figure it out from there. But yeah, it's definitely a combination of work and play. And then getting, getting different companies to see us as a professional company, because we're also all women. We're all women.
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: So we have the disability factor and we have the women factor so… getting people to see us as true professionals has been a challenge. But more and more companies are seeing it, and they're backing us, and we're very appreciative of them.
Jillian Curwin: Which is good to hear. And you talk about, and I wonder if you could just explore those concepts. I feel like this does happen with… a lot within like… disabled people trying to make a name for themselves, and trying to create a platform, is being paid an exposure. Can you explain what that is?
Maria Rabaino: It's where they don't pay you. You volunteer your time and they don't give you a paycheck or anything like that. They just say, “Oh, other people will see you and they'll hire you.” But then they say the same thing, “Oh, you'll get paid, you know, like…”
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: “This is great exposure for you.” And so it's really that kind of deal.
Jillian Curwin: Right. And I think when, you know, getting offered to be paid n exposure, I think sometimes it does come with good intent. And this could just me trying to see the glass half full…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But I think it also can lead to a slippery slope to being taken advantage of…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And that, that's never positive.
Maria Rabaino: Yes. Yes. I, I wish I could pay my bills with exposure, but…
Jillian Curwin [laughing]: I do too!
Maria Rabaino [laughing]: Unfortunately, I cannot.
There's definitely a time and place where, you know, things are worth doing it for free. But when when we're, we're diving into hours and hours of practice, and where, again, where I have to pay for a train ticket down to L.A., and then I have to buy the food while I'm there, and we got to cover hotel if we're somewhere else, like not in L.A., all these other expenses, then get on us. And, you know, we're getting deeper and deeper in the hole instead of being able to have a level of sustainability to continue to do this. So that's kind of why being paid for the gigs that we do is really important because if we don't get any money, we can't keep doing it. So, you know…
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: Not that we're money driven, but…
Jillian Curwin: No!
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. We have to make a level of income in order to keep on going. So..
Jillian Curwin: Exactly. And I think that also it allows you to grow bigger, and reach more individuals, and make a greater impact. Like, you need to be able to do that. And exposure is important, but you still need other means to do it.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, 100%.
Jillian Curwin: So then when working with brands, and like working on the projects, like what exactly… what are you looking for? What is your target market? What are you hoping to achieve?
Maria Rabaino: Our…We're always with women's empowerment, so we've done things with Aerie. I'm doing something with Gatorade right now, which is really, really exciting. It's really, it's really anything that helps our community know that they don't just have to get through this on the day-to-day, but that they can, and deserve, to thrive in this world and nothing should be able to hold them back. So any company that sees that image is a company we want to work with.
Jilian Curwin: Yes. And say, say, like… I think it's definitely moving in a more positive direction towards disability representation. There's still a long way to go, for sure. But I think it is so important to see, you know…A lot of what I do is for, not just for like the younger generation, but also just like, for my younger self who didn't have that, who didn't have this podcast to listen to, who didn't have the blog to read that I write or like…And then to see this community, which you guys have built. And it is a dance team, but it's so much…from the sense that I get from it, and seeing…I have a friend in it, and seeing what she's done, and like the convention that you guys had, like, it is so much more. But I love that dance is what started it because I think that it's such a way to express yourself and I feel like that is what you're doing. It's through dance, and through these other modalities, you're teaching these women, in a very powerful way, how to just express themselves and living in a world that's not necessarily designed for them to live in.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. And we, we show different adoptions. We used to do so many different videos on how we get our chair in the car to… sometimes I show me moving upstairs, you know. The world should be more accessible, 100%, but sometimes adapting through the inaccessibilities points it out in a fun way. And then people are like, “Oh, why don't we put a wheelchair lift there?” Or, “Why do we make this spot more accessible?” Sometimes by going into the places that aren't necessarily designed for us, they learn how to make adjustments to create it more welcoming for us in the future.
Jillian Curwin: Right. I mean, we're walking in knowing that a space, more likely than not, is not going to be accessible. Like we're aware of that reality. But at the same time, we're not just going to not go there. We're going to try to make it work for us.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And it's important to kind of show it in order for non-disabled people to see where it isn't accessible. Like you said, to work with us to make these spaces accessible. Because then it's not… It doesn't then become inaccessible to non-disabled people. It just makes it more inclusive for everyone.
Maria Rabaino: Yes, that's all it does, is making it more inclusive. And then, if you make it accessible to people who don't have the abilities to go into these inaccessible spaces, can actually go there and, guess what? They're another customer. So, the company makes more money. It's a smart business move…
Jillian Curwin: Right?
Maria Rabaino: To make it more inclusive and more accessible.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly.
Maria Rabaino: And it benefits the able-bodied community, as well. Parents with strollers, people with bicycles, like those curb cuts. So they benefit from it as well. Accessibility benefits… I mean, look at curbside pickup. Everybody loves doing that.
Jillian Curwin: Yes.
Maria Rabaino: And it’s the most incredible way for me to go and pick up things that I need without having to get my chair out of the car, just to be out of it for 5 minutes, then get everything back in so…it’s a lot easier on my body and I can find myself doing more when it's more accessible and it's a feature everybody loves.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly like…I think that's such like… something that obviously people aren't aware of is that by making things accessible, it also could make things easier for them too.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And it's not like a perk or a privilege that we're asking for. We're literally just asking for an accommodation to be made so that we, we can use the space just like everybody else. And if it benefits you, too, we're fine with that.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
Jillian Curwin: You talked about your Instagram, which is another one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you, as someone who is very into fitness…because your Instagram is kind of amazing.
Maria Rabaino: Thank you.
Jillian Curwin: So, so you're a certified fitness trainer? Adaptive fitness trainer? How do you like… what's your job title, in that sense?
Maria Rabaino: I am a certified personal trainer and I specialize in corrective exercise and exercise therapy. My goal is to make fitness more accessible and more inclusive, as we were kind of just talking about, so that way everybody, regardless of what their abilities are, can live a healthier life. You know, not everybody can maybe lift the weights that I lift, but, you know, if they can get their body moving in some way, shape or form, that is going to help them. It's, you know, maybe not easy for all of us to cook, but we can explore other avenues to get the most nutritional food possible so we can feel those benefits and have more energy to do the things we love to do.
Jillian Curwin: I mean, which I again, like, I think it's so important. And I think that's also kind of like… I'm not a certified trainer yet. I want to, and I think I've definitely held back on doing it, because I think part of me has wondered…I’m like, once I get this certificate, like, what am I going to do with it? Because obviously I know our typical image of a trainer is someone who works with clients and, while I would love to bring disabled people in and work with them, they're not the ones YET, yet, who are coming into the gyms really, to train with. And so like, I think I'm like, how am I going to spot someone who is two ti… like twice the size of me? Like, it's not going to happen.
[laughter]
So I'm like, well, once I get the certificate, because I want to do it. I have a passion for fitness and part of like, what I do on my social media as well is like, showing that I could do things that I didn't even think I could do, I probably shouldn't be doing, but I'm going to do it anyway to prove that I belong there.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But so I feel like…yeah.
Maria Rabaino: Well, yeah. Well, so all of my clients are online through social media. It's 100% virtual. So, instead of me being at the gym spotting them, I'm giving them the tools. I say, hey, these are the workouts that I want you to do each week. This is the nutritional guide. so you can learn how we can make adjustments to make your, you know, make the most out of the food that you're eating and enjoy it, too. That's a big part. If you’re not enjoying it, you're going to fall off the track.
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: And, you know, then we…I give them all the tools, it's up to them to implement it. But then we also have weekly accountability calls where we chat with them and we figure out, all right, what's, what's working, what's not working, how can we make adjustments, how can I encourage you and motivate you. Exploring the mindset, exploring the workouts, exploring the nutrition and improving everything bit by bit, piece by piece, building those healthy habits so they don't need me in the future. They're also encouraged to send me videos so I can look at those videos and say, “Hey,” you know, “bring your elbows in,” or give them cues to help them adjust their form so that way they can maximize the workouts that they are getting. My goal is to record, or get better quality recordings of me doing workouts, so I can say, “Hey, this is the exercise, and this is how I do it, so do it like this.” But that's, that's the next level when I record it. But yeah.
Jillian Curwin: That's so cool. There's one video I'm looking at… I might be on your Instagram page right now. When I say it might be, I mean, I am. Have you ever like… there's one where it says like “trying something different just because” and I think that mentality is important to kind of like see… I think gyms are often seen as very inaccessible.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.Exactly.
Jillian Curwin: It's it's on.... It's not an elliptical, but it's, it's like one of those like, similar type of cardio machines.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And so like, how did you adopt that mindset? Because that took me a very long time for me to kind of get into that mindset of like, let's just try.
Maria Rabiano: Let’s see. Uhh, I my husband and I just got done working out, during that day, and we were passing by it, and I just always pass the cardio section because 99% of it I can't generally use. But I was just looking at it and I was like, “I want to use the Stairmaster some day.” But they were all taken, and I still had a little bit of energy left, and then my husband just pointed out the machine and was like, “Let's try this.” And I was like, “Alright, let's try it.” And so, so I hopped on to it and recorded it. And that video was one of the most wild videos. I don't know how it got as many views as it got, but I'm not complaining. I get to share my message to more people.
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: But it was just a random thing. It wasn't even planned. It's just, you know, like, let's try this! Okay. Let’s film it too.
Jillian Curwin: Right. And I wish that too… I think what really resonates with me is that like, we're willing to try ,and I almost kind of wish that the industry in general is more willing to try, and try to find ways to include us. Because again, there are so many… We as disabled people, we still move.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: We don't necessarily move the way that non-disabled, that like, that typical gym fitness customer does…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But we still move. We still want to work out. And like you said so much, you know, equipment is inaccessible to us.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And like you said, going back to the business side of it, if they just kind of worked with us and made it accessible, that's a whole new clientele you're opening up your doors to.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And so…
Maria Rabaino: It is. It really is. And I think about so many things that you just said, about people not knowing how to train us, and how if they just try, that could make a huge difference. I'm in a Facebook group of other coaches and I've seen so many of them say like, “Oh, this person, you know, has this condition. And I didn't know how to do it. I didn't feel comfortable. So I said no to them.” And I'm like, “No!”
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: But that's, that’s one of the reasons why so many of us don't live healthier lives, because sometimes we try, we don't know where to go. So we go to professionals and they… you're like… they're scared and they say no. And, and not to deny the need for safety, you know, obviously, like you should be cautious about our, our abilities and making sure that we don't hurt ourselves. And if, like, it's something more serious, like they do need to go to physical therapy before they start going to the gym. But it's heartbreaking when they say no. And so I'm trying to create this space where, yes I'm personally training people and I'm working with individuals to help them live healthier lives, but I also want to show trainers that you can train people with disabilities.
There are specializations out there. I want to create an adaptive fitness course, like one of those specializations one day so that way other trainers, able-bodied or disabled, can meet somebody with a disability and not be afraid to take them on as a client. Because, you know, we, we want to, we want to move our bodies. We want to live healthier because it doesn't just help with our looks, you know, but it helps with my chronic pain. It helps with the circulation. It helps with keeping my bones strong since I'm sitting down every day.
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: I do have a little bit weaker bones, and so this helps me stay at my healthiest version of myself that I can do. And thankfully, I found trainers that were willing to work with me. And so I got to the point to where I was able to train myself in a sense.
Jillian Curwin: Which is important. And again, like you said, like we're trying to live our healthiest life, which is I think, when people who are going to the gym, that's what we're all trying to do. And, you know, I was working with a trainer who, he was on the podcast like the very beginning of when I started doing this, and he… I had asked him, and he was fantastic, still friends with him, love him, and he was like, “I've never trained a little person before. I don't know how to train a little person in the sense like, I don't know what you're capable of.”
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And he said, and I wonder if, like, like if this is still the case, because again, this was like more than a year ago since we talked in this kind of setting with him, like, when he got his certification, there was no education about teaching clients with disabilities.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, that's yeah, there's there…. It's a little, maybe a little bit better because the… So exercise therapy specialization, specialization is the closest that I found to people with disabilities, but it's more so about bridging the gap from physical therapy to fitness.
Jillian Curwin: Okay.
Maria Rabaino: Because eventually insurance stops paying for physical therapy, and people aren't going to need it as much, but they still need to continue to work on it. So that's what exercise therapy is. It's kind of continuing on the therapy section, but not hands on. And, you know, from work that they've already done and just kind of finishing it off for them. And then corrective exercise is like the, the misalignments in our body. So for me, my hip flexors are really tight and I have anterior pelvic tilt, so I can't stand straight up because my back will start to arch, my hips can't go under my body.
Jillian Curwin: Mmmhmm.
Maria Rabaino: And so there's exercises that I can do in order to correct that. It's something that I am currently working on. It's going to be a very long hill, long uphill battle for me. But hopefully I can correct that so someday I can stand up straight and maybe walk for more than 5 minutes before getting exhausted. But, but I haven't found anything really specific on disability. The exercise therapy one I was so excited for and I got to the section about spinal cord injuries, which is my own disability, and it was three pages long and it only talked about the different levels, not how the different levels affected our bodies, but just the different levels. I was like, so disappointed that if they're not even scratching the surface on my disability, and everything that I just read and learned about for other disabilities, are they just barely scratching the service? If even scratching the surface there? Like, there's so much more that could be taught and so much more that we can learn in order to safely and properly train us.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly. And like, you know, I had to learn my own limits. And because, like, again, they didn't know. Like he didn't know. And so he really, thankfully, like, put a lot of trust in me and knowing my body and knowing what I was capable of.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But it was still like, there were things that, like, I couldn't do, I wanted to do, and I wanted to be able to see what I could do. Because there were things that, you know, as a little person, the way my body's built, I have shorter arms and legs supporting an average-height torso. So growing up, I was told to be active to maintain a certain healthy body weight and two main exercises that were apparently the best for me, and still are, are, swimming and biking, which until recently like with my… I have, like, a kids-like stationary bike. But until I got that, there's no way I could bike indoors.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And swimming, if I didn't have access to a pool, what was I going to do?
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And so I was, like, finding ways to move. And like, again like, with these trainers that I’ve worked with, and they've all been great ideas on different levels, but like, at least with him he was really like, I want to learn, I want to understand. And he did recognize that it is a problem, that there isn't that education there.
Maria Rabaino: It's a much needed path that needs to be paved so we can, we can work out and so everybody else can, you know, find a way to move their body that benefits them. It's so you know, I just… I'm remembering all my leg workouts that I do because nobody… When I was trying to figure out my fitness journey, you know, like the upper body workouts, I could figure out just fine. But I do have leg movement. And so I want to be able to strengthen my legs as much as, as I can because they are part of my body. And so…
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: I do need to work them out as best as I can. So figuring out exer-...workouts that would work was such a challenge. I was trying to figure out how to do… I did a fitness challenge and they’re like, okay, do squat jumps. And I'm like, how am I going to do that? You know? Like is this…what? What?
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: And I looked up adaptive workouts and it was just somebody sitting in a chair, not necessarily a wheelchair, but just a chair, doing bicep curls. Like, all right, yeah, but what about my legs? And then if I looked up non-adaptive workouts, just regular, for able-bodied people, they were like running and jumping over picnic tables and climbing walls, and I'm like that's not helpful either.
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: So I was talking with a friend, like I was literally just venting with a friend about like, how I can't find anything. I'm trying to figure things out. He's like, “Well, why don't you just try squats while holding onto something?” And a little light bulb went off, and I was slightly annoyed that I didn't figure that out myself, but I tried it anyways, and I was barely bending my knees, my husband was right by me because I was like, “you’ve got to catch me…”
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: It’s been literal years since I've even done anything like this. But the… after that, like this whole fire inside of me sparked up. And it's like, think outside the box, focus on what you can do, figure it out. And it was from there, where I was showing people what I could already figure out on my own, that when I went to other trainers they would look at my page, because they wanted to get to know their client a little bit, and they would see that I was already doing leg workouts and were like, “Oh, I didn’t know that was something you could do.” And so it was really that and helping them figure things out from there. And then we would kind of work together. And that's, that's what it really should be about, is working together, you know, us telling them what our bodies can and can't do, things that we have to look out for, and them taking their expertise in the fitness world to apply it to us so we can figure out a way to challenge our bodies in ways that will help us and will benefit us.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly. So much of what you just said I relate to because again, with my page where I'll post, again, things I should or shouldn't be doing. And then when I started working with the trainer, and he'd like… At first like, it seemed like, it wasn't until he saw my social media, this is, I guess a few weeks in, that he was like, “Oh, I could do a lot more with you. Now let's see.” And then it was like, “Do you want to try?” And I…And he can correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think I ever said no because again, I'm like, if I'm doing this and I show this, then it's not… then it's me showing to other people, to both other little people, other disabled people, and non-disabled people that like, this is what we're really capable of. This is where this fitness space, the gym, is a space where we belong. And, you know, let's really work together to really open those doors wider so more people can come into this, these spaces.
Maria Rabaino: Absolutely. Absolutely. I, I want more people at the gym. I want more people to work out. I want more people to make these decisions to live healthier lives, because I know how much better I feel doing this myself and how much better other people do, feel when they start doing it. But when they're, when they're literally being told no by trainers that they're trying to go to for help when they can't even get into the gym because, you know, it's so inaccessible and all the equipment so packed tight that they can't get to the sections that they can't get to or that they can use. Like it's, it's understandable why so many disabled people aren't working out and why they aren't taking care of their bodies because they're, they're, they're being told that they're not welcome there…
Jillian Curwin: Exactly.
Maria Rabaino: You know, either directly or indirectly. And so we got to change that, got to change that.
Jillian Curwin: Yeah.
Maria Rabaino: I feel so many different benefits from working out and I know that they would too. But I also understand why they're not.
Jillian Curwin: Right. I completely understand why people don't go to the gym. And I think, and it kind of goes back to, with why you guys started the Rollettes in the first place, is having that community. And, you know, I've been going to my gym now… I've been going to a gym for years, but my specific gym where I'm at now for over like two years at this point, and I know the people there, but there’s still every day, because I'm the only one who's a little person, I'm the only disabled person, visibly disabled person that I see, there's still this feeling, that I'm aware that's fully inside my head, that I have to prove myself. I have to prove that I belong there. And if there were just other people who looked like me, who I could talk to, who understood and say, okay, I need help with something, or they need help with something, let's figure this out together. Again, we're very resourceful. Like, I think that sense of community, we're always looking for that. And in the gym, I think that's the place that you and I are really trying… you especially, are really like trying to help build in that space, especially because non-disabled people who are there think it is just, it's so accessible. It's a place where we don't belong.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. But in, in the reality, I personally have never had a bad experience in the gym. I know a lot of the reasons why people don't go is because they're afraid of being judged. They're afraid of being laughed at. But one, most people at the gym, as I'm sure you're aware, don't, aren't really paying attention.
Jillian Curwin: No.
Maria Rabaino: They're focused on their own workout. They’re not even noticing. And two, if they do notice you, they're, they're giving you a thumbs up. They're like saying like you're doing this, you're killing it.
Jillian Curwin: Yeah.
Maria Rabaino: You’re a badass. You know, it's, it’s always been welcoming. And so they're always offering to help me out as well, which is so great. You know, with all the things reaching that I can’t reach, like, if you ever need help, let me know. Like, alright, thank you.
Jillian Curwin: Yeah, yeah.
Maria Rabaino: And just moving forward, it's, it’s honestly the gym, the people in the gym, not the fitness industry, but the people in the gym, the most intimidating looking people are generally the friendliest they are. Because, you know, they're excited to see you there. They're excited to see you challenge yourself and discover this wonderful side of fitness.
Jillian Curwin: Yeah. And I think…Thank you for making that distinction that the people in the gym…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Are different than the fitness industry. Because it's similar to like, my experience. When I go to the gym, I know the people, everyone there is welcoming, which is why I say when I have that feelings of, like, needing to prove myself, I'm fully aware that it is in my own head.
Maria Rabaino: Yes.
Jillian Curwin: But yet like, there is a person like…Today I was at the gym and he just saw me, and it's this guy who always like, he sees me walking to the squat rack, he knows I'm going to need help with it. He knows now where I have everything set. He knows what plates I need.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And like, there’s this kind of like, friendship in that community there.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But it's like, I want to see other disabled people in it.
Maria Rabaino: Yes! Yes, I do too. I do too. My gym, I… When I was there, there was maybe a, like a squat tree, or like, not a squat, a weight rack. There's a little weight rack for like, the plates, and it was like slightly in the way. Like I couldn't get through without having to like, kind of like do a wheelie and then four wheel over it. Like, it’s just like, it was this whole weird thing, like…
Jillian Curwin: Yeah.
Maria Rabaino: I couldn’t get through without having to get my wheel on top of it. And so I, I posted that video saying like, hey, like, this kind of sucks, not calling out the gym. I never posted the name of the gym at the time. But then the manager came to me like, “Hey, we're going to fix that. We saw that. We're going to, we're going to fix that right now.” And then they actually did. And so I did a follow up video showing like, hey, look, you know. So just by me being there and me showing, you know, the signs of me being a strong, badass woman at the gym who uses a wheelchair, but also showing, you know, maybe my goofy side or the inaccessibility side that even I face, I made my gym more accessible. Just by doing a little video.
Jillian Curwin: I love that and I think like… Props to that gym for seeing that and for, just like saying, we're going to fix this for you.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah. They just moved it.
Jillian Curwin: That's, that's awesome.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah. Yeah, it was so easy. It was an easy fix and I was so happy to see that. So, you know, if there is, if you go to a gym and there is inaccessibility there, point it out, see if the gym will adjust it, you know, especially if it's something as easy as moving something. And if it's maybe a bit more of a pricey thing, show them the value of it, you know…
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: And explain how it’ll help you, how it’ll help other people in the same community. It might help other people with, who aren't disabled. You know? Like…
Jillian Curwin: Right.
Maria Rabaino: I love it.
Jillian Curwin: Right. And it's again like, the simple solutions make things more accessible. And again, if we're going to talk of money, and they're worried about it, disabled people are the world's largest minority.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: You make space more accessible, clients, you know, we're going to come.
Maria Rabaino: We’re going to come.
Jillian Curwin: We're going to show up because again, there's yeah, we still want to…
Maria Rabaino: We like spending our money at places at places that value us…
Jillian Curwin: Yes! That, again, makes us feel welcome in that community. That's, I think, what every person wants. So, if you're going to make your space accessible, we're going to come to you.
Maria Rabaino: We're going to show up. Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly.
Um, so I want to ask, like, both for you as an individual and you as part of the Rollettes, where do you see yourself and your team five years from now?
Maria Rabaino: Oh my gosh. I knew this question was coming too. [laughter] Okay, for the team, I see us moving past where we have our women's empowerment weekend. We're going to outgrow it soon. Not, not in like a bad way, but just like, we're having more and more women show up that there won't be room for, you know, 500 women in one hotel, you know? There's just not going to be room. So, we're going to outgrow it and we're going to move somewhere even bigger and even better where we're going to just… we're honestly going to do the same thing, but change more people's lives and we're going to open up the doors to maybe more abilities, more disabilities, and go from there.
As far as me as an individual, I would like to see myself consistently working with new clients and, you know, graduating them so they don't need me anymore. They might want to still work with me, but they don't necessarily anymore, which is a totally different story. And, you know, I'm… maybe touring gyms and showing them where they can make their adjustments and maybe break it down from like, this costs you nothing to this might be something that you have to invest in but would be a very good addition. But…And I'd love to have conversations with more trainers that aren't disabled on how they could properly train us so that, as much as I would love to train every single disabled person in the world, I know I actually cannot. So I, I would truly make it, make the space more accessible by make-, by showing other people how to train us as well.
Jillian Curwin: I think both of those realities are possible. One, for the Rollettes like, I know seeing what that weekend was, and again it wasn't just dance, like there was modeling workshops…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
JIllian Curwin: There was…Judy Heumann was there.
Maria Rabaino: Oh my gosh. I danced with her to “Wop”.
Jillian Curwin: [Audible gasp] You did.
Maria Rabaino: I danced with her to “Wop”. It was the highlight for me. She came out, we had our pajama party, which is like something that we do at Rollettes experience. Just jump…we're dancing, we're having fun. She came out after the kids left, and so the music wasn't necessarily family friendly at this time. And you know like, when I realized what the song was I looked at her and she was still dancing. I was like, we’re dancing? Okay. She, leans over, st was like, “Do you know the, the words to this song?” And I'm like, “I'm aware of the lyrics.” Like, oh no, here I go. And she's just like, was like “Wooo!” and like, keeps dancing. I was like, “Oh my gosh!”
[laughter]
She's so funny too. Like she told 250 women in wheelchairs that she is known to deflate tires of cars that are illegally parked in the accessible spots. I mean, that woman is feisty, like she's she's an amazing woman who made accessibility what it is today.
Jillian Curwin: Yes.
Maria Rabaino: She is, she is feisty and hysterical. And I absolutely love her.
Jillian Curwin: Love her. She's a queen. She…
Maria Rabaino: A queen.
Jillian Curwin: I had her on and like, getting her on this show was like one of the highlights of…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Not just my, like, podcast, podcasting career, my life. And talking to her again, like, she’s just so like, she's a real she's just like, yeah, I did that, like, yeah, I did that. And like, I'm so going. Like, she's not stopping.
Maria Rabaino: No, she's not. She's continuing to go and she's continuing to make sure that we're growing so we can continue on as well. So it's, it's really great.
Jillian Curwin: Yes.
Maria Rabaino: But, to kind of touch back on the Rollettes experience because I don’t think I really talked about it. Yeah, it's our women's empowerment weekend. And like you said, it's more than just dance. We have dance classes, we have panels and discussions on…Last year we had motherhood and we talked about advocacy and, you know, other things that are relevant but not 100% relevant towards our disability but you know, our disability makes a difference in that life, in that style. We, I, we do fitness classes, we have a makeup seminar. There are coffee chats for parents of kids with disabilities. We had a partner meet up for all the people that are dating these women in wheelchairs to hang out with my husband and Chelsie's husband and, you know, the men that are with us and special to our lives. So that way they can have a space to chat and connect. It turns out that they just talked about turning 30, but you know…[laughter] So…but, you know, that's, that's, that's what, that's what happens when you put guys in charge of a women’s empowerment, you know, session.
You know, there, there…We put, we look at every moment and we just try to let these girls know that, you know, they are truly incredible women and,that they deserve to shoot for the stars and, you know, do everything that they want to do. I've seen, like, their confidence just skyrocket through the roof in just that weekend alone. Like in the beginning they come in maybe a little bit shy, and then by the end they're running around, and taking photos with their friends, and getting everybody's Instagrams so they can stay connected and like, they're a totally different person in one weekend alone. And so it's really incredible to see. And I really do love the Rollettes experience and what it has become for everybody else.
Jillian Curwin: So much of what you said and what you just described resonates with me, and is very similar to LPA, which is like a little person community. It's not… it's for men and women of all ages. But once a year we have a big national convention where like we all come together for a week and we kind of do similar things. Like we have sports for the kids, there's a dance every night, there's a talent show, there's a fashion show, there are medical seminars, there are meetings for the parents to kind of get to understand, cause a lot of us are born to average-height, non-disabled parents.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: I don't think there's anything for average-height non-disabled partners, but I feel like that’s something that maybe should be brought into next… although who knows what will happen there.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: But I think that like, it is so important. And for me it's important to see how similar those experiences are because growing up, and it wasn't until really moving to New York and finding the disabled community at large, that it felt so separate.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And so, to hear how like similar they are, it's like, I think…Again, it's like the power of when we come together, both within our groups of like wheelchair users and little people, but then just imagine, like if we all came together like…
Maria Rabaino: Oh my gosh.
Jillian Curwin: That…It would be unstoppable.
Maria Rabaino: It would be truly unstoppable. Like when, when you see somebody, either a little person, wheelchair user, amputated limb, some sort of just like… once you see them get empowered and get them to realize that they deserve more, whew! May get a little dangerous with how feisy they can get. It is so fun to watch. I’m like I remember when you were so shy walking into this, or rolling into, you know, coming into this space, and now, now you're calling out every single place that is, you know, being inaccessible and, you know, and I'm like, I love it. I love it. But it's like, well, if we all got together, it could be dangerous.
Jillian Curwin: It needs to happen.
Maria Rabaino: It does need to happen. I’m, I'm saying it'd be dangerous in an exciting way.
Jillian Curwin: So… Yes. Dangerous in like, the most positive way for us.
Maria Rabaino: Things would change when we get together.
Jillian Curwin: Things would. And I think it's so important that we do need to come together. I think it's, we have our, you know…Wheelchair users have their community, little people have their community, but like recognizing we're part of the disabled community…
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And, you know, we see what happens when they do come together. So…
Maria Rabaino: We need to all come together.
Jillian Curwin: Yes.
Maria Rabaino: I think it's good to have like, the spaces for wheelchair users, and the spaces for little people so like, you can relate on the topics that…
Jillian Curwin: Absolutely.
Maria Rabaino: Apply to them. But you know, I'm, I’m sure me and you can relate towards the bars that are too tall for us to like, look up. You know? Like, we have things that we can relate about, you know, even though our…we’re a little bit different. But, you know, like we, we all have things that we can relate about. And when we get together and when we find that, you know, then we find more solutions. So yeah.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly.
Maria Rabaino: Because we’re the problem solvers. So, you get a community of problem solvers together, we're going to be like, hey, this ain’t working, this is like what you need to do.
Jillian Curwin: Yep.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: And we'll change the world.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah. Look good doing it too.
Jillian Curwin: Exactly.
Who do you look up to?
Maria Rabaino: I got to say my friend Chelsie. She's, she's the founder and CEO of the Rollettes. And I met her when I was five months injured and she invites me to this dance camp where I'm the only one who's newly injured and, you know, figuring out how to live life and has, like, continued to flourish since starting the team. And she has always, always, always pushed me to become the best version of myself and making sure that, you know, I, I love myself and that I take care of myself and that I, I thrive in the space that I want to thrive in. So, you know, I know a lot of people pick, you know, maybe their parents, or a celebrity, or something like that, but it's my best friend. I definitely look up to her.
Jillian Curwin: Love that and I think you... Now that I think of it, you might be the first person to say you're best friend. And I think that is so important to be able to say like, these are the people that we lean on, that we go to. And so for her to be that person for you, I love that.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah. Yeah. You know, and it's great that my hero, you know, is by my side. And so I'm like, Oh! [happy noises]
Jillian Curwin: Yes!
Maria Rabaino: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I definitely love her. So Chelsie, if you're listening to this, thank you for everything.
Jillian Curwin: Thank you Chelsie. Are there any questions I have not asked that you would like to answer?
Maria Rabaino: I think we've touched on it all. I think, I think we're all good. Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: That is totally an acceptable answer. And I agree. We touched on so much, more than I thought we were going to at the beginning of this conversation.
Thank you so much for just taking the time to share your story, to talk to me about the Rollettes, and to talk to me about your journey as like a personal trainer and everything. And I want to know where, because if they're not already, people should be. Where can people…That was very…[laughter]
Maria Rabaino: Oh no. My tongue gets tied all the time. I actually…So, fun fact about, about my, when I became paralyzed. I actual-, actually almost bit off my tongue. And so, like, I have like a little scar on it, but it's probably hard to see on camera. I'll have to like take a photo, or something, but…
Jillian Curwin: Okay.
Maria Rabaino: Because I always bit it off like, sometimes it like, gets, like, numb and like…So I'll be, like, talking, and it's just like, blah, blah, blah, you got to slow down the talking. [laughter] Yeah, so that's, that’s a fun, fun fact about me. So anytime anyone’s tongue gets tied I’m like you’re talking to the fine.
Jillian Curwin: You get it.
Maria Rabaino: You’re fine.
Jillian Curwin: You understand. [laughter] Thank you for understanding.
So, Maria, where can people follow you?
Maria Rabaino: You can find the team @Rollettes_LA on Instagram and TikTok, and we're on YouTube, Rollettes Dance Team. You can find me @MariaRabaino, R-A-B-A-I-N-O, and that's on both Instagram and TikTok. I don't have a YouTube yet, or I mean, I do, but I'm not active on it. But maybe someday. But yeah, find me on those faces and you'll see me embarrass myself at the gym and you'll see my dog. You'll see my love for fitness.
Jillian Curwin: Yes, please do if you're not following her already. She's a badass. And like just such an empowering person to follow, especially, you know, for someone, if you're into fitness, if you're disabled and into fitness, if you're disabled and want to be into fitness, follow her and follow the Rollettes to just continue… constantly and continuously just be empowered.
Maria Rabaino: Yes.
Jillian Curwin: And I will have links to follow her in the show notes. So you can click those links and there you go.
Maria Rabaino: Thank you.
Jillian Curwin: So the thing I do and every episode is I do an icebreaker, but I do it at the end because I think it's more fun that way.
Maria Rabaino: Yeah.
Jillian Curwin: So I have five categories and I just want to hear your favorite in each one.
Maria Rabaino: Okay.
Jillian Curwin: Favorite book.
Maria Rabaino: I am not much of a reader, but I did listen to an audiobook of You Are A Badass and I really loved that book. That really helped me get to where I am today.
Jillian Curwin: Love. Favorite TV show.
Maria Rabaino: Really loving 9-1-1, both the regular 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star. Those are, those are some really good shows.
Jillian Curwin: Okay. Favorite drink.
Maria Rabaino: Vodka cranberry. Go-to.
Jillian Curwin: Nice. Favorite piece of advice you've ever given.
Maria Rabaino: Celebrate every victory. No victory is too small. When I started celebrating every little thing, you know, even if it's just I completed a chapter in the section that I was studying like, I would celebrate. I would reward myself for that. And it, it taught me like good things happen when I do the thing. So celebrate every little thing. No victory is too small to celebrate.
Jillian Curwin: Agreed. Last one. Favorite piece of advice you've ever received.
Maria Rabano: Advice I’ve ever received…From my therapist was… she reminded me that I needed to just do things for fun, as well. I get sometimes so work driven that I don't let myself enjoy things. And so having her give me that, you know, reminding me to do fun things has actually helped me flourish in all of my goals that I want to set as well, because it reminds me why I'm doing it. So finding joy in life.
Jillian Curwin: That is a perfect note to end on. Maria, thank you again so much for coming on. It has been great talking with you. Again, if you're not following her, go follow her. Go check her out. Go support the Rollettes. They're just amazing. She's an amazing, incredibly empowering person and they are an incredibly empowering group of badass women. So thank you. Thank you so much for coming on. The final final thing I just have to ask of you is to remind my listeners in your most badass voice possible that hey is just a number, not a limit.
Maria Rabaino: I love that.
Jillian Curwin: I want you to say it.
Maria Rabaino: I love…Oh, okay. Oh, me say it? Gotcha. Gotcha. Okay so, height is not a limit but a number? Is that it?
Jillian Curwin: Height is just a number, not a limit.
Maria Rabaino: Height is just a number, not a limit.
Jillian Curwin: Always Looking Up is hosted by Jillian Curwin and edited and produced by Ben Curwin. Please make sure to rate, review, and subscribe and follow on Spotify so that you never miss an episode. Follow me on Instagram at @jill_ilana, and the podcast @alwayslookingup.podcast, for updates, and check out my blog, JillianIlana.com, for more content about what it is like to be a little person in an average-sized world.
Thanks for listening. See you next week.
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Follow Maria:
Instagram: @mariarabaino
TikTok: @mariarabaino
Follow The Rollettes:
Instagram: @rollettes_la
TikTok: @rollettes_la
YouTube: Rollettes Dance Team
Listen To Maria’s Episode:
