Norwegian politician poses naked to show that he is more than a simple body

Norwegian politician poses naked to show that he is more than a simple body

Norwegian politician poses naked to show that he is more than a simple body

Torstein Lerhol is a Norwegian who occupies his time well: professor, politician, He suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and has always been in a wheelchair. His illness may surprise, but the man never wanted to be treated differently.

He completed his studies and graduated as his brothers and sisters. He travels a lot and he has ambition. After teaching, he became the lightest politician with his 17 kg.

He prefers to remain light to facilitate the work of those who take care of him, he says often as a joke.

Torstein has touched and inspired thousands of people around the world. He even agreed to pose nude for the young photographer Henrik Fjørtoft.

"It took me a long time to decide whether or not I would publish these words and photos. I would like to show that neither my body nor my appearance influences my person or my own perception. My body and my appearance never stopped me from dreaming or reaching my goals.

I hope that my words will touch people and make them realize that we should not worry about our outer envelope, but rather focus on the people they really are, inside. That's who we are who should determine our success and not the rest.

The photographer wanted to show that beauty goes far beyond the concept we think. There is no settled answer on what is beautiful and good. He wanted us to see that it is possible to discover beauty in all kinds of things.
The message he wants to convey is that we should accept all people in society regardless of their appearance or disability.

Norwegian politician poses naked to show that he is more than a simple body

I'm not Brad Pitt. My bones are protruding, my muscles atrophied and my spine is so twisted that I look like the hunchback of Notre Dame. But all this did not stop me from realizing my dreams. I just used the talents and skills that I have. Education and politics gave me self-confidence which allowed me to realize that I could achieve my goals without having a "perfect" appearance.
People have always treated me with respect by putting aside the fact that I look like a skeleton. At school, students consider me as a teacher like any other. In general, appearance is important and it is a sensitive topic for young people. So when I see that they are able to put me on the same level of equality as others, it gives me hope.

I don't want to go for a naive person shouting all the time that appearance does not count at all. Nor am I saying that one should not take care of one's body. I just want to say that physical appearance should not determine how we perceive ourselves, live our lives or are valued by others. I decided that my appearance would not play a vital role in my life.



Source : barouf

Photo Credit: Screenshot