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Winnie Harlow is reacting to praise from some of her biggest supporters.
The model, 30, appeared on Today on Wednesday, June 25, to discuss her skincare brand Cay Skin, the announcement of her first-ever Madame Tussauds wax figure and, in one portion she didn’t anticipate, the importance of being a role model for others on World Vitiligo Day.
After a sit-down interview with Bobbie Thomas, Harlow was surprised by Jenna Bush Hager with video messages from three women with vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment. All three women told Today how Harlow’s advocacy has changed them.
“I feel so grateful that we have someone like you who is paving the way for those of us with vitiligo,” one supporter said. “To have someone who is so, so beautiful, who is so bold, so inspiring, it means the world to me and I know it means so much to so many more.”
Another woman said in her video that “seeing someone as beautiful and genuine as you” helped her “learn to love myself,” despite “self-confidence issues.”
“I always wish I had a big sister. I’ve always been the big sister… And to see something like that, I’ve become that big sister that I’ve always wanted,” Harlow said after watching the clips.
“To see me being true to me and standing in confidence in my own power and how that can highlight so many girls and boys to do the exact same, because they have a power as well. It makes everything that I do worth it.”
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Elsewhere during her Today appearance, Harlow was asked what she wished she heard as a four-year old if she could go “back in time.”
“Do you know what I think would’ve been the most powerful, if I didn’t hear anything at all,” she said. “To just experience life as I was, I think would’ve made a world of difference.”
“I would like people to know that being different is a superpower,” she added. “We are all different, every single one of us. We are all different. To own that and to love that, everything will be great. As long as you own who you are and love who you are, the world is your oyster.”
Back in 2021, Harlow — who entered the public eye in 2014 at 19 when she competed on cycle 19 of America’s Next Top Model — caught up with PEOPLE about making it her mission to break barriers in fashion. At the time, she said she “never saw anyone like me on TV, billboards or on the runways” growing up and “felt like I was the only person in the world like me.”
“My plan was to never fail,” she said. “I’m from the hood, and my goal was to never go back. I wanted to take care of my mom and my sister and make my dad proud.”