And while her time on the show was short-lived, Beatriz still made her mark. After all, the track and field athlete is the first person with a disability to appear on Love Island USA.
After her friend pointed out the positive response Beatriz—who was born without a fibula on her right leg—received on social media, Beatriz said, “I love that I came across so powerful.”
As for what she’d tell her teenage self?
“Your leg might seem like a big deal to you now, but it’s not. And once you fully accept that and accept yourself, your life becomes so much easier,” she explained. “Be open and willing to accept love, accept the hate.”
Although Beatriz noted her disability has made her “very tough,” she felt that she was able to “turn that all off” with Gabriel and be “feminine” and “soft.”
“Falling for somebody is scary, but that’s the risk you gotta be willing to take,” she said. “And Gabriel made that risk worth taking.”
Read on to learn more about the cast of Love Island season eight.