Ambassador Spotlight: Kristen Furey
Here at Slick Chicks we believe our ambassadors are the forefront of our success. Our ambassadors are chosen based on their impactful missions to help better society and better themselves in the process. Our ambassadors are dedicated to their communities and for that (and more), we are proud to have them as the main representatives of our brand.
Briefly introduce yourself in one to two sentences.
My name is Kristen Furey and I’m a 27-year-old chronic illness fighter. The result of dealing with severe chronic pain, anxiety, medical trauma, and PTSD in my life, has led me to look at life as a chance to use what I’ve gone through to help others live an easier life.
How do you spiritually prepare yourself for each day? Do you have a mantra or meditation you do if things ever become overwhelming?
Although a majority of my day is filled with severe pain, I focus on the good part of every day and use that as my motivation to push through. I am thankful for the small things: like having the ability to step outside and experience life because it hasn’t always been that way.
How do you empower yourself?
I empower myself by following other inspiring chronic illness warriors and seeing how I am not the only one out there. Simply sharing my ups and downs and supporting other fellow fighters, helps me to keep my positive outlook on life.
How do you process and deal with any critics you may have?
I see critics in life more as a motivation to keep to my goals and morals. We never will know what others experience and go through on a daily basis. All we can do is to never judge someone from their outside and always kill people with kindness.
Where does your overall determination come from?
My overall determination comes from the motivation to feel better and experience every adventure in life that I want to. I have a dream to travel the world and to become a WOCN one day. That is enough to keep me pushing through each day.
What is your relationship with social media?
I built my brand “TheFureyFighter” back when I had no idea support out there from others like myself existed. I am there to educate and bring light to how you can live a somewhat normal life with a chronic illness.
Your Instagram is full of beautiful photos of you on your travels. Where is your favorite place you’ve visited so far?
My favorite place I have traveled to thus far was my adventure to Bali, Indonesia and Sydney Australia. I got to experience the jungle-like beauty of Bali and end the trip in the beautiful city of Sydney. The highlight of the trip was swinging into the jungle and closing my eyes and just for a second life seemed to be easy.
How has your experience with your invisible disability influenced your decision to begin sharing your journey on social media?
When I was diagnosed with my disease, there wasn’t social media I could turn to, to find education and tips on how to live. Life was hard and having no one to talk to, I was in a very bad place. I don’t want anyone to ever have to go through what I did and I want to spend every day trying to prevent others from seeing life with an ostomy as an end result, but more the best thing that can ever happen to you.
Why does representation matter for you?
Representation gives you the ability to show and educate who you really are. None of us can be upset with our peers if they do not know certain disabilities or medical conditions. I use that as motivation to teach others more about who I am and encourage them to share with their friends and family.
What do you love about Slick Chicks?
Slick Chicks is one of the few brands I have found in my 13 years of living with a disability that has created real life intimate clothing for people with a disability. It saddens me to see that we live in a world designed mostly for healthy people but instead it should be focused on adapting and providing for all types of bodies. Slick Chicks has done this and I am forever proud and happy to work beside an amazing company.
Follow along with Kristen on her travels and daily life on Instagram.
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