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Traveling with a kid can be chaotic for any parent, but for Para Taekwondo world champion and artist Dejana Bačko—who was born without arms—it’s an unbelievable display of creativity and resilience. In a now-viral airport video, Dejana maneuvers her baby’s stroller with her feet and juggles her luggage, showing the world that “impossible” is just another challenge to conquer. Millions are celebrating her strength, her calm demeanor, and her seemingly magical ability to keep her child safe while she handles everything using only her feet.

This moment is just one of many in Dejana’s journey as a mother, artist, and athlete. Born in Serbia, Dejana has spent her life defying expectations, finding creative ways to overcome challenges, and sharing her experiences with the world. Through her videos, she offers a raw and heartfelt glimpse into her life, from her child’s first steps to the intricacies of parenting without arms.


Parenting at the Airport: A Lesson in Adaptability

Dejana’s most recent viral moments occurred during a routine airport trip, where she showcased her ability to handle her baby and luggage—all without the use of arms. In the video, she maneuvers her child’s stroller with her feet, seamlessly managing tasks that many might find daunting even with both hands.

Comments poured in, applauding her ingenuity, strength, and sense of humor:

  • Her core strength has to be ridiculous.
  • She’s more mobile than most of us using less body.
  • I wouldn’t want to fight her—she’s a Para Taekwondo champ for a reason!
  • She just sticks her foot out and trips the kid!” (joking about how she could manage a toddler running off)

It’s a potent mix of awe, admiration, and sometimes playful humor that shows how inspired people are by Dejana’s unstoppable approach to life.


A World Champion, Even Without Arms

Before she was racking up admiration as a traveling supermom, Dejana was already kicking serious butt—literally. She’s a Para Taekwondo world champion, using her powerful legs (and insane balance) to dominate in a sport that most people can’t handle even with full use of their limbs. This same unwavering dedication and physical skill clearly shine through in her parenting style, whether she’s lifting a stroller with her feet or stepping in (pun intended) to soothe her baby at just the right moment.

A Mother’s Joy: Witnessing Her Child’s First Steps

Dejana’s TikTok journey is also filled with tender moments, like when she shared a video of her daughter Lara taking her first steps. As the little girl toddled across the room, viewers were quick to praise the proud mom.

Look at her go!” one commenter wrote. “She grew up so fast. I’ve been loving watching her grow from birth.” Another added, “You’re an absolutely amazing mother! You are such an inspiration!




Overcoming challenges: Giving birth and breastfeeding

One of Dejana’s most poignant videos came shortly after she gave birth. The video, which captures her breastfeeding her newborn daughter, underscores the depth of her determination.

Speaking with Express, Dejana reflected on her early struggles as a parent: “It was not easy in the beginning. I wanted to pick up our baby so badly by myself, but I could not do it."

She also credits her partner, Marko, for being a constant source of support and encouragement, especially in those first challenging weeks. "However, now that Lara is four months, I find it easier to do things, such as getting her from her bed and putting her into chairs.”

Comments on the video echoed admiration for her strength. “You are the definition of a superhero,” one user wrote. Another added, “God bless you. You are so inspiring.




An Artist, Athlete, and Supermom

Before becoming a mother, Dejana was already well-known for her artistic talents, painting intricate works with her feet. She is also a Para Taekwondo world champion, a fitness coach, and now a role model for millions. Her ability to juggle these identities while embracing motherhood has earned her the title of “supermom” from her followers.

Despite the accolades, Dejana remains humble. “We are so glad to have this opportunity to inspire others by not doing anything special, just documenting our normal life and how we do things our way,” she shared.



Finding Inspiration in Everyday Moments

Dejana’s story is a testament to the power of determination and the boundless possibilities of love. Whether she’s lifting her baby’s stroller up a flight of stairs or feeding her child with the help of a chin and shoulder, Dejana’s life demonstrates that limitations are only what we perceive them to be.

As one TikTok commenter so aptly put it: “You're such a beautiful and remarkable woman!😍😘💪🏻”



Everyday Superpowers

From busy airports to the Taekwondo mat, Dejana’s everyday superpowers remind us that limitations can be more mindset than reality. People online call her “supermom,” but she humbly insists she’s just living her normal life. Whether she’s foot-painting a new masterpiece, lifting her baby’s stroller up a flight of stairs, or traveling across the globe, Dejana’s journey is inspiring countless others.

As one Reddit commenter put it, “She’s not missing arms. We’re missing her level of motivation.


You can check out more of Dejana's videos on her TikTok or YouTube channel.



More For You

A gay man in Vegas was approached by a 40-year-old stranger asking for advice on raising his son

A gay man in Vegas was approached by a 40-year-old stranger asking for advice on raising his son

Jack Remmington got a surprise he says he’ll never forget. While playing the slots in Las Vegas he and his friend were approached by a middle-aged man they had never met who wanted to know if they were gay. Although it was a relatively safe public space, you never know what might happen in a city fueled by alcohol, sex and gambling.

Source: GIPHY

Instead, the man who approached Remmington wanted to ask some perfectly wholesome advice about communicating with his young son whom he thinks is probably still in the closet. Remmington wrote about the interaction on his Twitter page and the breakdown has quickly gone viral for the best reasons. “Ok I just experienced the nicest exchange with a stranger and think it’ll help to share: I was playing on the Mariah Carey slots in Vegas (naturally) and a friendly circa-mid-40s ish guy sat down to play on the machine next to me,” Remmington wrote.

"I was sitting with @marcoalessifilm, both wearing pink (naturally) and after chatting a little to the guy about Vegas, he nervously asked if he could ask us a question. I knew where this was gonna go as it always does so did a bit of an inner eye roll but indulged him anyway."

"He then asked if we were together so we said no (we’re best friends and he has a fab bf) and he asked if we were gay, so we said yes. He then said he thinks his 13 year old son might be gay and wondered if he could ask us how best for him to navigate that."

"He lit up when talking about his son, and I nearly started crying at how much he clearly loved him. The guy wanted to know how to make his son feel most comfortable about himself whilst not being too overt and glaringly obvious in forcing a conversation about his sexuality."

Source: GIPHY

"This man is SO sweet. From rural Arkansas and said whilst things are so much better now, he still just wants the world to be totally equal for his son. Marco and I said he sounds like he’s doing all the right things and that making his son know he’s loved is the best he can do."

"We both gave a couple of anecdotes from personal experience, largely relating to condoning abstract things when you see them like normalising conversations around gay kisses on TV or calling our family conversations that might shame potential queerness."

"We also mentioned not accidentally policing things so as to shame him - for instance, often out of a sense of protection and love parents can frown on a child’s behaviour or outfit because they’re worried for their safety when on a night out etc."

Source: GIPHY

"But we stressed that if this was their feeling it’s important to vocalise this exactly, rather than leaving the child ruminating over the parent’s intentions and second guessing why they said what they said."

"So in terms of advice to friends or relatives of a potentially queer person, what would fellow queers advise is the best way to make it known they have their love and support without causing an uncomfortable conversation that might force someone to come out before they’re ready?"

You can read the whole thing on Remmington’s Twitter thread, here.

While it’s understandable that he and his friend were apprehensive about being approached, the exchange goes a long way toward showing we should never make too many hard assumptions about people based on their appearances alone.

Even in 2024, not every parent, child or friend has a safe space to educate themselves on LGBTQ issues.

Obviously, it would be ideal if this random guy had a friend, family member, or educator who could give him the advice he was looking for but we have to salute Remmington for being so generous and kind in his response. There’s so much we can learn from each other when we take the time to ask questions -- and listen.

Source: GIPHY

“My first impression was that he seemed nice as he chatted which is more than what tends to happen with people you sit next to in Vegas at the slots. That said, I didn’t expect it to take this turn at all,” Remmington said in an interview with Bored Panda.

“The relationship between him and his son has a 100% future – he was a wonderful and caring man, despite what he said was quite a difficult town to grow up in if you’re at all different. I wish all fathers could be like him.”

This article was originally published five years ago.

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