Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

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 national park.

Representative depiction of Matusadona National Park

Photo credit: Canva

7-year-old boy found alive after five days lost in Zimbabwe’s lion territory

For five harrowing days, 7-year-old Tinotenda Pudu from Zimbabwe wandered alone through Matusadona National Park, one of Africa's most dangerous wildernesses. According to CNN, the child vanished from his village on December 27, unknowingly trekking into the lion-populated expanse of nearly 570 square miles.

Alone in a predator’s domain

Representative depiction of Matusadona National ParkCanva

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman having a laugh at her computer.

Representative Image: When you've done your homework, sometimes you get the last laugh.

Woman’s boss rejects her two-week notice, so she walks out on her own terms

Some job resignations go smoothly, while others take an unexpected turn. A Reddit user recently shared how his daughter’s resignation didn’t go as planned—but she handled it like a pro. Instead of backing down when her boss refused to accept her two-week notice, she stood firm and got the last word in a situation many employees fear.

The proud father recounted the story: "My daughter has been planning on turning in her resignation at her job for some time, with today being the day. She combed through the employee handbook for any policies and found all policies surrounding PTO payout. Anyway, she typed a resignation letter, walked into her boss's office, and had the talk."

Keep ReadingShow less
Mom feared judgment at a skate park full of teen boys—but one boy’s surprising words changed everything
Representative Cover Image Source: (L) Pexels | Sammi Abdullah ; (R) Unsplash | Polesie Toys

Mom feared judgment at a skate park full of teen boys—but one boy’s surprising words changed everything

All kids kid deserve encouragement when chasing their dreams, especially young girls interested in activities traditionally dominated by boys. Jeanean Thomas, a firefighter and mother, took to her X handle, @JeaneanThomas, to share a heartwarming experience she had when taking her young daughter skateboarding for the first time.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Joao Pedro Lisboa

Keep ReadingShow less
How a warehouse worker’s email to Jeff Bezos uncovered a shocking payroll scandal

Jeff Bezos

How a warehouse worker’s email to Jeff Bezos uncovered a shocking payroll scandal

When a routine paycheck turned into a financial nightmare, Tara Jones, an Amazon warehouse worker and mother from Oklahoma, refused to stay silent. In 2020, Jones opened her payment notification expecting $450—only to find a mere $90 deposited. After weeks of fruitless appeals to managers, she took an unprecedented step: emailing then-CEO Jeff Bezos directly.

Representative photo of Amazon fulfillment center by Canva

Keep ReadingShow less

Waitress who kicked out CEO for racist attack on Asian family receives $70,000 in tips

A waitress at the Lucia Restaurant in Carmel Valley, California, has received over $90,000 in tips from people hailing her as an "everyday hero." Jennica Cochran jumped to an Asian American family's defense and kicked a man out of the restaurant after he berated the family with a racist rant.Video of the incident, recorded by family member Jordan Chan, went viral. Chan told KION that her family was celebrating her aunt's birthday on July 4th, 2019, when a man at another table began making racist remarks.

“We were singing Happy Birthday. We were just taking pictures and goofing around with each other, and then all of a sudden, the man, Michael Lofthouse, starts making really loud racist remarks at us,” Chan said. That's when Chan began recording.“Trump’s gonna f*** you,” the man can be heard saying in the video. “You f****** need to leave! You f****** Asian piece of s***!”

Keep ReadingShow less