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New mom of two and Little Women L.A. star Terra Jolé is making history as the first little person to compete on Dancing with the Stars, and she’s blogging about season 23 exclusively for PEOPLE. Follow Jolé, 36, and her partner Sasha Farber, 33, on Twitter!
Last week was the hardest dance I’ve done so far, the samba. I felt I gave it my all, and that’s all I can ask for. But I have to say, receiving the first 9s of the season felt amazing. Every week I’ve been improving, and I hope to keep that going.I was so happy to make it through another week, but saying goodbye to Vanilla Ice and Babyface was very difficult. I had developed friendships with both of them, and it’s never easy to say bye to friends. Kenny (a.k.a. Babyface) had an immediate connection with me and we will remain friends long after this season has passed.
But it’s a competition, and I had to quickly start focusing on my next performance. It’s Most Memorable Year week on DWTS and I’ve chosen to highlight 2013, which is the year my father passed away and the year we started Little Women: L.A.
That year, I experienced the hardest event in my life and then a wildly positive adventure came out of nowhere. That blessing happened exactly when I needed it. And it’s been incredible to watch as Little Women has become its own massive franchise with so many seasons and so many spin-offs — including our newest one, Little Women: Dallas.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
So to honor my dad and Little Women, we’re dancing to “Stand By Me.” I’m looking forward to the dance, but the physical part of this competition is getting to my body. Exercising so much so soon after having a baby has been hard on me.
In rehearsals, my body is being flipped, flopped and turned every which way. Right when I think I’m getting used to the way it feels, a different body part starts hurting. This week, we discovered a hernia above my belly button. In the middle of rehearsal it was protruding. I’m taking the doctors orders on recovery and not letting anything take me out of the competition. It’s helped that this week we’re doing a contemporary dance, which I actually feel relaxed and confident about for once! It’s really the first week I could basically have a conversation with Sasha while dancing. But there’s no time for small talk on the dance floor! I have to make sure I’m in the zone and aware of the next move and emotion. It’s time to dance!
Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
