Sarah Herron, who was born without an arm, got the first one-on-one date of The Bachelor’s 17th season last week, and it couldn’t have gone better.
While her disability has been frequently discussed on the ABC reality show, her actions (and interactions with Sean Lowe) prove what a non-factor it is.
How far will Sarah make it this season? The Bachelor spoilers offer clues if you want to know. But she’s certainly riding high after the first two weeks.
“It made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world,” she said. “I felt sparks and could definitely picture myself, as early as that night, building a future with him.”
“But it is also a double-edge sword. I woke up the next morning realizing it was going to be a lot harder than I thought [because] X number of girls get to go out with him.”
Such is life on The Bachelor.
Despite the unusual format, “I felt so strongly that Sean is this incredible guy that I’ve looked for all my whole life and could definitely see myself falling in love,” she says.
“It sounds crazy and very fast, but it was true.”
What makes Sean Lowe that perfect?
“He’s 100 percent authentic, patient, passionate, compassionate, creative, sporty, adventurous, good-looking and a gentleman,” Herron tells People of The Bachelor.
“He has a very big heart and an awesome sense of humor. When you are spending time with him, he has this way of making you feel like you are this incredible, perfect woman.”
Interestingly, she says, “My [disability] played a role in a positive way. It helped me stand out and catch his attention when I introduced myself to Sean.”
“I hope it’s because he saw me as a unique, strong, courageous individual and that I deserved the opportunity just as much as anybody else.”
If having one arm turned off any viewers or fellow competitors, Sarah Herron says she wouldn’t know it based on any of the feedback she’s received.
“I’ve grown up with that and have pretty thick skin,” she says.
“But I’ve been reading comments online. It has been incredibly positive and uplifting. Truthfully, I went on the show to meet Sean, not be a role model.”
“If any of them thought it was bizarre or off-putting, they kept it to themselves … The girls were very sweet, welcoming and immediately bonded with me.”
What can we expect tonight?
“This coming episode is going to be a pretty big shocker. True colors are coming out, there’s a lot of drama and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds,” she says.
“Sean does something that really surprised me. I didn’t see it coming.”