Survival of the Fittest

NC native Victoria Vesce is a real-life Wonder Woman.

Daughter, friend, social media influencer, Juris Doctor holder, previous NBA dancer, Sports Illustrated Swim Search finalist, brain tumor survivor—these are just a few of the titles North Carolina native Victoria Vesce has amassed throughout her 29 years and, soon, she’ll add one more to that list. Come July 16, she’ll be honored at the fifth annual Wonder Woman Initiative at Miami Swim Week, an event that shines a light on truly strong women—like survivors of domestic violence and those who have overcome the odds.  

Spend just a few minutes with Vesce and her undeniable grit to push through even the toughest of situations shines through, but coupled with that determination is a refreshing vulnerability, as she openly shares about the emotional tolls brought on by events she’s faced. 

At 23, Vesce had recently graduated from NC State—living an active, full life and busy studying for the LSATs and dancing for the Charlotte Hornets. 

“Everything was going amazing. Anything I wanted to do, I could do,” she says. “Everything felt like a breeze—I didn’t have any sickness more than just, like, the common cold. … Never had the flu, nothing crazy; I was super-healthy.”

While it happened slowly, Vesce’s life eventually took a sharp left turn. She began experiencing severe migraines, dizziness and nausea, and her hearing declined in her right ear. She was misdiagnosed multiple times with ear infections, and her symptoms eventually worsened to the point that she couldn’t get out of bed. Several doctor appointments and tests later, Vesce learned she had a brain-skull tumor and carotid body tumor. 

“It’s like you just jump off a cliff immediately,” says Vesce. “There was no preparation. There was nothing to warn me. It was just a really dark place of isolation, just kind of preparing myself to die.”

In May of 2017, she had a major surgery to remove the carotid body tumor and part of the one in her brain—some of it remains today because of its location—then she began 30 rounds of radiation. 

“[After my surgery], I was walking, almost jogging again, and I did that in a period of six weeks, which to my doctors was almost unheard of. It was just my mental stamina,” she says. “And I was like, if I can get through that, I can get through anything.”

And she has. Vesce earned her JD, obtained a job at Berman Law Group in South Florida, and was one of 13 people (among thousands) selected this March as a Sports Illustrated Swim Search finalist.

During these highs, however, Vesce faced another low. In October 2021, her mom passed away from COVID-19. 

“My mom and I were super-tight, super-close, did everything together,” she says. “I’m better than I was when she first passed, and I know every day will get a little better, but it’s been tough.” 

Through her grief, Vesce has managed to push forward again, balancing work and modeling, planning for the future and handling the everyday challenges life throws her way. 

After all she has endured, Vesce has this piece of advice for others: “Stay true to who you are and just remember where you came from because things can kind of get a little crazy and a little hectic, and you get a lot of opinions and a lot of people telling you what to do, but at the end of the day, who you are and what makes you you is what is most important and most valuable.” Words to live by.