HEROES WORLD JUNE 2022

43 HEROESWORLD Blond hair, black eyeliner, leggings and a crop top. A duffel bag draped over her shoulder with mate bottles clanking inside. Meghann unzips her hoodie and peels herself out of it. Her body is toned; tattoos of mandalas, peacock feathers and a sun adorn her right upper arm. On her lower arm, she’s had her motto inked: They expect you to have your best day on their worst day. “People call us because they hope to be saved. That is my motivation to give more than a hundred per cent every time,” the 26-year-old explains. She knows very well that her appearance is a divisive issue, but she has learned to own her looks and her values. Things were different when she was in her teens. Meghann has always been physically stronger than others in her class, and her schoolmates reacted by bullying and teasing her. “Some of the children were really mean to me,” she says. Fascinated with the big red trucks, she joined the fire cadets – a strange bunch to some but an accepting retreat to Meghann, who was finally able to make use of her strength. A lot has changed over the years, but the fire department will always be her safe space. We leave the station and head towards the subway. Next stop: Kottbusser Tor.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTA1ODY=