Luck of Irish & Awareness

They say everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, which is lucky for me because with a last name like Tarzia I'm far from Irish, but that does not stop Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts from showing people that despite being a wheelchair user I can let loose and have fun on this holiday.  My St. Patrick's Day was filled with excitement because I got to attend and make an appearance at the St. Patrick's Day Parade on the Abington Town Green in Abington, Mass.  Despite being extremely cold and windy it was a fun day had by all.  It was special for me because I got to cheer on one of my littles, Devon, who is Miss Teen Wheelchair Massachusetts as she took to a float.  It is always nice to have appearances in which you can share in the awareness along with your little sisters.  I am hoping soon that I can do the same with DiDi and Caitlin.  

To be honest this is my first time actually celebrating this holiday short of wearing green to school, that was as St. Patty's Day  festive as I got.  So, not only was appearing a way to spread awareness, but I was even more honored to celebrate my first holiday wearing my crown and sash because there were so many small children in attendance and if only for a moment during the celebration, festivities, and candy they got to see a person with a disability who was having just as much fun as they were.  That alone made this appearance worth braving the cold.

Until next time my friends, Advocate, Educate, and Empower.

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Ms. Wheelchair Mass. - Showing Off My Hockey Skills!

Today I got to make my first official appearance as Ms. Wheelchair Mass. 2013, post crowning that is.  I, for one, can say that my first official appearance was a complete success and super fun.  On a personal note, I come from a hockey family and I am so used to watching the game from the bleachers that it was so much fun to be on the other side of the ice.  I got to do this event at the Cronin Memorial Ice Arena in Revere, Mass.  The staff of the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation - The Universal Access Program were so welcoming to me and were more than ready to get me on the ice.  I had the chance to speak to a few young adults who were also participating in the program.  We talked about the importance of adaptations in sports programs, as well as how important inclusion is in everyday recreational activities.  It was so enlightening to get their perspectives and I think that it will help me to be a more aware Ms. Wheelchair Mass.  It was also an awesome experience because my entire family got to come with me, including my brother who has played hockey for many years.  I have always looked up to his sporting abilities and today has shown me that simple adaptations like a stroller bar, hockey sled, or skating walker can make the games just as competitive and just as much fun.  I want to spread greater awareness that these programs exist, so that we can get more children involved at younger and younger ages.  I want to extend my deepest gratitude and excitement to Gigi, the Director of the program, who has invited me to come to their spring/summer sporting activities expo in Brighton, Mass. taking place on June 8, 2013.  I am very  excited to see what other sports I can pick up a  knack for.  So far, these sports will include cycling, boating, and sailing.  I do not think that I will get drafted by the Boston Bruins anytime soon, but I must say my hockey skills are far more advanced than I thought  they would be for my first time skating.  I can now say there are two hockey players in the family. I have learned that so far, my greatest hockey skill is weaving through the cones. I can say that my first appearance will be memorable because I met some really great people who learned from me and in turn, I learned from them. Today was a terrific day. Until next time, my friends, "Advocate...Educate...and Empower!"

My Reign Begins

I am Nicole Tarzia for those who do not know me.  I am a thirty year old woman with Spastic Cerebral Palsy.  I was lucky enough to be crowned Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, 2013 on Saturday, March 2,. 2013.  This day has changed my life because now I feel like I can be a better advocate for individuals who have a disability.  Getting involved in this program has been something I wanted to do for years, so this is a dream come true.

My platform this year is "Advocate, Educate, Empower" especially with the youth population.  I have officially booked my first few appearances of many to come.  There will be disability awareness education for St. Thecla's Parish in Pembroke, Mass. This is very exciting for me.  My title is starting to feel official now that I am booking events.

I would like to share some memories of Saturday so that everyone can understand my joy at the beginning of this journey.  I was preparing for the pageant and advocacy program for many weeks trying to perfect my platform speech for many weeks.  Most of my family members now can recite it  themselves.  I got some amazing advice from a friend who had told me that if I just be myself I will win over many people.  As much as I tried to heed this advice I'm not going to lie to you I was as nervous as nervous could be.  The reason I was nervous I wanted to win this for very unselfish reasons. I know that I can be a really good advocate throughout the state, and that is my main mission.  On a personal note, my late grandfather was also a person who used a wheelchair in his childhood, and he taught me that when you are a person with a disability you should always use it to make the world a better place, so part of my victory was to honor his words of wisdom to me.

Fast forward to crowning, so I do not make this too long, because everyone knows I love to talk about myself, my experiences, my Cerebral Palsy, or just about any topic.  I competed against two other very accomplished, educated, and amazing women so as much as I wanted to win I was not by any means expecting victory.  For those of you who were there at Mass. Hospital School on Saturday I think my knocking down the microphone during my acceptance speech will go down in the unplanned events during crowning of Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts history.  I can now  admit to you that I am not embarrassed or ashamed because I really let my personality show through.  I look forward to an excellent year and making a difference for people with disabilities across Massachusetts.  For a final thought for this post I want to just express how elated I am to have been passed the torch from our new state coordinator, Patti.  So until next time, my friends, remember Advocate, Educate and Empower.

Is This the End.....or the Beginning?

Yesterday we had our Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2013 Leadership and Advocacy Competition. It was a bittersweet day for me because my year has ended as a titleholder. I am very excited to announce my successor, Nicole Tarzia, as the new Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2013. I wish her congratulations and much love!

I want to use this time to share some thoughts on the amazing year that I had as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2012. It was truly the best year of my life! To begin as a competitor I had to really reflect on a platform that was my heart and soul and to organize my life and past accomplishments. That in itself was an amazing way to further understand my own identity and personal growth as a woman with a disability.

As the titleholder I was able to spread my platform of Creative Perseverance. To me this means finding creative ways to accomplish your goals and fully participate in a life with great quality. I met many people throughout the state of Massachusetts who I shared these ideas with. I had the opportunity to meet the Mayor of Boston, my State Representative, and various people in many organizations. I was on the pitcher's mound at Fenway Park during the pregame show on Disability Awareness day there and got to see myself on the large screen. I also got to perform an original song at the Putnam Club at Gillette Stadium for Triangle, Incorporated, which is a huge organization assisting people with disabilities to live independently, advocate for themselves, and find employment and leisure activities.

Attending the Ms. Wheelchair America Leadership and Advocacy Competition was a life-changing event for me. I met 27 other state titleholders who shared the same vision as myself but at the same time brought very different gifts to the table. We became instant friends and sisters, along with all the other people that were there from companions to spouses to other state board members to volunteers and on and on and on! Even the staff at the Renaissance Hotel shared our enthusiasm and really got to see what it was like to be a person with a disability living a great life and advocating for and mentoring others. Much to my surprise, I took home the Lifetime Achievement Award!

I have to say the most important thing that stands out to me for my year as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2012 is thinking about the looks on the faces of young women as they heard me share my life story and dreams and accomplishments. Their faces lit up as they learned that they, too, could turn obstacles into opportunities, go to college, acquire employment, live independently, nurture their creative side and express it, have meaningful relationships and participate fully in life. As the titleholder, it is a constant flow of giving out and getting back in forming lifelong relationships.

I am saying farewell as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2012 and saying hello again as the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation State Coordinator. Many thanks to the Board of Directors and past State Coordinator Autumn Grant for choosing me and giving me this opportunity.

I have so many people to thank for helping me to make this year it so memorable! Thank you to the judges last year who saw promise in me, thank you to Susan Houston for encouraging me to compete, thank you to Autumn Grant for mentoring and guiding me, and thank you to the Board of Directors and sponsors who made it all possible.

Special thank you to my husband Vinny without whom I never would have competed. He reminded me of gifts and abilities I possess and always encouraged me. He calmed me down when I was nervous about competing and also about doing the best job I could. He filled in all the blanks during events and appearances I attended by getting me there on time, (especially when a PCA did not show up and I had no way to get there nevermind no way to dress up for it!) taking pictures and generally being the wind beneath my wings. I will always love you until forever fades away.

And to many other people who are too numerous to count, thank you for your support and love, thank you for having me at your events and organizations, and thank you for supporting the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation. I am excited about going forward and about our new titleholder Nicole Tarzia and the things she will accomplish this year!

Much love to all!

The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation is pleased to announce that we are accepting nominations for their first annual Little Miss Wheelchair Crowning Ceremony. Applications are due no later than February 4th 2013. To receive an application, email me at mswheelchairmass12@comcast.net. 

1. The child must be between the ages of 5 and 12.

2. She must utilize her wheelchair for 100% of daily mobility.

3. She must have resided in Massachusetts in the six months prior to the competition.

4. She must be able to make a minimum of 6 appearances during her one year term.

5. All nominees will be required to attend a lunch with the current titleholder along with a member of the MWMA board. It will not be a formal judging session but a chance to see how the little girls present and interact in a public setting. After the lunch the titleholder and board member will pick the winner privately and the winner and guardian will be contacted and invited to the crowning ceremony where she will receive her crown.

The Ties That Bind

It has been quite a busy time for me since the Nationals. It is amazing how 28 women from 28 different states with 28 different platforms that point to the same goal can spend six days together and form everlasting bonds. The national pageant week is very hard to describe in words. It was a rigorous schedule that started early in the morning and ended at night. We attended four workshops a day with topics such as, "you can lead but can you follow," "person first," "the importance of language and how it impacts us," "using social networking as an advocacy tool,"   and "the ADA and accessibility." I am not quoting the titles of the workshops verbatim, but I am quoting the subject matter. After the first two days of the six-day week, I told my state coordinator that I was not the same person that arrived on Sunday. Mainstream society has a way of subtly breaking down empowerment little by little at times. This week was a great recharge for me. Multiply that by 28, and we could have lit up the entire city of Providence!

There were other staff members of each state foundation and past titleholders as well to support and guide us throughout the week. The night before the speeches we had a pajama party entitled, "This One's for the Girls." Stacy Scheifflin, a very empowering speaker and the owner of Your Best Friend Incorporated, spoke to us about the importance of our visions and goals as women. We had a DJ and we danced and sang and laughed. There was a masseuse, manicurists, and hairstylists to help further ease the tension that was mounting during that week.

Speech night was amazing. Each contestant had 2 minutes to describe her platform in front of the judges and a room full of family and friends. A formal dinner was also served and it was great to get to know everyone's families.

Crowning night was indescribable. We all wore beautiful evening gowns and lined up trying not to shake too much. Five finalists were picked and special awards were given out. I was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award is chosen by the judges to the contestant they believe has made the largest contribution and significant impact for people with disabilities. As I look at it hanging on my wall I am very touched and grateful for this honor.

Mariah Kilbourne, Ms. Wheelchair Texas, was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2013.  She is the perfect woman for the job! It has only been a few months and she has already taken this country by storm to spread her platform, "Inclined for Inclusion."

Everyone who participated in that amazing week came away a winner! It is so important that we continue to publicize the Ms. Wheelchair Foundation on both the state and national level. What many people do not now is that we as a whole are the driving force of empowerment, mentoring, and advocacy that makes this country a place where everyone can participate and contribute.

Strike a Pose......Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant Day One

This is the first of my six entries that will describe my experiences at the Ms. Wheelchair America Leadership and Training Pageant week. As soon as we arrived at the curb of the Renaissance Hotel in Providence we were greeted by Kelly Conners. Then I saw Ms. Wheelchair California, Mary Zendejas. We had previously spoken online so it was exciting to finally meet her in person. A lot of us had previously met on Facebook in the anticipation of pageant week. Upon checking in I was immediately involved in a really cool photo shoot with Ms. Wheelchair America 2012, Josie Badger. It was exciting to finally meet her and we made instant friends. Ms. Wheelchair Rhode Island, Katrina Horsch also joined us in photos. It was really fun "striking a pose" and meeting such great people. There was a reception followed by dinner and the bonds that we all shared and formed right from the start where amazing. After dinner we had orientation and we were all given our state sashes to be worn during the week. During orientation we all realized how serious and important this week was going to be, and we were all encouraged to rise to the challenge. We met the mayor of Providence, Angel Taveras. He even gave all of us his cell phone number! He is very warmhearted and personable and gave us a great welcome to Providence. There was a picture presentation of beautiful Rhode Island for everyone to enjoy.

I knew I had to get to bed at a decent hour but I was so wound up and excited it was a little difficult. Thankfully I slept well...................... stay tuned for day two!

You can see more pictures and more updates on my year as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2012 at https://www.facebook.com/MsWheelchairMassachusetts2012