The last few days have been quite a whirlwind. First of all, I have been battling a stomach bug all week and unfortunately it caught up to me yesterday. I woke up to a racing heart and shortness of breath. I had to be taken by ambulance to Rapid City Regional Hospital and was given fluids. They also “paced” my heart by overriding my pacemaker so my heart rate is back to normal. I am very fortunate because the doctors took very good care of me. I missed my judging yesterday but the judges were gracious enough to let me make it up later this afternoon. So I’ll bring you up to speed on what’s been going on:Thursday was the second day of judging. I was judged second at 8:30 a.m. Boy, was it an early morning! Then I went to a few workshops on what to expect if you win Ms. Wheelchair America and how to relate with the media. The first workshop was run by the current titleholder, Michelle, who had done more than a great job representing all people with disabilities! She gave some great tips on fundraising, PR, and what kinds of events to expect. It sure was great to hear all about her reign and how much she accomplished in only a year. The next workshop was on media and a local television anchor ran the workshop. It was a great discussion group and we all gave our opinions on what the responsibilities are of the media. The day wasn’t over then though.
We all lined up and walked to downtown Rapid City which was about 3 blocks away. There was a reception for all the state titleholders, companions, friends, families, and other supporters to celebrate what a great week we were having. After that, my mom and I went to dinner with Ms. Arkansas and Ms. Washington and their companions to a local restaurant that used to be a firehouse. We had a great time. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I didn’t sleep well and had to go to the ER the next day. But everything worked out because I felt better and was able to do my platform speech last night. I spoke about how important it is that people with disabilities vote. We all have a voice that statistics show we are not utilizing. We may face barriers but not much has stopped us so this shouldn’t either. Everyone did a great job with their platform speeches which is a difficult thing to accomplish so we can all hold our heads up high.
Today we had rehearsal for the crowning ceremony. They will pick the top five finalists in random order. The top five will then have to perform their platform speech again (not judged) and will be asked a hard and “light hearted” question. There will be several awards given out, including Ms. Congeniality, and then the winner will be announced. I am so proud of all the women and whatever happens, we all have won with the experience of the week. I have to go get my hair and makeup done and get ready for tonight! I’ll let you know what happens!
