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

Greetings! It has been a week since the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant, but before I write about my wonderful experiences, let me describe my event on July 31. It was Disability Awareness Day at Fenway Park. I was invited to be recognized on the field. There were a few other groups of people with disabilities there as well. We really got VIP treatment! We were escorted all the way down to the field, and as we walked along the perimeter people waved at us and applauded as we went by. It was very exciting when they announced my name and my title as I went over to the pitcher's mound. It was amazing to see ourselves on that big screen!

I will be writing blog entries about each day at the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant. Stay tuned...........................

The Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant begins one week from today. I have been busy preparing for this and getting very excited. 

This past Wednesday, July 25, I joined the folks at the Spaulding Riders Club. They ride adapted cycles peddling either by hand or by foot along the Cape Cod Canal which is a beautiful 7 mile bicycle path. Riders ride for as long or short as they wish. There are people there to assist them and to be the with them along the way in case they need assistance. I took pictures with a couple of the members there and walked down the path for a little bit.

Thursday, July 26 was the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act being officially signed into law. There were celebrations throughout our nation. I attended the city of Boston's celebration at Boston City Hall Plaza. I met the former Ms. wheelchair America 2008, Kristen McCosh, who is the Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities  in Boston. She and her board members have done so much to make the city of Boston more accessible. Mayor Thomas Menino made a very sincere speech. I especially liked hearing him say, "we want to send the message loud and clear: all people are welcome in the city of Boston, especially people with disabilities." You can see highlights of the celebration and his speech by clicking this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rNcgqWaGC0. I was also fortunate to meet him and get a picture with him.

One of the members of the Boston Commission of Persons with Disabilities who has been such a great advocate is John Kelly. Mayor Menino made a proclamation that from now on July 26 will be known as John B Kelly Day. There was also a ribbon-cutting for the new accessible path on City Hall Plaza.

You can see more photos of both of these events on my Facebook fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/MsWheelchairMassachusetts2012

You can also be informed of updates and information on the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant by clicking https://www.facebook.com/MsWheelchairAmerica2013Pageant

For those involved with pageant week I am very appreciative of your hard work. The best advice I can give you is what I'm trying to do myself, and that is BREATHE!