Mother of 2 Crowned Ms. America after 11 Years in Wheelchair

posted on Feb 23 by Sherri in the Advocacy, Disability News, Health, Spinal Cord Injury category

After facing many obstacles in her life, including a hit and run accident in 1996 that left her in a wheelchair for 11 years, 36 year old California mom Tracy Broughton won the 2011 Ms. America title. Broughton will go on a twelve month tour with her crown making personal appearances and promoting awareness for disability rights.

As a busy single mother of twins, Broughton still makes time for her modeling career, heading a legal aid business, and donates her time to charity. Ms. Broughton plans to use her title to bring awareness to disability rights and be a role model for all those who use wheelchairs every day. Disability rights has been an issue close to Ms. Broughton’s heart since she was paralyzed in an accident from which she is still recovering.

Broughton’s win of the Ms. America 2011 title shows everyone who uses a wheelchair that you can achieve anything you set your mind to with perseverance and faith. Even with her physical obstacles and incredibly busy life, she was able to achieve her dreams. Ms. Broughton used a crutch to cross the stage and accept her crown, as she is still recovering from her severe 1996 injury. ‘I was able to overcome my disability through a combination of experimental therapy, faith and perseverance,’ said Broughton in an interview with the Orange County Register.

The Ms. America pageant is a big sister pageant to the famous Miss America Pageant, and contestants have fewer age and marital status restrictions than the contestants in the Miss America Pageant, though they compete in similar categories like Evening Gown and On-Stage Interview. The mission statement of the Ms. America Pageant is to “empower women across the nation and around the world,” and Ms. Broughton can certainly do that now that she has won the crown.

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352226/Mother-spent-11-years-wheelchair-crowned-Ms-America.html

http://www.ocregister.com/news/pageant-286283-broughton-america.html