Over the weekend, the title of Ms. Wheelchair America was passed on to a new lady. Last year’s winner, Alette Coble passed the title and crown onto the winner of the 2017 Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant, Eliza McIntosh, who is also the reigning Ms. Wheelchair Utah.
The contest was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and featured contestants from 25 other states across the country.
About the Winner
Eliza McIntosh is a 22-year-old University of Utah student who is also known for being an alternate on the U.S. Paralympic basketball team, The Salt Lake Tribune writes. She also once held a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous wheelie in a wheelchair, a record she set back in 2011 by maintaining a wheelie for 12.45 miles in a three-hour-and-51- minute time period.
And she did it all to raise money for her wheelchair basketball team to travel to competitions.
McIntosh attended the University of Alabama for a year – she also played on the Crimson Tide’s wheelchair basketball team – before returning home to be closer to her grandmother. She was born with spinal dysgenesis, which was supposed to completely paralyze her body and leave her on life support. Instead, she leads an incredibly active lifestyle. Her paralysis only affects her from the waist down.
Now she will travel across the country as the new Ms. Wheelchair America, acting as the voice and advocate for the millions of people with disabilities who live in the United States.
About Ms. Wheelchair America
The Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant was first organized in 1972 by a Columbus, Ohio by a physician named Dr. Philip K. Wood. Since then, the has grown to include programs in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia.
According to their website, the duties of Ms. Wheelchair America are to:
- Promote awareness of the need to eliminate architectural and attitudinal barriers.
- Inform the able-bodied public of the achievements of the millions of people with disabilities across the nation.
- Assist with the establishment of programs in all 50 states by promoting Ms. Wheelchair America.
What do you think of the pageant and winner this year? Let us know by commenting below!