Kemi's Experience With Ms. Wheelchair America.
We arrived in Grand Rapids in the early hours of the 8th (2 am to be exact), our flight from Houston was delayed and to say the least, it was a tiring trip. The Grand Amway Hotel, where we would spend our week lived up to and beyond it name. Our room was not only grand but was fully accommodating as well. My mother was so taken with the design and simplicity of the bathroom that she took many pictures and almost called my dad back in Houston before realizing it was almost one am there.
Monday was a day for contestants to meet each other, set up our display boards and get orientated on the week ahead. We were told it would be an exhausting week but an unforgettable experience worth every moment...how very true this was.
For six days I woke up at 6 am to meet a schedule beginning at 9 am and ending on average at 9 pm. (I’m sure my fellow contestants would agree that there were many swollen ankles and tired veyes by the end of the week.)
Tuesday was our fun day and we toured the Gerald Ford Museum and broke off into teams to have a friendly competition. The game was a scavenger hunt and while trying to meet each of the tasks we got to know Grand Rapids as a vibrant and friendly city. My team, headed up by Denise Dinoto won the title as the Most Creative team. We got pictures of the landmarks from a distance, it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed especially rolling around trying to figure out the clues with my clever teammates.
Wednesday was day one for short judging interviews and informative workshops. I made fast friends with Ms. Washington and Ms. Colorado, they are amazing women. That night we had a themed dinner and the contestants were to dress as their favorite movie star. I didn’t want to put my mom through the task of covering me in blue paint for Zoe Saldana’s Avatar costume so I chose to be Angelina Jolie. I drew my own Brad Pitt, donned bright red lipstick and enjoyed dinner and a mystery murder game. I shared a table with Ms. North Carolina, Alexandra McArthur and Ms. Missouri, Katie Banister; we put the clues together and solved the case!
Hearing my name being called on stage the night of the crowning of Ms. Wheelchair America 2011 was surreal and it was an honor to be among the top five women that night.
Alexandra McArthur was crowned the 15th of August, 2010. She will spend 2011 representing Americans with disabilities as Ms. Wheelchair America 2011.
As the night wore on and we dined, laughed and exhaled, and congratulated each other, we all knew we were winners and we all have so much to be proud of. As the camera flashes faded and my mom and I headed back up to our hotel room I was able to reflect on this amazing week.