Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2018

Hey y’all! Now that everything has settled down for a minute, I wanted to take some time to give you an update and to also announce that as of Saturday night, I officially became Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2018! You can view the full crowing ceremony in the video below.

It’s really strange to be able to say that I finally accomplished a 16-year goal. I don’t know who was happier between me and my husband once the result was announced. The women that I shared the stage with left a lasting impression on me and I feel really fortunate that I got the opportunity to get to know each of them a little bit over the weekend. I know that each of them has made an impact on the world and will continue to do so! Great job, ladies!

As for me, I have several speaking engagements and appearances lined up already. My first public appearance will be this Saturday (October 7th) at the Old Timers Day parade in my hometown of Manchester, TN. It’s actually one of the things I did as Jr. Miss Wheelchair Tennessee 2001 and I thought that it would be great to start in my hometown again for me reign as Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2018. Next week, I have a radio interview with Project Lips on October 10th that will be available to listeners at some point. (I’ll post the link after it becomes available.) On October 25th, I have a speaking engagement with the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). I will also have a table set up at the Buddy Walk for the DSMTA (Down Syndome of Middle Tennessee) on November 4th. I will have goodies for some goodies at my table and will be available for pictures and to connect with anyone who will be there. On November 9th, I have a speaking engagement at MTSU-Middle Tennessee State University. I have several other potential events in the works right now but they are not set in stone yet. Throughout the year, I will have more, but this is just what is currently scheduled for me after Week 1 as the new titleholder. Also, during the week of July 30-August 5, 2018 I will also be competing for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America in Grand Rapids, MI. I still can’t believe that I am getting the opportunity to do that!

My other big plans for this year (besides getting ready to compete for Ms. Wheelchair America 2019) is to put together a big event at some point in the coming months (possibly a Zumba event or maybe a music/comedy night) to raise money for my entry fee for Ms. Wheelchair America. I will also be setting up a way for people to donate online very soon as well. If anyone is personally interested or has a company that is interested in sponsoring me for the Ms. Wheelchair America 2019 pageant, they can contact me at LindseyBeckerMWTN2018@hotmail.com for more details.

I don’t want this to be only about me though. So many people have already offered to help me out this year in so many different ways. I think it is going to be an amazing year. Most importantly, I was surrounded by so many passionate people that care about the program and I want to use this year as an opportunity to focus on the positive difference that an organization like Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee can make in the lives of people with disabilities and to do my part to help the program thrive even more. These types of roles out there are so important to the community. At the end of the day, I decided to compete because I wanted someone out there to take something positive from my experiences and I want to encourage people to get out there and try to make a positive difference of their own. We all have the potential to add value to the world. I hope that if you’re out there and you’re questioning whether you should go after something or not… or maybe your situation is similar to mine and you have gone through a certain process and are trying to decide whether to go for it again (if it didn’t go quite as planned the first time). I will tell you right now that if it is something that you’re truly passionate about doing, then you NEED to try again. The world needs more people out there doing what they love and adding positive value into their communities regardless. If it’s meant to be, it will find a way to work itself out in the long run. I know it did for me so far.

You can follow my personal journey as Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2018 on facebook at: facebook.com/MWTN2018

To learn more about the Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee organization, please visit: mswheelchairtn.org or visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/mswheelchairtn/

There are already some pictures and videos out there for your viewing pleasure. We all had a great time this weekend doing Zumba, painting, interviews, learning about useful technology and things to help us all become better public speakers having breakfasts, lunches and dinners together, taking selfies, and learning about each other’s stories!

Everyone works so hard to make this event amazing every year, but in particular, the coordinator for the Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee organization, Bliss Welch works so hard to keep everything running smoothly!

This is the picture I get teased the most about though.

I feel honored to get the opportunity to serve as Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2018. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through my journey so far! I love you all!