Nicole Kelly, the one-arm winner of the Miss Iowa pageant, is on roll. The mini-celeb has been conducting interviews on how Americans view disabilities.
Her story is certainly an inspiring one...and it all started on the stage. Ms Kelly has mentioned its importance in numerous interviews:
"As I grew up I learned to counterbalance the initial stares I received from people with an outgoing personality that would not give into 'no.' This means that I tried everything. From baseball, to dance, to diving--there is nothing I would not try. I found my passion within a world where I was giving people permission to stare: the stage."
She continue to describe how much theater has changed her life:
"I found I could tell people it was acceptable to stare. It was the place that was kind of an outlet for me, a place I could stand up and be myself, and say, 'Here I am, and I'm confident in myself.'"
Despite all of her recent success, she manages to stay humble:
"A year ago, I certainly didn't see 'pageant titleholder' in my future. Perhaps I didn't originally envision this path, but I now know that being Miss Iowa is the perfect fit for me, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who have encouraged me every step of the way."
Her parents are just as proud of Nicole as the nation is. Her mother issued this statement in response to her daughter's heartfelt activism:
"She defies all of it. There's nothing she can't do," said her mother. "I think it's great she's going to be able to prove that and encourage others that may have a disability or some sort of challenge."
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