Felker won the Ms. Wheelchair Southwestern USA title last month. Her platform is Handicapable: Where There s a Wheel, There s a Way. A lot of times here in this chair, you don t feel beautiful, Felker said. But when you ve got a crown, honey, you feel beautiful!
Felker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 15 years old. Twelve years ago, MS took her ability to walk. She s in a wheelchair, but that hasn t stopped Felker from coaching her daughters sports teams, or teaching middle school students. I just want to do what everybody else does, Felker said. I know I can do it. Maybe not the same way you can, but I know I can do it.
Mandy McCoy wants you to listen.
She knows that you will look. That you will see her wheelchair and how her fist steers the stick that makes it stop or go. That you might notice that her head wobbles a tad to the right, but maybe not because her smile is big and blushed with joy when her blue-green eyes meet yours.
Mandy wants people to look into her eyes.
“That tells me that you respect me,” she said.
For that, she is grateful because respect she knows is earned, more so when your body can’t move the way it should, and especially when the muscles in your mouth can’t keep pace with the train of thoughts in your mind.