Out of the 24 participants in the competition held in Warsaw on Saturday, Aleksandra Chichikova, a student of psychology and social pedagogy from Belarus, was crowned the Miss Wheelchair World.
The contestants appeared in traditional costumes, cocktail and evening dresses, performed dancing in wheelchairs alone or with someone else’s help.
They mostly talked about the personal experiences and challenges that life in wheelchairs brings.
One of them is Maria Dias, who looked like any beautiful girl participating in a beauty pageant in her incredibly stylized evening dress and a perfect hairstyle, apart from being in a wheelchair, which she was convicted to when an unknown perpetrator shot at her ten years ago.
Miranda Baker from the Netherlands was a victim of a doctor’s mistake, and Beata Jałocha from Poland ended up in a wheelchair when a man who jumped in an attempt of a suicide fell on her.
This is the first initiative of its kind in the world, with the goal of “changing the image of women in wheelchairs so that they wouldn’t be faced with judgment solely because of their disability” said Wojtaszek-Ginalska who is also convicted to life in a wheelchair.
“It is not the looks that matter the most,” said the head of the “Only One” Foundation.
“Of course, a good look counts but we have focused especially on the personality of the girls, their everyday activities, their involvement, social life, plans.” She continued.
In order for the competition to be held, the foundation raised money from private sponsors, but the biggest help came from the Warsaw city government, which provided infrastructure, logistical support and volunteers.
The contestants who were a part of this competition came from Angola, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, France, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States.
