Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 : Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, 2nd Runner Up

Reflections from the Beginning

2011-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a little over two years since I was first crowned Ms. Wheelchair California 2009. It was a remarkable year full of transition, challenges, accomplishments, and most of all wonderful memories and experiences!

Since that time, two new wonderful women have succeeded me in this tradition. Jennifer Kumiyama did a fantastic job during her reign. She even became the Director of the first ever Little Miss Wheelchair California this year! Corey Petersen was crowned this past April as the new Ms. Wheelchair California 2011, and she is off to an amazing start already with her platform and appearances. It's been wonderful to look back and see the groundwork that was layed by women before me, the accomplishments that I acheived to help those who are reigning now, and to also see the future ahead for those that will continue to compete. The Ms. Wheelchair America program is truly a family and a wonderful support system.

To start back at the beginning where my reign began, take a look at the very first blog by clicking here. What a wonderful journey it was in 2009! Finally, to learn more about the Ms. Wheelchair California program and keep up with the current title holders, please visit the website by clicking here. And as always, you can keep up with what I'm doing in my life by visiting my website at http://www.alysonroth.com/.

Be well, and love fully!

Ms. Wheelchair CA 2010 wins 1st Runner Up at the Ms. Wheelchair America 2011 pageant!!

2010-08-14T17:37:00.001-07:00

I was SO excited when I had the opportunity to crown my 1st Runner Up as the new Ms. Wheelchair CA 2010 back in April 2010 when I was Ms. Wheelchair CA 2009. I am now ecstatic to announce that Jennifer Kumiyama just placed 1st Runner Up at the national Ms. Wheelchair America 2011 pageant!!!! I could not be more proud of her as a contestant, a friend, and a sister.

Check out her blog here to read a little bit more about her winning. And here's how California has done in the past three years at Nationals (amazing!):

MWCC 2008, Shannon Coe - 1st Runner Up

MWCC 2009, Alyson Roth - 2nd Runner Up

MWCC 2010, Jennifer Kumiyama - 1st Runner Up

Way to keep in the Top 5 for the past three years ladies!!! I am SO HAPPY!

Ms. Wheelchair CA 2010, Jennifer Kumiyama, at the Ms. Wheelchair America Nationals!

2010-08-09T15:04:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody!! Can I just tell you how excited I am to have my 1st Runner Up who was then crowned Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 at Nationals right now?! If you have Facebook, you can keep up with her activities by clicking here. Be her friend!

The Ms. Wheelchair America pageant is being held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I'm putting a strong vote in for Jennifer to win! Her bubbly attitude, spirit, and personality along with all of the advocacy she has done will surely land her in at least the Top 5!

Here is a link to a news interview she was in this morning alongside Ms. Wheelchair Michigan on the local news in Grand Rapids:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/eightwest/Ms_Wheelchair_pageant_is_West

I am so proud of all Jennifer has done - representing and carrying on the fabulous tradition of great title holders from California!

On Saturday, you can watch the live crowning by going to this link.

Good Luck, Jennifer!!! I know you'll do great!!

The New Ms. Wheelchair California 2010!!

2010-04-23T17:07:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Jennifer Kumiyama, the new Ms. Wheelchair California 2010! Though she will always be 1st Runner Up in the 2009 pageant, I am extremely proud of her for becoming my successor! Margarita Elizondo placed 1st Runner Up in the Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 pageant.

You can follow Jennifer's journey as Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 by clicking here.

Much luck and lots of love, Jennifer!

Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 Pageant

2010-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

My final journey and weekend of being Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 was definitely bittersweet. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the ladies who were vying for the next spot as Ms. Wheelchair California, and I also enjoyed getting to see friends whom I've gained throughout this past year. It was so enjoyable!
I was able to help encourage and coach each lady through what the judges were looking for and expected as well as calm some nerves and answer questions about the year to come.
What a blessing it was this year to be featured in the upcoming documentary called "Defining Beauty: More than a Crown and a Sash." I'm so excited to see the final product!
Listening to some of the ladies' platform speeches was very encouraging as each clearly had a focus and platform that they believed in.
PMTD/Flexiciser is a fantastic sponsor of the Ms. Wheelchair California program, and each winner is allowed to have one in her home for the entire year of her reign. I absolutely loved having the opportunity to use this wonderful movement therapy device as it helped decrease my spasms, reduced my nerve pain, and allowed my muscles to relax after a long day of appearances. I couldn't wait to get home off the airplane and get right into this amazing machine!
Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, was able to be with us at the Abilities Expo during our pageant. How exciting to have the actual "queen" with us!
Some of the ladies preparing for the crowning!
A surprise visit from the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair Washington came to visit!
I couldn't have asked for a better year than the year I held the title of Ms. Wheelchair California 2009. I have enjoyed every moment, each person I've met, and the memories that will truly last a lifetime. Thank you to each and every one of you who supported me and encouraged me along the way, and a special thanks to the Ms. Wheelchair California and Ms. Wheelchair America Board for allowing me this opportunity.
Don't forget, though, this isn't the end!! I still hold my 2nd Runner Up to Ms. Wheelchair America 2010 title through the end of August 2010! :)

Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 Farwell Speech

2010-04-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

My year as Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 was a blast, and I have many, many wonderful memories from such a successful year. Thank you to everyone who encouraged and supported me. I was honored with the title of 2nd Runner Up at Ms. Wheelchair America 2010 in August, and I look forward to the years ahead as to what doors and paths open up next for me! Thank you everyone! Enjoy the video!

PMTD Movement Gala

2010-04-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was excited to be a part of the Physical Movement Therapy Device (PMTD) Movement Therapy Gala (Flexiciser) on April 8th at the Marriott in downtown Los Angeles. Wonderful people, great food, contagious laughter, and an amazing medical movement device called the Flexiciser makes for one amazing evening! I was honored to sit at one of the head tables with the President of Flexiciser, Bryan Mallidine, as well as some friends of mine.
The director, Alexis Ostrander, of the upcoming documentary, "Defining Beauty: More than a Crown and a Sash" was there as well, so we got our picture taken in front of the "famous background".
Sitting with me at the table was Dr. Suzy Kim who was awarded the "Medical Practitioner Excellence Award." Though I don't see her as "Dr. Suzy Kim," I was so proud of her! I know her from surfing!! So seeing each other dressed up was a rarity, as we are usually in wetsuits alongside each other.

Another great friend is Madonna Long of Cloe Magazine. We had so many laughs that night!
I was also honored to sit alongside Erica Davis who recently (February 2010) conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania... in a wheelchair! Simply amazing and awe inspiring!

Richard Kiel was honored with an award as well, and while up on the stage sharing his story, my jaw dropped as I heard his story. We both suffered disabilities while leaving Yosemite National Park. We chatted for quite some time as we shared similar stories, and he is a born again Christian. He is a great guy and sincerely enjoyed meeting him. In case you don't recognize him, he was "Jaws" in the "The Spy Who Loved Me" among many others like "The Giant of Thunder Mountain" and "Happy Gilmore."
Thank you for such a special night of wonderful inspiration!

Orange County Mixer

2010-03-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

The Ms. Wheelchair California Organization was invited by the Largest Mixer in Orange County to have a booth among many other vendors at the Orange County Fairgrounds on March 24, 2010. At our booth, we showcased each of the lovely ladies who were entered to compete in the next Ms. Wheelchair CA 2010 pageant! It was a wonderful display and I got to talk to a lot of people.

I even ran into a friend from church, Robert Glover, as he was there on behalf of his Chiropractic business. Yay!
And no event would be complete without Michael Jackson, right? Obviously, he does still live among us. :)

Hockey Time!

2010-03-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

Hockey is a favorite past time of mine. Not that I ever played hockey, but my dad was a very good hockey player back in the day, and believe it or not, my mom was a hockey cheerleader - on ice skates! Needless to say, I love watching hockey - in person!

I was able to go to what used to be called "The Pond" but now called the "Honda Center" to watch the Anaheim Ducks play the Montreal Canadians. I figured it was going to be a good game because of what happened at the Winter Olympics in Canada and the hockey teams. I was extremely excited for this game!

Like most sporting venues, there are vendors selling paraphernalia everywhere. The Ducks aren't doing that great of a job this season, but I still route for them nonetheless!
The stadium was packed! One of the advantages of being in a wheelchair is that you get pretty good seating if you know how to work it right. I've never been down to sit "on the glass" (which I think would be A-MAZING), but the seats I get are usually really good and I can see everything that's going on - fights and all!

Well, guess who noticed me in attendance at the Stadium? EVERYONE! I was filmed and put on the big jumbo-tron waving to everyone, and immediately the Ducks Girls came over for pictures. This led to me being on camera AGAIN - having to dance with the girls! Oh my goodness - talk about embarrassing! But I did it!

Sadly, the Ducks lost in overtime which then led to a Shoot Out! I love hockey, and even though the Ducks lost, I had a great time representing Ms. Wheelchair California and showing the thousands of people there that those of us in wheelchairs can do everything and have fun just like everyone else!

Go Ducks!

MWCC tries Adaptive Snow Skiing!

2010-03-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

I had the amazing opportunity to do something I've always wanted to learn how to do since I've become paralyzed. Before I got hurt, I used to love to snow ski! I would always challenge myself to do bigger and better hills, and eventually worked myself to flying down black diamond hills!

But, I had a chance to mark something off of my to-do list, and it definitely won't be my last time! I learned how to mono-ski!!

Big Bear Mountain in Southern California has a fantastic adaptive program that I've seen on the internet for quite awhile but have never had the guts to actually go up and take advantage of the program. The United States Adaptive Recreation Center (USARC) was founded in 1983 to ensure that access to skiing is available to people with many types of disabilities. The first full-time, on-site adaptive ski school was established in 1989 at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort in Southern California. It relies on amazing volunteers to help assist each participant, and I was fortunate to have two of the best (in my opinion), Tim and Sara!

There was so much unknown about a sport I've never done since becoming hurt almost 10 years ago, but Sara and Tim were so encouraging, supportive, and confident that I'd master this sport in no time.

They helped me transfer from my wheelchair into a mono-ski, and then Tim taught me how to use the riggers (adapted poles) to help me turn. The most important part of skiing on a mono-ski is balancing, and it's all in your shoulders, upper body, and trunk support. The riggers are only there to help you turn. I didn't quite get the hang of it the first several times down the mountain because I kept reflecting back to how it "used to be." Sara would ski in front of me (backwards at that!), and Tim would ski behind me, holding on to me for support when I needed it (which was a lot at first).

But of course, I fell quite a bit. Ha! I laughed every time, except for the one time where I felt totally out of control and ran over someone and then someone ran over me. I guess that happens, though. Being so low to the ground, I felt like I was going so, so fast, but in reality, I wasn't going that fast at all. It was definitely a very different sensation than before when I was walking. But, I felt safe the entire time.

Hooray! I finally learned how to do it! Granted, I could only stay up by myself for about 10-15 seconds before I'd fall again. But, I was happy! I had such a fun, fun time up there, and I certainly want to make it back up there so I can get even better. Sara and Tim were excellent teachers, and I highly recommend you ask for them to help you!
There really isn't anything in life that you can't do when you're paralyzed. Yes, it may be a little different, but it shouldn't stop your life from being enjoyable, satisfying, and fun. I had a blast learning how to ski and had a smile on my face the entire time. Two thumbs up to the USARC program at Big Bear and to the wonderful volunteers that help make days like this possible for people with disabilities. You make a huge difference in providing confidence and positive self-esteem, so THANK YOU!

Snowball fight, anyone? :)

PacifiCord - You NEED to know about this company!

2010-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine works at a phenomenal organization called "PacifiCord" and invited me to come for a visit. This company is a valuable life-source by saving baby's umbilical cord blood immediately after the baby is born. By saving this blood and the priceless stem cells that are in that blood, it can change the course of the future when and/or if something were to happen to your child. It is worth every penny.

Once the blood is extracted from the umbilical cord, it is then brought immediately to the lab at PacifiCord as you can see in the picture below. That is life saving blood right there!

Once the nurse manipulates the blood, she puts it in a machine that separates the blood from the stem cells. AMAZING! It is then spun in the machine below and frozen with the patients name on it. From there, it is entered back into the system and stored for your baby!

The day I visited, I had the indescribable opportunity to meet the Founder who happened to be in America from China. Truly an honor to meet him and ask questions about the future of stem cells and what he plans for the future (below). I had the chance to speak to the staff during their staff meeting about the Ms. Wheelchair California program as well as thank them for the work they do.

Below is the me with the President of PacifiCord, and then a group picture with a lot of the fantastic employees, certified nurses, and development department people who help spread the word to pregnant women about this important decision.

Having a spinal cord injury myself, I value this company and what they are doing to help save the lives of future disabilities and sicknesses. Had my parents had this option when I was born, perhaps I wouldn't have to be waiting on medical technology to figure out a way for me to walk again.

If you'd like more information on this life-saving organization for your future child, please visit the PacifiCord's website.

How much would it be worth to you if you had the chance to have a guarantee of a healthy child if anything were to happen to him or her?

Priceless.

Love my FRU!

2010-02-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

My First Runner Up to Ms. Wheelchair California is seriously one of the best things that has happened since becoming Ms. Wheelchair California! Jennifer Kumiyama is the cream of the crop if you ask me, and I'm not sure how the judges decided I should win over her. In my opinion, we should have been able to crown TWO Ms. Wheelchair California's! Not only have I gained a wonderful partner in the organization, but I have gained a friendship which was totally unexpected and wonderfully loved! She is all that and a bag of chips! Ha!

Jennifer recently turned 30 years old! For her birthday, she decided that instead of receiving presents, she wanted people to donate the cost of one wheelchair through the organization I work for, Free Wheelchair Mission. Each wheelchair costs only $59.20, and she did a fabulous job at not only raising awareness for the need of wheelchairs, but also raising money towards a cause she is passionate about.

She had so many friends and family there to help set up the event/birthday party, and everyone was extremely interested in the material on each table.
Jennifer found many ways to raise money. One way was by having coffee can coin cans called "Change for Chairs" located at several locations for people at where she works, Disneyland, to contribute. She raised a lot of money that way!

But probably one of the most creative ways I've seen money raised was at the birthday party called the "Dollar Dance!" Anyone who wanted to have a dance with Jenn had to give her a dollar. As you can see, she ended up with more than just one dollar bills - and all for a great cause!

Jennifer, you are amazing, you are a fantastic advocate for people with disabilities, and I am honored to call you not only my First Runner Up this year, but also my lifetime friend. Thank you for all you do!

To check out all that she's done, click here to read her blog about her experiences as First Runner Up to Ms. Wheelchair California 2009!

The Great Park - Orange County

2010-02-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

There is a great landing strip in Orange County that used to be the El Toro Marine Base. It was built in 1942 and named after the small community near by named "El Toro" which at the time had 130 residents. It has a lot of history behind it, however it was decommissioned in 1999 and has now been voted to become a park similar to Central Park in New York. It instead is called "The Great Park." Though not yet completed, the first attraction built was the balloon ride that takes passengers 400 feet into the air.

Though the front doors to the ticket counter are a little heavy, the counter was completely accessible. After signing a liability agreement (and by the way, it's free to ride the balloon!), I made my way to the holding area where other passengers were also waiting.

It goes REALLY HIGH in the air!!

To get onto the balloon which has a doughnut shape base to it, they have a wheelchair accessible lift that you roll onto, and then the operator pumps it up so it's level to the base of the balloon. Simple and easy.

Once you're up to the top (not that far), you can easily roll right onto the base. I think it may be a little tight of a squeeze for a power wheelchair as I probably only had a few inches of wiggle room on either side, and my wheelchair is 26 inches wide total. Once on, I was unable to turn around, so I was basically stuck looking in the same direction on the same side. Otherwise, people have to climb over you or everyone has to move in a circle so you can go to the other side.

The pilot and I took a picture together! But wait, who's flying the balloon now?!
Overall, I had fun time on the ride and thing for free, you can't beat it! I can't wait to go back and ride it at night time so that I can see all the city lights! Great job, City of Irvine!

A Hotel for Crowns!

2010-02-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

I had the fun pleasure of visiting a beautiful national landmark in San Diego, CA, the "Hotel del Coronado". There is so much history to this hotel as it was originally built in the 1800's. It even has a resident ghost named Kate!

Kate Morgan checked into the hotel in 1892 - and never checked out. After spending 5 lonely and lovesick days waiting for a man who never arrived, Kate was found dead on an exterior staircase leading to the beach. Today, Kate's spirit seems to have remained at the Del, usually found wandering the gardens or in her former guestroom. She has also been spotted in the gift shop called "Established 1888." I was actually in that gift shop while I was visiting, and you best believe my eyes kept a close look out for a sighting!

Marilyn Monroe also filmed the movie, "Some Like It Hot" at this hotel, and you can find plenty of memorabilia throughout the hotel in tribute to her time here. The tree below was part of a scene in the movie and is a popular place for touristers to take pictures in front of.

As far as accessibility goes, I have to say that for a hotel that is over 100 years old, they have done a fantastic job at keeping the nostalgia of the decade it was built while also trying to make it ADA compliant. I had no trouble at all getting around!

The only odd thing I saw - that has nothing to do with accessibility - was in the accessible restroom. I find it rather odd that there is an ashtray in the restroom! I mean, really... REALLY? Um, ok. Anyway, I had to take a picture of it!

Mistake made by "The View" television show

2010-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

While watching "The View" this morning, I couldn't believe what I heard come out of Joy Behar's mouth. I actually love their comic relief most of the time and think each cohost can hold her own, but Joy took huge steps back in my opinion when it comes to people with disabilities. You can watch the segment by clicking here. It begins at 18 minutes, 20 seconds. I contacted the show immediately. Read the letter I sent in below, and I encourage you to contact the show as well.

Dear Producers of The View,

My name is Alyson Roth, and I represent the state of California as Ms. Wheelchair California and 2nd Runner Up to Ms. Wheelchair America 2010. I was involved in a near-fatal car accident at the age of 21 years old that left me a paraplegic and dependant on a wheelchair.

I love watching The View and love the insight that each of your cohosts bring to the table. However, this morning, Joy Behar crossed the line when referring to children with disabilities as "retarded." This word is demoralizing and archaic, and in the disability community, it is similar to calling someone who is African American a "nigger." I would never use that word to characterize anyone, and certainly the word "retarded" should not be used either.

My intent in writing this email is to simply educate not only your cohosts, but the entire community that words like "retarded" are not encouraging or uplifting and do not bring us together as a nation united. People with disabilities are educated, smart, funny, loyal, and accomplished individuals just like everyone else and deserve equal respect. Please pass on this information, and I sincerely hope an apology is made on air tomorrow. As said, I love watching The View and it usually is so comical, however my mouth literally dropped when I heard Ms. Behar use that word.

Thank you for your time, and if you'd like further information, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Alyson Roth
Ms. Wheelchair California
Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, 2nd Runner Up
www.mswheelchairca.org

Click here to voice your own opinion to the producers of the show regarding the use of this word. The more people that are educated, the better this world will be! Thank you!

"Music Teacher to Disabilites Advocate" Article

2010-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

This month, I am part of a series called "Second Act" in the magazine from the Graduate School I went to, Walden University. I thought it was a great article and loved working with the photographer, Steve Spartana and his wife, Lisa. If you can't read the article by clicking on the picture, you can also go to it by clicking here.

Thank you, Walden University, for recognizing that sometimes God calls us to other things in life, yet the experiences and education we gained never goes wasted!

City of Irvine Disabilities Advisory Commission Board

2010-02-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful privilege to speak to the City of Irvine Residents with Disabilities Advisory Board on Tuesday, February 2nd.

Irvine Residents with Disability Advisory Board (IRDAB) was established in 1990 by the Irvine City Council to ensure residents with disabilities have equal access in community life.

This voluntary Board consists of sixteen members. At least 51% of members have disabilities and the remainder of the Board is comprised of residents who have a family member with a disability and/or work in the field of disability services.

Their mission is identifying and recommending programs and services meeting the physical and social needs of residents who have disabilities, regardless of age. The Board provides advocacy and support for programs related to community needs and propose recommendations to a variety of City departments. IRDAB also works collaboratively with vital community organizations.

IRDAB Community Contributions:

v Educate the public about issues that affect individuals with disabilities

v Ensure public access

v Advise Community Services Commission on matters pertaining to persons with disabilities

v Provides community presentations

v Disability friendly business awards

v Disability awareness month

I spoke on behalf of the Ms. Wheelchair California organization, congratulating them on winning the National Organization on Disability 2002 Accessible America Award as well as offering my own suggestions and improvements to the city. They were a great group of people, and I look forward to working with them further in the future to make not only the city of Irvine more accessible, but the rest of California.

Thank you for the great opportunity to speak to a wonderful organization doing amazing things within the city of Irvine and working collaboratively with the City Council so that all people who live in Irvine feel valued and important.

Human Abilities Expo at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

2010-01-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday had the awesome opportunity to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for their "Human Abilities" Expo. It was free to anyone who had a disability and their attendant. As long as I've lived in California, I can say I've honestly never been to the Aquarium here. I was so excited!
Upon getting tickets, you can see that they have a lower counter for those in wheelchairs to have access to the ticket counter. Things were looking good already!

And then I had my picture with a SHARK! Aaaah!

So many amazing people were here, and I got distracted from the actual aquarium because I was enjoying the people so much. Below is a gentleman named Michael Seale who weighed only 2 pounds at birth on top of having a disability. He later discovered his amazing ability to paint, and has since painted abstract paintings that have incredible detail, too. His spirit is jovial and spirit-filled. It was hard not to smile around him!

Below is me and Michael! He was so excited to take a picture with a "famous" person! :)

Another great person enjoying the Aquarium and all the resources available.

Below is the infamous "Ernie" from Colours wheelchairs! I've heard so much about him from various people, and I know that Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, Erika Bogan, is sponsored by Colours. She talks to me all the time about Ernie, so it was fun to finally get to meet him! What a character, but such a fun guy!

This gentleman, Fernando, is President of a support group to help people get accessible housing up in Los Angeles. He and his assistant were extremely nice and outgoing. It's easy to see why he was elected President as he has no shame to talking to anyone. He truly has the heart to help everyone get housing, to which I completely agree.

One of the fun things I got to take part of was a Hip Hop Dance class. I was slightly late to the time the class started (because I was busy talking to others in the lobby), but as soon as I entered the room, they immediately had me get in the middle of the circle and do my best dance move! Haha! I was a little embarrassed, but I busted a move on the dance floor!

Below, I am learning a dance routine with some of the others that were there. Whew! I got a workout in that session!

I also got to see my friend, Angela Rockwood-Nguyen, by surprise at the dance class! It was so good to see her again, and she recently just won the opportunity to see the new accessible motorcycle by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation by being the top fundraiser!

This beautiful girl waited so patiently for me after talking with everyone because she really wanted to ask me how I got my crown and sash. She was so sweet as was her mom! Mind you, up to this point, I hadn't seen a sea creature of fish YET! I'd only been talking to people!

Well, the time came to tour the Aquarium, and I was amazed how accessible it was. There was a roll-up-to area that you could literally be in front of a sharks face with only glass between you. Aah! There were some nasty looking sharks in there - razor sharp teeth, too!

In one area, there is a "petting pond." You can touch different sea creatures like sting rays, fish, and other non-harmful sharks (is there really such a thing, though??). It was easy to roll up to the wall and be able to put my hand in the water. I was waiting with my hand in the water and looking to the left, waiting for the sting ray to come by. But at the same time, a shark came from the right and brushed up against my hand. I screamed and everyone laughed! I wasn't expecting it at all and it totally scared me! Ha! I think I had enough "creature-feeling" at that point.

The final part of the day was going into the bird zone. Beautiful birds flutter and hang out and sing to all the visitors that are taking pictures and admiring their beauty. Many will even let you hold them!

I had such a fun first day at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and highly recommend it to anyone. Thank your the opportunity and for the Human Abilities Expo to bring awareness to those with disabilities! We had such a fun day!!

Ms. Wheelchair America Newsletter - by Erika Bogan

2010-01-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

I was honored to be included in the Ms. Wheelchair America newsletter that goes out to all State Coordinators. Each Ms. Wheelchair America is responsible for writing and updating the Board and State Coordinators on her appearances and duties.

Thank you, Erika, for a great time at the Rose Parade, and I'm so happy you were able to be a part of it all with me!

Click on the picture to read the partial newsletter.

Featured around the Nation

2010-01-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

I am always blessed when people hear about my story and are encouraged to share it with others. I am sponsored by Kenda tires, and recently they made a poster of me to help sell their products. This poster has literally gone around the nation to businesses, organizations, and individuals. I'm amazed when people feel so honored to have received a signed copy!

Recently, Duncan Creek Elementary School in Georgia put up a bulletin board featuring "famous" people who happen to have a disability. Well, my poster covered most of the bulletin board!! I hope that the children at that school realize that people with disabilities can accomplish anything - though it may be a different way - anything is possible!

Thank you, Duncan Creek Elementary, for featuring me on your bulletin board and for being an example to the students at your school that accessibility and disability awareness is so important. Thank you for helping to teach that people with disabilities are people, too!

Making Someone's Day

2010-01-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to make a presentation at Top of the World Elementary School in Laguna Beach, CA on behalf of Free Wheelchair Mission, however I also had a very special meeting afterwards with a very special girl!

Each of the students below have been raising money for a wheelchair to give to someone in a developing country ($59.20 per wheelchair) and typically this school raises enough for almost 30 wheelchairs! Hopefully this year, they will raise even more! Their campaign ends right before Valentine's Day.

But after my presentation, I had a very special meeting with a beautiful girl named Alexa. She was told that I was coming, and the smile didn't leave her face the entire time! She was so excited to meet me!!

She told me her favorite thing to do was read. What a precious girl, and I feel as if I was more blessed to be in her presence than she may have been to be in mine!

I asked her if she'd like to try my crown on, and her face lit up! She couldn't believe it! Doesn't she look beautiful?

Afterwards, I signed a picture for her telling her to keep reaching for her dreams and to never give up. As you can see in her face in the picture below, she was in awe that she got to have a signed picture of me, too! So cute!

Thank you, Top of the World Elementary School, for allowing me to "Make a Wish," in a sense, to this beautiful girl. I can tell she's going to go far in her life with the spirit of perseverance and determination! Alexa, you are awesome, and I hope to see you competing in the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant when you turn 21 years old!

Happy New Year - Tournament of Roses Parade 2010

2010-01-04T22:40:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year 2010 everyone! Please forgive the late post of the wrap up of the Tournament of Roses Parade and how it all went. It literally wiped me out with all the activities, and I fell asleep right after it was over (even had to stop halfway on the drive home because I literally couldn't stay awake) and stayed asleep the majority of the weekend after getting a bit ill. However, it was such a blast! Let me walk you through the day!

Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, and I originally planned on celebrating New Years Eve on East Coast time (meaning 9pm out here in California) and then going to sleep since we had to be up at 3am New Years Day. However, that didn't happen as both of us had gotten sick. You can only imagine having to haul two wheelchairs in one car with both of us paralyzed, in the rain, along with all of our luggage. It was interesting to say the least, and you wouldn't believe how many able-bodied people walked past us and didn't offer to help. Here's a quick look at what it looked like arriving at the hotel. We look more awake than we actually were!

So, Erika and I were up until 1:30am, not by choice. We finally fell asleep after taking care of each other, however that meant we both only had 1.5 hours of sleep, and neither of us had gotten but about 4 hours of sleep the night before. We were exhausted, but so excited about the day!

We woke up at 3am and got ready, put our crowns and sashes on, reloaded the car with our luggage, and packed up both wheelchairs in my car. All of this definitely should have been captured on film somewhere! It was hilarious! We arrived at the meeting location with all the other Kiwanis float riders as well as our "dad" for the entire three days - AKA "Papa Dave". Papa Dave was the best and really made sure all of us were taken care of, felt comfortable, and were safe.

Both Erika and I were honored to receive a beautiful plaque commemorating our time with the Kiwanis on the 2010 Tournament of Roses float as well as the official pin and program. Below I am receiving mine from "Papa Dave."

Alyson Roth thanking Dave Wallach for the wonderful plaque and opportunity to be on the 2010 Tournament of Roses Kiwanis float.

We had a light breakfast (mind you it was 4:30am) and then were escorted to the site where our float was located in the line up. Almost every street remotely close to Colorado Blvd. was closed off (which made getting to the meeting place almost impossible) and had "White Suitors" located at every barricade along with police officers. I was even told that FBI and Secret Service were located throughout the event!

It was very, very cold. Both Erika and I were dressed in short sleeves, but we were snuggled up in blankets, gloves, and jackets that early in the morning. We had some time to go see other floats as well as make one last restroom stop before getting onto the float. While heading to the Tournament House (below) to use the restroom, I had the amazing opportunity to be escorted to meet the Grand Marshall of the parade, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III. He is known for landing the airplane into the Hudson River last January 2009 and safely saving everyone's lives. He is a true hero!

Upon meeting him and his wife, I told him, "On behalf of the state of California and the Ms. Wheelchair California/America program, we thank you for your heroism and generosity to save the lives of so many people. Though I know you were just doing your job, it is people like you who make the world a better place." Media and press were everywhere filming our meeting as well as taking pictures of the greet. It was a true pleasure to meet such humble people.

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009, thanking

Captain Chesley Sullenberger for his heroism.

Captain Sully, Alyson Roth, and his wife, Lorrie Sullenberger in front of the Tournament House

Once back at the float, it was time to load up! Erika and I transferred onto our bench while the crew stored our wheelchairs underneath the float. Did you know that the driver of the float can't see where he is going? He relies on a navigator up front to tell him where to go and when to stop. Amazing!

The excitement of turning onto Colorado Blvd. was breathtaking. There were so many people! I couldn't believe how many people show up for this parade on New Years Day each year.

The Kiwanis International float was extremely excited when we were announced as the winner of one of the top three trophies given out, the Isabella Coleman Trophy. You can see Erika Bogan and myself along with Alexis Ostrander to the right behind the Boy Scout.

Here is a better close up of us on the float. The magnitude of each float, the music, the sunshine, the people, the energy - it was all surreal and magical!

This isn't even a quarter of the people. We were located on the non-camera side, but the thousands of people on the right (south) side of Colorado Blvd. were even more enthusiastic as we passed them during the 5.5 mile stretch. It took us almost 2.5 hours to complete the parade!

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009, and Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America 2010 waving to everyone and shouting "Happy New Year" as we passed by.

The picture below was taken towards the end of the parade. You can see that people were even positioned underneath the overpass to watch the parade.

Without a doubt, this has to have been one of the most memorable New Year's ever, and I am so thankful to the Kiwanis and Ms. Wheelchair California/America program for allowing this opportunity to happen. It's important that we show that people with disabilities can do anything and everything that everyone else can, and being a part of this nationally televised event was huge. We even got a big shout out from Stephanie Edwards as our float passed by. For those of you who missed the parade, you can by going to http://www.ktla.com/entertainment/roseparade/video/. We are featured on Part 8 of the video series, though not shown since we were on the non-camera side of the float.

We are so grateful for everything, and thanks again to everyone - from the crew, to the volunteers, to the organizers, to the spectators - thank you for making this an amazing, nostalgic, and memorable start to 2010! Happy New Year!

Tournament of Roses Parade - Final Day!

2009-12-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California, and Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America helped put the final touches on the Kiwanis Rose Float this afternoon. What a beautiful float we have!

Here I am in front of our float. It really is beautiful with all those thousands of flowers!

Erika, Alexis Ostrander, and me on our bench on the front right of the float. Look for us waving at you tomorrow! We weren't allowed to wear our crown and sashes for judging, but we will have them on for the Rose Parade. When the judges came to score us, we had to cheer, wave, and act like we were on Colorado Blvd. in the parade! It was rather odd shouting "Happy New Year!" to no one, but I was loud and smiled and waved!

Below are the rest of some of the beautifully decorated floats that will be featured in tomorrow's New Year's Day Tournament of Rose's Parade down Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California. I love my state!

The Rotary Float

The City of Anaheim float

The Bayer Float

Trader Joe's float (way cool by the way!)

The Boy Scouts of America's float

Honda's Float (this is the most amazing as it shoots canons and fireworks out of it!)

The FFA Today float

And finally, the Rose Bowl stadium where Ohio and Oregon will duke it out for the title!

On our way home from decorating and judging, there were already people lined up on Colorado Blvd, ready to spend the night to get a prime viewing spot in the parade route. Technically, they are allowed to start setting up camp at 12 noon, but we saw people already there at 10am this morning! Insane!!

And finally, a beautiful sunset over Los Angeles and Burbank to round out 2009. Happy New Year to everyone, and may 2010 bring you many blessings! Can't wait to wave to you all tomorrow on television. Again, it begins at 8am PST/11am EST, and we are on the Kiwanis float (front right). We are number 85 of 91, so we'll be towards the end of the parade.

Happy New Year!

Tournament of Roses Parade Preparation Day!

2009-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

I had such an amazing day today despite the drizzly and cold rain that set in about 9am or so. This truly is one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. Watching the Rose Parade on tv does not do any justice to what the floats are actually like up close and in person. Each is intricately designed, shaped, and created so uniquely, and the aroma in the Rose Pavilion is simply breathtaking with all the flowers! The Ms. Wheelchair California/America Program is so blessed to be in partnership with the Kiwanis to be on their float.

Below is the float I will be on called "A Cut Above the Rest." Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America, and I will be sitting to the right of the tree in the front (almost directly behind where the lady in the green jacket is.) Out of 91 floats, we are number 85.

It was so much fun decorating the float. It was truly miraculous to be there from 8am to the evening and see the transformation happen right before my eyes at how marvelous it is turning out. I really is magical, and everything... EVERYTHING... is made out of flowers, seeds, or natural products like straw or wood.

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009

After helping to decorate the float, I had a wonderful luncheon with the Kiwanis and was able to meet the International Kiwanis President, Paul Palazzolo, and his family (above).

Another treat was meeting Ms. Wheelchair 2005 Juliette Rizzo, who flew all the way from Washington DC for today's preparations. She is an amazing woman!

Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, and Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 at the Tournament of Roses House. We were waiting to meet the Rose Queen and Court along with Stephanie Edwards, the official host of the Tournament of Roses Parade, along with Bob Sullivan.

The Rose Queen and Court along with Stephanie, Erika, and myself.

Finally, a last picture with Stephanie Edwards herself. She is a truly blessed and remarkable lady. I had such a lovely conversation with her and truly has a genuine spirit and love of Jesus.

Today was an amazing day and totally nothing of what I expected. I can't wait for tomorrow and the judging of the floats. Everyone is so energetic and there are literally thousands of people here touring the facilities to see the progress of the floats. I'm a extremely honored to have been here today and look forward to the rest of the time as we bring in 2010!

Getting Ready for the Tournament of Roses Parade

2009-12-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

On January 1, 2010, I will be a part of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Years Day for Ms. Wheelchair CA in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club. I am very excited about this opportunity and memory. I’ve never been to the parade before, so to jump forward and actually be ON it is thrilling! Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be busy helping with the final preparations of the float, putting the final flowers on, doing media interviews, photo ops, luncheons, dinners, etc. It will be a very busy week for sure.

Here is the link to the Rose Float that I’ll be on with the Kiwanis Club. http://www.kiwanisrosefloat.com/2010_float.htm The parade starts at 8am PST, but there is no guarantee that our float will be televised. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting and memorable experience. I’ll be supposedly sitting on a park bench on the very front of the float. I’ll wave to you all on television! The Grand Marshall for the parade is Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger , the heroic pilot who masterfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson. http://www.tournamentofroses.com/press/press/press_2010_gm_announced.html

I'll update the blog on Wednesday evening once I find out more about the schedule along with pictures from the day. Be sure to set your DVR's for this amazing day as we bring in 2010 together!

Ms. Wheelchair California Fundraiser

2009-11-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

What a fun-filled weekend in Sun City, CA! I took a nice drive to the other side of the mountains to spend time with some amazing people who put on a wonderful Luncheon, great entertainment, and a wonderful fundraiser for the Ms. Wheelchair California program. Special thanks goes to Robbie Motter for coordinating this successful event.

Below is a picture of me with all the entertainers. Each of them has a great story/testimony, and I was honored to be in each of their presence on Saturday. God has truly blessed each of them with talents and gifts, and I'm blessed that they chose to spend their Saturday afternoon helping to raise money for our program.

Robert Hollywood (below) is a gifted DJ and singer and dancer he toured the world with UP WITH PEOPLE and for years has been performing at some of the top events of the year in the Menifee Valley area. He is also a line dancing expert. We affectionaltly referred to him as "DJ Hollywood." He was fantastic at keeping the crowd entertained and generating a lot of funny commentary.

I had the opportunity to speak briefly about my story and advocacy work with the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant before the entertainment began!

Robbie Motter (l) and Fleet (r) enjoy a dance on the dance floor, but I was soon to have my chance! Fleet is the current winner of the Desert Idol competition for best singer/entertainer in Palm Springs. He was born in Akron, Ohio where he began his show business career by appearing in many musical productions at the Goodyear Musical Theater. He has an extensive background in dance, acting and singing. He studied at American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Arts and took master classes at the world-renowned Julliard School.

Here, I take a spin on the dance floor with Fleet!

Lecia Breen (below) has made numerous appearances as a vocalist and performer over the years in Washington and Oregon. She began singing at the age of 6 and started her professional career in her late teens. She sang for Lawrence Welk at the Seattle Center Coliseum, was the featured Star Spangled Banner vocalist for the Seattle Mariners through the eighties. Lecia was Miss King County 1980 and Runner up to Miss Washington 1981. Lecia is a newcomer to Palm Springs and excited to be part of such a dynamic and diverse community. She also has been responsible for putting together some great shows at the Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs.

Jasmine Nazari (below) is the daughter of Lecia Breen (above). She performs as a singer, and recently performed in the Broadway at the Sozo where she sang, A Whole New World, and I’m Not That Girl. This year Jasmine is entering the Miss Asia USA Pageant, the premier Cultural Pageant participated in by Asian women in the United States, who trace their ancestry to the 58 countries considered part of the Asian continent. She currently holds the title as Miss Iran.

Megan Clynes (below) is thirteen years old and lives in Lake Elsinore, CA. She is an eighth grader at Canyon Lake Middle School and is a member of advanced choir. Megan enjoys being in theater and was a Child Soloist for The Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral in 2008, she was also in various productions with Christian Youth Theater, Canyon Lake Community Church , and Canyon Lake Middle School, and Canyon Lake Community Theater. She also sang the National Anthem for a Minor League Baseball Game. Megan has a love for music and performing arts and is learning guitar to be able to sing and play together in the future. This girl has an amazing voice and a beautiful spirit! Remember her name as she will be famous one day soon! Below her picture is a clip of her singing, "Only Hope."

Melody Encheff (below) is a Chapman University graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production. She has had lifelong training in music and voice, studying with such notable instructors as piano teacher Mary Costa, and voice teacher Susan Montgomery. Melody’s singing experience includes first prize winning talent show performance for her school, and performances for various church’s. She has recorded 4 original songs, and made one music video.
Finally, we did some drawings for prizes of which I had to shuffle through a bowl of a lot of names to call out prize winners! I felt like I was on the "Price Is Right" again, but on the other side!

Megan Clynes and me during a brief break. I love this girl!

The wonderful June Davidson presented each of us with a beautiful certificate in honor of all of our achievements, and then I was able to present the Executive Director of the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant, Ruthee Goldkorn, with the proceeds of the afternoon. Thank you everyone for a great time and for coming to this fantastic event! I had such a fun time with each of you!

2010 Tournament of Roses Rose Queen & Royal Court

2009-11-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 1, 2010 at 8 a.m. (PST), millions of spectators from around the world will celebrate the New Year with the 121st Rose Parade themed 2010: A Cut Above the Rest. The Rose Parade will once again feature the beautiful pageantry and tradition of magnificent floral floats, high-stepping equestrians and spirited marching bands.

I had the honor being a part of the Kiwanis Club of Pasadena Luncheon at the University Club of Pasadena and got to meet the 2010 Royal Rose Queen and her Royal Court. Each of these beautiful highschoolers have acheived amazing accomplishments both in their personal lives, school, and community, and it is a great honor to be selected as part of the Court. Below, I am with each of the Royal Princess with the Queen, Natalie Innocenzi, in the middle.

I am also honored to have the Kiwanis Rose Float Club partner with the Ms. Wheelchair California program. Larry Maddick (r) and Dave (l) below will be my guides on New Year's Day as I join them on their float! I am thrilled to be part of such a huge part of history as I get to ride down Colorado Blvd. on one of the many beautifully decorated floats with Kiwanis.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day and for the opportunity to meet each of these extrodinary women. I look forward to them each representing our commuinty in their own way as they strive to truly be "A Cut Above the Rest."

Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Disabilities in Long Beach

2009-10-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Citizens' Advisory Commission on Disabilities hosted a celebration in at the Long Beach Convention Center in honor of Disability Awareness Month. St. Mary Medical Center and Community Hospital of Long Beach provided free health screenings. There were also financial advice booths and information from agencies that work wtih people with disabilities, including: DOR, Easter Seals, Veteran's Administration, Social Security Administration, Disability Rights of California, IRS, Harbor Regional Center, Disable Resources Center, Long Beach Mental Health and many more.

Alyson had to the chance to meet many great people. Below are some pictures of those she was able to meet, sign autographs for, and take pictures with.

The United States Health Census Bureau was there. Please make sure you are counted in 2010's census! Click here to fill out the quick form. It's important that the government knows how many people there are with disabilities living in the United States so that we can get the service we need and are deserving of. I was told that children are the most under-counted, so be sure to include everyone in your household!

Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Various programs are carried out throughout the month to highlight the barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.

This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month."

Alyson with Dora Hogan of the ADA/EEO Compliance office (below).

There was a very special performance by AbilityFirst where they signed to two different songs. It was beautiful!

Alyson with a hopeful potential contestant for Ms. Wheelchair California 2010!

The Ms. Wheelchair California Pageant was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Long Beach for our participation and all that we do for those in the disabled community!

"Night By the Ocean" - Life Rolls On's 6th Annual Gala

2009-10-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

The 6th Annual "Night By the Ocean" benefiting "Life Rolls On" was held on Sunday, October 4th at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. What an amazing night to support what this organization does to help people realize that just because they have a disability doesn't mean they can't get out and surf! A lot of money was raised that evening as well as a great announcement was made!

Alyson joined Scott Caan on the red carpet in front of paparazzi as his father, James Caan, looked on. Scott helped Alyson in Malibu as well as at the U.S. Open of Surfing a few months ago.

Alyson Roth and Teal Sherer both completed rehabilitation at Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta, GA, though at different times. Teal was an encourager for Alyson when she got hurt and was a patient there nine years ago. Teal has accomplished amazing things as an actress in Hollywood. She caught her first wave on a recent trip to Costa Rica with another amazing organization called "Oceans Healing" and then again in America with Life Rolls On while in La Jolla recently.

Alyson with Patrick Ivison. Patrick has been working with Project Walk, a rehabilitation center to help people with spinal cord injuries get in better shape as well as retrain their muscles and nerves to walk again. Check out this cool video of all Patrick has accomplished! Click here. Mind you, Patrick was hurt in a car accident when he was a baby and is a complete quadriplegic. Simply amazing!

Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and Alyson Roth. Chill is on the Fox show "Brothers." Awesome!!

Alyson and her date, Scott Caan, as well as with his dad, James Caan (The Godfather), below.

Alyson had the opportunity to meet one of the most genuine and kind hearted woman, Anna Faris. Anna was in the movie "The House Bunny." Such a sweet and amazing woman with a heart of gold.

Simon Baker and Alyson reunite!

The big announcement of the evening was that Life Rolls on and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation are merging together to become one. What a fantastic partnership, and I look forward to this seed blooming into a beautiful organization to help millions of people around the world in so many ways! Read the press release here.

Finally, Brooke Burns received the first ever "Inspiration Award" for exuding courage, grace, and compassion after sustaining a spinal cord injury.

Thank you to all who participated and all the volunteers to make this a fantastic evening. Jessie Billauer, Josh Billauer, Meghan Schinderle, Kris Nakamura, and everyone at LRO.... you rock! Can't wait to get out into the water again at next year's events!

"Hollywood in New York" at benefiting CSUN Music Wellness Therapy Clinic

2009-10-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Alyson joined film and television stars in supporting Cal State Northridge’s Music Therapy Wellness Clinic at a family-centered celebration at the CBS Studio Center on Sunday, Oct. 4.

“Hollywood in New York” will raised funds for the CSUN Music Therapy Wellness Clinic. The clinic uses music to help children with various types of special needs such as Autism or Down syndrome. The clinic also addresses teenagers and adults who need support in daily living skills as well as those who are seeking wellness in their lives.

Among the celebrities that attended the event were Joe Manganiello who has starred in such films as “Spider-man” and “Spider-man 3″ and such television shows as “One Tree Hill” and “How I Met Your Mother;” Stacey Oristano, star of “Friday Night Lights;” Justine Wachsberger, star of “Sorority Row” and the upcoming “Twilight Saga: New Moon;" and Angela Maria Dixon of the movie "Internet Dating."

The event was on the New York Street backlot of CBS Studio Center located at 4024 Radford Ave. in Studio City. The backlot is home to such shows as “CSI: New York,” “Seinfeld” and “Will and Grace.”

Alyson Roth on the Red Carpet with Justine Wachsberger, Joe Manganiello, and Stacey Oristano (L-R).

Alyson Roth with Angela Dixon and her mother (below).

There was a fantastic band who played "oldies but goodies" as everyone danced and had a lot of fun! Of course, Alyson had to join in on the excitement of the day!

The real stars of the show were the singers from this amazing program! Thank you for a fantastic day of fun in Hollywood!

Route 66 Rendezvous

2009-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Route 66 Rendezvous 5K Race was held in San Bernardino on a beautiful Saturday morning! It was an honor for Alyson to be there helping cheer on all the racers as well as encourage them prior to the race.

Alyson even got her picture taken with "Chipper"!

As the runners completed their race, the top winners were awarded in each division. However, everyone is a winner for simply finishing! It was slightly humid that day, thus making running conditions a little more difficult than normal.

Congratulations to all the runners - adults and kids - who participated in this year's race! The Ms. Wheelchair California program looks forward to seeing you again next year!

Greek Festival by the Sea

2009-09-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend, the Ms. Wheelchair California program had the opportunity to be a part of the wonderful festivities of the Long Beach "Greek Festival By the Sea" at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. Thousands of people attended to enjoy the live music, dancing, delicious food, art, jewelry, and much, much more!

I signed a lot of autographs and had two great helpers that gave me an "official tour" of the entire festival. One was the niece of the director who put the whole festival together! They were so sweet, and eventually wanted me to try my luck at darts so that I could hopefully win a prize!

Here I am getting ready to aim at the balloons. You have three darts and have to hit a balloon each time in order to win a prize. I was only allowed to throw one (the other girls wanted to throw one, too).

Ready, set, fire!! And I hit it! Hooray!!

The girls were so sweet and allowed me to pick out what ever framed picture I wanted. Of all the fantastic fair-type prizes to choose from, I chose a lovely framed picture of Marilyn Monroe. As you can see, it was such a hot day! My pictures start getting not as pretty as we go because we were all sweating so much! But, it didn't keep the little girls from admiring my crown and sash and waiting in line to take pictures with me!

I even got my picture taken with Nathan Honda of the Long Beach Fire Department!
And then the cutest little girl who happened to be a double amputee was searching everywhere to get a picture with me when she finally saw me. It broke my heart that she didn't have the proper assistive devices to get around as freely as she should be afforded, but her spirits and smile were certainly contagious. She was precious!

However, once the belly dancers started, no one seemed to even take notice at Ms. Wheelchair California! Ha!
Larry and I (from Kiwanis) sold roses to a lot of the attendees in order to raise money for the Rose Parade. We made a great team and were very convincing as we sold rose after rose!

After a long day of amazing food, fun music, and fantastic people, we were all tired and ready to go home after this fun day in the sun. Here is Larry posing with one of the roses and then me with my state coordinator, Ruthee Goldkorn. Hooray for a great day in Long Beach!

Ms. Wheelchair America Video's - Speech and Top 5

2009-09-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! Here are the video's of my Platform Speech on Friday evening and then the announcement of Top 5 and being awarded 2nd Runner Up on Saturday evening. I'm still smiling about my experience at Ms. Wheelchair America, and I look forward to keeping in touch with so many of the wonderful women I met this past week. Enjoy!

Ms. Wheelchair America - Platform Speech "Connective Healing"

Ms. Wheelchair America - Top 5 announced and me being awarded the honor of 2nd Runner Up!

Ms. Wheelchair America - 2nd Runner Up!!!

2009-08-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I placed in the Top 5 in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant and received the honor of being chosen as 2nd Runner Up!! My good friend, Erika Bogan (Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina) was crowned the new Ms. Wheelchair America 2010! I am so proud of her!

Each woman deserved the honor, and I am so thankful for this fantastic experience. I have walked away with great memories, amazing friendships, and a new found sense of self due to this program. It will be one I will never forget.

The 4th Runner Up was Ms. Wheelchair Utah, 3rd Runner Up was Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, 2nd Runner Up was Ms. Wheelchair California (me), and 1st Runner Up was Ms. Wheelchair Washington.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

Top 5 (L-R): Ms. Washington, Ms. Michigan, Ms. Utah, Ms. California, and Ms. North Carolina

Me being announced that I received 2nd Runner Up and accepting my plaque and flowers. So happy!

Erika being announced as the next Ms. Wheelchair America!

Michelle Colvard, MWA 2009, and me and the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, Erika Bogan!

Erika asked me to call her friends and family to share the good news with them. I was so excited to be able to share with them that she won Ms. Wheelchair America!

Angela Miller, Ms. Wheelchair DC, won Achievement Award. I was SO proud of her for receiving this honor!!

Interviews immediately afterwards with the documentary crew along with the local public radio stations. This is me with 3rd Runner Up, Ms. Wheelchair Michigan.

1st Runner Up, Ms. Wheelchair Washington, and me, 2nd Runner Up.

Me and my mom! She was so proud of me, and by the end of the week, she became a great photographer!! :)

Me with three of the judges!! What a hard job they had, but I was so thankful to spend this week with them as they learned more about me and my advocacy. I only wish I could have heard their story! :)

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 6 - FINAL DAY!!!

2009-08-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

The week has come to an end, and we're now down to the last day. What a week!! Today has been less stressful as they've basically given us the time needed to prepare for tonight. This morning, we had rehearsal for tonight on stage at 10am. Can you tell how tired I look?

After about an hour and a half, we finally got everyone in position of where they are supposed to be on stage.

Afterwards, I came up to the room and took a shower and then went down to the Paul Mitchell people to have them blow dry my hair and style it for me. Then, a quick bite to eat, and off to get dressed.

If I'm announced in the Top 5, I will then have to re-give my platform speech (this was news to me! Yikes!), and then will answer two questions from the judges - a light-hearted question and a serious question. Each of the 5 of us will have to go through this routine.

The judges will then go diliberate while there is entertainment going on and Michelle Colvard gives her outgoing speech as the current Ms. Wheelchair America. And then, the winner is announced!!

I'm fairly confident I'll be in the Top 5, but who knows. I wanted to update the blog now so you know what's been going on today and can be praying tonight. The next blog will be the answer to the question everyone's been asking.... "Who is the next Ms. Wheelchair America? Is it Alyson Roth?" We'll find out tonight!!

Thanks for your prayers!

Blessings,

Alyson

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 5

2009-08-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today was the final day of judging interviews!! I can't believe the week is almost over. It's been such a busy but amazing week.

This morning, I got up and went to my first workshop... which was sponsored by Paul Mitchell! Had I known they were doing our hair and makeup, I wouldn't have fussed over doing it this morning. Shucks. So, I had them spruce up what I had already done, but will definitely be going down in the morning to have them doll me up for the evening wear.

After the workshop, a bunch of us hung out in the dining area just talking. I love these times, because it allows me to get to know the other contestants in a personal yet relaxed way. I got to talk further with Ms. Iowa, Angie Plager, Ms. Georgia, Kathleen Rice, Ms. Arkansas, Jacqueline Bettis, and Ms. Arizona, Jolene DeTiege. When talking to some of these girls, we found out that Ms. Massachusetts, Ashley Speicher, was taken away in an ambulance and to the ER for dehydration among other things. Some of the other girls had also been experiencing problems.

Interviews started late because some of the judges were late (and the medical issues some girls were having), so we had to bump our interview times to a later time than originally scheduled. Finally around 4pm, I went into my interview. Here are the questions. The answers are even more brief than normal because it's 2am here, and I'm so, so tired.

1. What would you change about America today?

I would want to eliminate the class system so that there wasn't "poor, middle class, and wealthy." I would want to create a balanced system of equality where everyone helped everyone else out if needed.

2. What is your best and worst quality?

Best is the joy I exude from deep within. Worst is my perfectionism.

3. If you had a friend or family member with a terminally ill disease and they asked you to help them die, would you?

No, and that is based on my morals and beliefs as a Christian. I would never assist anyone in trying to end their life but would instead try to find out why they wanted to do that. But, I would never agree to help them end their life.

4. If you were not selected to win Ms. Wheelchair America, who do you think should win?

Ms. Wheelchair NC, Erika Bogan.

5. Tell me about how you became disabled.

(Go see my website for this answer. I'm not typing it out.)

6. Are you registered to vote? If so, why? If not, why?

Yes, I've been registered to vote since I was 18. I feel it's extremely important to have a voice, otherwise nothing will get done if you don't put in how your say.

7. What would you change about this week if you could?

I would change the length of the days. Many girls have gotten sick, and we have not had an opportunity to get out of our wheelchairs and take care of personal care items that we needed to.

8. What magazine would you most like to be on the cover of?

People or Time magazine. Typically, there are Presidents or well known leaders in America on those covers. I would want to show the world that every day, average Americans like me and you are doing great things, too.

I felt 100% confident in all of my answers, because I answered straight from the heart and knew that I gave it my best shot. Whew! Only one thing left to do now, and that was my platform speech.

I didn't feel as prepared as I would have liked to going into it. I was third from the last, because this year they went in reverse alphabetical order by state. Susan Rotchy, a former Ms. Wheelchair CA (2007) was here with my state coordinator. Thank God, because she helped me with last minute advice that worked like a charm. I videotaped my speech, but I can't figure out how to upload it, so you'll have to wait on that one. But, here are some pictures of me with some of the gals from tonight! (And, the only one of me on stage is blurry. Sorry!)

Me and my mom!

Me and Susan Rotchy, Ms. Wheelchair 2007. So glad she was here!!

My state coordinator, Ruthee Goldkorn, me, and Susan Rotchy (Ms. Wheelchair CA 2007).

On stage, giving my speech!

I stayed within my 2 minute allowance, and as soon as I left the stage, I immediately began crying tears of joy. I was so happy with my speech. I didn't fumble, didn't stop, and didn't get nervous, but delivered it with poise, confidence, and enthusiasm. I was so proud of myself, that I couldn't help but cry and thank Jesus audibly!! To Him goes all the glory!

Tomorrow evening at 6pm, the Top 5 will be announced. I should know soon thereafter whether I made Top 5 but will then go immediately into live on-stage interview questions in front of the audience and judges. They will then go deliberate, and the winner will be announced somewhere around 8pm MST. That's what I'm guessing, but again, it may be earlier or later depending on what happens. If I win, I won't be able to get up to the hotel room to update my status or anything, so please be patient. I'll try my best to let people know, though, as soon as I find out!

Love you all, and thank you for walking this journey with me!

Blessings,

Alyson

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 4

2009-08-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm exhausted. They definitely have done a fantastic job of keeping us busy, entertaining us, and feeding us!! I barely ate last night or today because I feel as if I'm going to burst, and the lack of sleep is catching up to me. My interview this morning was at 10:15am, and I set my alarm at 7am to make sure I wasn't late. Well, the alarm went off, and I went back to sleep. Thank goodness my brother called at 7:45am and re-woke both my mom and me up! We had to be at workshops starting at 9am, and I was still well on time, though. And got to the interview even earlier than scheduled so I didn't have the problem as yesterday. (Reminder: Click on each picture for a larger view.)

The judges are really nice. Seriously. Each are very easy to talk with, though I feel like I am repeating myself a lot with some of the questions they ask. But, at least they'll remember me (I hope). So, here are the questions I was asked with a brief description of the answer I gave in no particular order:

1. If you were to be selected as Ms. Wheelchair America, travel is something that will obviously be part of your job. How will traveling affect you, and are you ok with it?

I am definitely ok with travel! I have traveled both internationally and around the nation, so I am very comfortable with traveling. In fact, I love visiting new places!

2. How do you keep up with current events?

I think we live in a great age where the Internet is readily available for current things happening in our world today, and that is where I get a lot of my information regarding current events. Oftentimes, I'm pulling up CNN or World News Report to know what's happening on a moment's notice with what's going on in the world today.

3. What would say is the biggest problem in America today?

Right now, I would have to say the state of our economy. In fact, this morning I had a friend text me that he really needed to talk to me that he was depressed because it's almost certain that he will be losing his job this week. A recession is when it happens to someone else, but when it happens to you, it suddenly becomes a depression. I would say the economy is the first thing on everyone's mind.

4. How do you relieve stress?

The way I relax and relieve stress is through swimming. I try to swim at least four times a week. I know I'm keeping healthy by exercising. There is something about being underneath the water where you can't have a cell phone, no music, and you can just allow yourself to think and pray that is so calming. I am a Christian, so there is no way I could make it through the day without Jesus helping me through this journey.

5. Similar to the Genie in Aladdin who granted three wishes, what would you wish for if you had three wishes?

Funny that you mention that because my 1st Runner Up in Ms. Wheelchair CA actually works at Disneyland in the Aladdin show! She was the first person in a wheelchair to ever be in the cast. Recently, I went to watch her show, and the gentleman playing Aladdin was really cute. So, when they got to the scene where he was requesting his third wish from the Genie, I secretly wished it would be to meet me! (smile - and judges were laughing, too). But, my first wish would be that the economy would turn around and that there would be a more global balance of understanding. My second wish would be that I would meet my husband soon. He would be someone who was understood my disability but didn't "see" it. He would walk right alongside of me in advocating, yet not try to change who I am as a person. Third, my wish would be that we would find a cure for spinal cord injuries. When I first got hurt 9 years ago, I used to sit and literally wait around for that day to come, however I realized that I was missing out on life. I finally decided to stop looking in the rearview mirror and hoping for a better past I pushed forward towards the future. So, as much as I would wish there was a cure for spinal cord injuries, if that day doesn't come in my lifetime, I'm still going to live a great life.

6. If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be with?

Wow, this gets really personal for me because a have a few friends who are celebrities since I live in the LA area. So, if I had to choose someone who I didn't know, I would choose Angelina Jolie. I would want to know how she balanced family life with her advocacy and philanthropic work as well as acting. She is someone whose brain I would like to pick at dinnertime. (Side note: One judge said, "Well, now you know she's not going to get married until everyone is allowed to get married?" And I said, "Yes, I know that. It's not something that I agree with, however I wouldn't shy away from stating my opinion if the subject came up with her, but I also wouldn't bash her for believing what she believes.")

7. Other than your mom, who do you admire most?

(I started tearing up immediately, which leads to me crying.) To answer you honestly, I would have to say that right now, I most admire Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina, Erika Bogan. As you know, she is in a wheelchair due to domestic violence, and I can relate to her in a small way as I am a survivor of sexual abuse. I don't think it is ever ok for something like that to happen. Her perseverance and strength is something I admire without a doubt.

8. Why do you think you should be the next Ms. Wheelchair America?

I believe I should be the next Ms. Wheelchair America because I am a positive role model to people of all abilities. As mentioned yesterday, I literally have dealt with all three pieces that I feel are important to healing: emotional, mental, and physical. I can relate to people on a personal level, and I love connecting with people. Also, I work in fundraising at my job, so I know how to raise money for the Ms. Wheelchair America program like the economy we are in now. Finally, I'm well connected in many communities and know a lot of important people who can connect me into their network of friends to help broaden the Ms. Wheelchair America program.

9. Who is Alyson Roth?

(Literally, there was a knock on the door as soon as they asked the question meaning my time was up, but I still threw something out there.) Whoa, this is like the cliff hanger to a movie! (all the judges laughed). I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out more about who I am. But I would say quickly that I am an outgoing person who loves life.

I'm not sure that I'm as confident today as I was yesterday. Literally, there are so many great girls here who deserve to win, that I don't know where I stand among some of them in the eyes of the judges. I mean, I think I'm the best candidate, but that's not to say that someone else is more "qualified" for the job. I just don't know. So yes, I'm a little less sure of myself today than I was yesterday.

After my interview, I was immediately requested by this great family and their daughter to take a picture with her. She was very eager to meet me (we met in the elevevator briefly the night before) and found me the next day. So cute! Afterwards, I met up with the film crew and Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair NC.

Tonight, we went downtown for a festival of music and dinner. Every Thursday evening in the summer, they shut down two streets for outdoor festivities. It was a blast! Here we are on our way to town. They even had the police stop traffic for us!

We first stopped at a great store who hosted us all for a reception. I got some great pictures!

Me with Michelle Colvard's (MWA) husband, Brian. He is such a fantastic man who loves Michelle so much. I hope to one day have a man as great as he is to her.

Like my head-dress? It is totally an authentic Indian warrior head-dress. So cool!

Finally, an interview with the public radio station.

I met so many great people, got my picture taken next to famous presidents, and signed some autographs.

But probably my most favorite thing was getting to tag a wall!!! Awhile back, the city got tired of people tagging buildings and putting graffiti all over the city. So, they dedicated a couple blocks for people to freely do this and called it "Art Ally." It was so awesome!

I found a guy with a can of spray paint and asked if I could borrow it to do my own tagging. I felt so naughty doing it, but it was such a rush for some reason! I loved it!!!

For dinner, a bunch of us headed down to a place called the "Firehouse." It used to actually be a firehouse back in the day, but they turned it into a bar/restaurant. Tonight, it had live reggae music. It was a blast dancing and listening to great music with everyone.

Me and Justin, one of the sweetest camera guys ever. I've totally seen a transformation in him this week, and I'm so proud of him!

It has been a complete honor for the city to host us in such an valiant way. It has truly made me feel so important and that people actually care. You know, when we're in our own communities in our respective states, it's easy to feel like the "lone ranger" among a crowd of able bodied people. But here, we are among people who "get it," who understand, and who have all made great strides in their own communities to break barriers. It definitely has been by far a week that has already exceeded and surpassed my expectations.

Pray for me tomorrow all day as it's the last opportunity I have to have one on one time with the judges, and then I deliver my platform speech on stage in front of everyone. I'm probably most nervous about tomorrow, because after tomorrow, decisions will be made for who's in the Top 5. I just want to be in the Top 5, so hopefully I've made a lasting impression on the judges.

Love you all, and thanks again for your support, words of encouragement this week, and love. You each mean so much to me, and I miss you all!

Blessings,

Alyson

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 3

2009-08-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

Day 3 of Ms. Wheelchair America, and judging has officially begun!! My interview time was set for 10:20am, and I was third person to go. Anyone who knows me well knows that me and mornings don't get along too well (smile), but I made sure today I was up and ready to go. The film crew arrived at my door just about the same time I got out of bed, so they caught me getting ready from the beginning. Erika Bogan, Ms. Wheelchair NC, came into my room to also get ready with me.

I was putting the last final touches when I got a phone call at about 10:03am from one of the judging coordinators saying that I needed to get downstairs immediately that I was late. This flustered me, because I knew I was not late at all. So, I scurried downstairs quickly (after being sent in the wrong direction first) and made it finally to the judges room. The door to where the judges were was open, and a lady outside the door said rather loudly and rudely, "Let this be a warning never to be late again." I was extremely flustered at this point because I was not late by any means, but I held my composure and politely said, "Yes ma'am" and went into the room with a smile on my face.

I introduced myself to the judges and the interviews began. There were 5 judges, and each asked me a question. The questions and briefly how I answered are below:

1. If you were to win $10 million dollars in the lottery, how would you spend it?

First, I don't play the lottery, but if I were to play and did win, I would first tithe 10% to my church. Second, I would give a portion of it to my job where I work at Free Wheelchair Mission. We give wheelchairs to people in other countries who don't have any other way to get around, and knowing how important wheelchairs are, I would definitely want to help out those other 100 million people who need mobility. Next, I would give money to a literacy program as I have my Master's degree in Reading and Literacy. I believe Education is extremely important. Finally, I would give a portion of the money to the SCI research center at the University of California, Irvine with Dr. Hans Keirstead as the Director. As you know, he is the first scientist to use human stem cells to help find a cure for spinal cord injuries, and he is also a friend of mine. Any money left after that would be used to help friends and family in need.

2. How would you respond to a 5 year old who asked you if being in a wheelchair hurt?

Being a former teacher, I was actually asked that question a lot along with cute questions like "How do you brush your teeth?" and "Do you sleep in your wheelchair?" I would tell the child that it doesn't hurt to be in a wheelchair, although there are good days and bad days just like them. Similar to if they fell down on the playground and scraped their knee, it would hurt for awhile, but then it would be ok. There is nothing that hurts about being in a wheelchair.

3. What would you say is your biggest accomplishment by far?

Without a doubt, I know exactly how to answer you! My biggest accomplishment thus far in life is being the first woman with a disability to ever surf in the US Open of Surfing. To be honored in that capacity and to change history in front of half a million people was the best day of my life and the biggest accomplishment this far in my life!

4. What is your definition of independence?

My definition of independence is being able to do something on your own or with little assistance. I realize that there are some women with a disability who need some assistance, but independence for me equals freedom. Freedom from your inner struggles first allows you to push past any physical barrier one may encounter. To me, that's freedom.

5. Are you a sneakers or high heel type of girl?

I am a sneakers type of girl. I have roots in the South and was raised in Georgia, so I'm definitely a sneakers, laid back type of girl. You would think that coming from California, it's all glitz and glam, but not all the time. I definitely know when it's appropriate to wear heels and to be more like a woman, but overall, I prefer sneakers.

That was it! Pretty easy, huh? I thanked each of the judges afterwards and was immediately greeted by my film crew.

We had workshops to attend all day. One of my favorite workshops was the Self-Defense workshop. I am a huge UFC (Ultimate Fighting) fan, so I was all about this course! I even took down the instructor! Seriously! He was literally tapping out and wincing in pain. I didn't know I was just supposed to "act" it out. Ha!

I made up for it in the end by taking a good picture with him with our fight fists up!

The next workshop I went to was a team building/collaboration workshop where we gathered into groups to think forward to what we think Ms. Wheelchair America would look like in 2015. We had to come up with a logo and a theme. Our groups logo was a triangle with a circle around it. Each side of the triangle represented something different: Innovation, Interdependence, and Integrity. The circle around it represented "Connecting Communities." I think we actually did a pretty good job!

Each state is required to do a board that represents their state along with pictures of what you've done and your advocacy work. I have two scrapbooks: one that is of all the appearances I've done as Ms. Wheelchair California and the second is of all the advocacy work I've done prior to becoming Ms. Wheelchair California. Finally, I brought sand from Laguna Beach and have my state's flag stuck in it and a towel with some flip flops. Perfect if you ask me!

Here I am! Hopefully the next Ms. Wheelchair America!

Tonight was a 50's themed night, so everyone got dressed up in their finest 50's attire. It was such a fun night of laughter, dancing, and having a good time. Be sure to check out the video at the end! Below is a picture of me and Ms. Wheelchair America, Michelle Colvard.

Me with Ana Calvo (Ms. Wheelchair Texas - left) and Erika Bogan (Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina - middle).

We had an Elvis impersonator show up for the night. Turns out "he" was really a "she"!

Dance, dance, dance!!

Me and Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, Amber Marcy!

Me and my mom! She was such a good sport and dancing right along with everyone else!

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 2

2009-08-25T20:28:00.001-07:00

Today was another fantastic day of meeting the the girls on a more real basis as we ventured off to Mt. Rushmore!! Everyone was very tired, and my mom and I stayed up until 3am putting a state board together that I didn't have but needed (thus why you see a large cup of coffee in my hand in the picture below)! (Again, click on each picture for a larger view.)

Everyone met down in the lobby at about 9am to start loading all contestants, companions, and state coordinators into the buses. It was quite a feat, but there were so many wonderful volunteers who were there to help. I got to ride the bus with Ms. Wheelchair America, Ms. Wheelchair Kentucky, Ms. Wheelchair Utah, and Ms. Wheelchair Indiana. Below, they are strapping me down in the van so that I don't go flying forward if we happened to stop fast! And, because we are considered VIP's in the city, we had police escorts throughout the town as our caravan of busses, cars, and vans made our way towards Mt. Rushmore. It took us about 30 minutes or so to get to the park.

We made it to Mt. Rushmore! The Black Hills of South Dakota are beautiful, but honestly, Mt. Rushmore was much smaller than I had imagined it to be. It looks very grande in pictures, but in person, it's not that big. However, I was told that if you were to stand in the pupil of the eyes of any of the presidents, it's 9 feet tall. So, I guess afterall, it's pretty big! Sadly, I also didn't know each of the presidents on the mountain, but took a good guess on a a few and got most right. Below is a picture with me and my mom (don't we look alike?) and me and Ms. Wheelchair America, Michelle Colvard. Both her, Erika Bogan (Ms. Wheelchair NC), and Amber Marcy (Ms. Wheelchair MI) have become good, good friends already and do a lot together.

I made it Mt. Rushmore, and there is my beautiful California state flag above me to the left!

Erika Bogan (Ms. Wheelchair NC) also surfs with the great organization, Life Rolls On, and we immediately hit it off from the beginning. She is a way cool chick, and I know she'll be a life long friend of mine. Her story/testimony is amazing, and I hope one day soon you get to hear her amazing perseverance as she has overcome an amazing obstacle. And of course, only she and I were allowed to pose with a picture in front of Mt. Rushmore with a "Hang Ten" sign!!! :)

Here is the entire group of women competing to be the next Ms. Wheelchair America! I am front in center to the right of Michelle Colvard.

Yes, in order to see details of the face of Mt. Rushmore, it's important you look through binoculars. Thank goodness someone let me borrow theirs. I wouldn't have thought to bring these!

After lunch and a slight detour from the days activities, Amber, Michelle, and I took of and did some exploring of our own. We were zooming in and out of tourists and taking crazy fun pictures! Even got one in a mock tepee! So cute!

Dangerous walking surface?? Thank God I don't walk then! Ha! That didn't stop me from going down the "forbidden trail"!

We had a good time acting silly in the Gift Shop as we found our respective states. Erika literally threw herself across my lap to reach her state, North Carolina. Can you believe this girl forgot to bring her shoes? Literally! She got to the airport and realized she didn't have any shoes on, and didn't even pack any!! She's gone barefoot the entire past two days and is totally cool with it. I joke around with her (being raised in Georgia myself) and say that "that must be what they do in North Carolina"!

After Mt. Rushmore, we headed to a camp that was set up for people/children with disabilities that used to be a ghost town back in the day... which was actually once a mining town. Immediately once arriving, television news stations, NPR, and the local paper were there to do several interviews with many of the contestants. Below is Erika and me getting interviewed by the news, and then Erika getting interviewed by NPR (I think).

There is a documentary being filmed called "Defining Beauty" which is following the contestants in their quest to be the next Ms. Wheelchair America. The film crew is really cool. Below is Justin aiming for a good shot of all of this while eating prime rib dinner. Yum!

It was a great day of fun, though I think it was a little too long and wish I had more time back in the hotel room this evening to prepare for tomorrow. I have my first judges interview at 10:20am, so be praying for me! There is a panel of 6 judges, and someone more than half of them have some connection to Georgia, so I'm going to remember to mention my roots of Georgia somewhere along the way! :) It will be interesting to see if people's personalities change once "game time" begins. Overall, though, I couldn't have asked for a better week already. I've done some things I've never done before, met women who I'll be lifelong friends with, and learned from each person something I never knew before. I've already become a better person from being here, and I'm so thrilled - whether or not I win - to have had the opportunity to meet each of these amazing women from their respective states.

Until tomorrow...

Blessings,

Alyson

Ms. Wheelchair America - Day 1

2009-08-24T22:28:00.001-07:00

I made it to South Dakota!! Wow, what a great day so far. I have met some amazing people so far, and I'm so thankful for this experience. And it's only Day 1! Let me walk you through what the day has looked like. (Click on the pictures to see them bigger.)

My friend, Michelle, was gracious enough to drive me to the Santa Ana airport at 8am this morning. I arrived with sash and crown on and got the VIP treatment the entire way through the airport. I had my own personal escort and everything! It was fantastic.

I connected through Salt Lake City where I was greeted by Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee. She and I rode the airplane together into South Dakota along with Ms. Wheelchair New York's mom and Ms. Wheelchair Utah's mom. I arrived in the tiny airport in South Dakota, and was immediately greeted by my mom. So good to see her again! My dad had to stay home and watch the dogs, otherwise I know he would have been here, too.

We walked down to Baggage Claim to retrieve all my bags (quite a few considering all I had to bring!) and met these cute kids who were inquisitive about who I was. I told them all about the pageant and what we were doing here this in South Dakota this week. In the meantime, a few other contestants were arriving at the airport at the same time.

It was super windy when I got outside! Here I am in front of the Rapid City Regional Airport... air blowing in the wind. Ha!

Me and my mom! She is my "companion" for the week, and we were told tonight at our meeting that our companion should know that this week, it's all about ME! I looked straight at my mom, pointed my finger at her, and smiled. I love that this week it can be all about me! :)

South Dakota has many open spaces and lots and lots of land. I haven't seen much of the landscape so far, but from the airplane window and from the few pictures I took from the bus window on our way to the hotel, you can see that there's not a whole lot here.

Riding the bus to the hotel with Ms. Wheelchair Texas, Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee, and Ms. Wheelchair Washington D.C. My friend, Robert, sent me off from California with the beautiful flowers.

Once arriving at the hotel, I checked in and immediately began meeting people. Wow, are there some great women representing their states!! Below is a picture with the current Ms. Wheelchair America, Michelle Colvard, and Ms. Wheelchair Michigan, Amber Marcy. I can already tell that both of these women are going to be lifelong friends. We've already shared so many stories, giggles, and I feel like I've known both of them for a long time.

Finally at about 8pm, we sat down for dinner. I had an amazing time talking with everyone, introducing ourselves to the girls, and talking about the logistics for the week. It's going to be a very busy week with not a lot of down time. It was a long night as you can see it's already 11:50pm and I'm just now getting back to our hotel room to blog and upload pictures! All in all, I'm extremely excited about this week and getting to know all these women and what they represent.

Tomorrow, we're off to see Mt. Rushmore, then to an Abilities Camp, and then a prime rib dinner with some comedian. Wednesday, we meet the judges for the first time with a 5 minute interview, and then Thursday and Friday, I have a 10 minute interview with the judges (one each day). Friday night is my platform speech on stage, and then Saturday the Top 5 are announced. If I make Top 5, I then have live interviews on stage with the judges, and then the winner is announced!!

So, looking forward to posting tomorrow! Thanks again for all your prayers, love, and support!

Blessings,

Alyson

Filming with Rob Machado

2009-08-21T23:24:00.001-07:00

Rob Machado is one of the world's best pro surfer's around. Alyson was asked by the Life Rolls On organization to film with Rob and Patrick Ivison at Cardiff State Beach. The weather was a little cool, but throughout the filming time, it was fun to see the surf come in. We were all wanting to get out in the ocean rather than just sit in front of it!!

Patrick Ivison, Rob Machado, and Alyson Roth

X Bar Fundraiser

2009-08-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Lisa Kline and Alyson Roth

Lisa Kline and Peter Wilderotter were the hosts of a fundraiser at the X Bar in Hollywood, CA. Lisa Kline has a beautiful boutique to the stars on Robertson Blvd, and Peter Wilderotter is the President and CEO of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

It was so good to see so many familiar faces and meet great new people as well! There is definitely a wonderful community of supporters of the Ms. Wheelchair America program in LA!

Alyson Roth with Kris Nakamura (L) and Meghan Shinderle (R) of the Life Rolls On Foundation.

(L-R) Lisa Kline, Alyson Roth, Peter Wilderotter, Jennifer Kumiyama, Alexis Ostrander

Alexis Jones and Alyson Roth. Alexis was on Survivor: Micronesia.

Thanks everyone for coming out to support the wonderful work of all the women in the Ms. Wheelchair America program. It is people like you who make a difference in the lives of so many men and woman who are overcoming disabilities every day and making a difference in the world. Thank you!

Hans Keirstead of the UCI Spinal Cord Research Facility

2009-08-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

There is fantastic work being done in the medical world regarding finding a cure for spinal cord injuries, and people like Dr. Hans Keirstead is a huge part of changing lives in the future! What an amazing man who has a true heart and passion for getting things done and for improving the lives of so many people, one step at a time.

Alyson had the privilege of touring his research lab at the University of California, Irvine, and wow, was she blown away! Everyone there is working so hard, so meticulous, yet very passionate about what they do every day. All are truly dedicated to doing what it takes to find a cure for disabilities/diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and spinal cord injuries to name a few.

Dr. Hans Keirstead and Alyson Roth

Dr. Hans Keirstead explaining the amazing work he's doing with stem cells to help the body heal itself after a spinal cord injury.

Ms. Wheelchair California Fundraiser with Jennifer Kumiyama - LIVE!

2009-08-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

If I haven't mentioned it before, I've mentioned it a thousand times. I am truly blessed to have the most amazing 1st Runner Up, Jennifer Kumiyama. Not only did I gain a great side-kick in this journey to Ms. Wheelchair America, but I also gained a lifelong friend and kindred spirit.

Plus, this girl can SING! Jennifer is on cast in the Aladdin show through Disney at California Adventure. If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest seeing the performance. Jennifer was kind enough to host a fundraiser for the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant at the M Bar in Hollywood, CA. And, of course I wouldn't miss this! She did a fantastic job of coordinating the event, preparing, and pulling it all of with great success. And, the circle of friends that she has quickly all became my friends, too!

Below, both Jennifer and I were able to rub sashes with Miss Horrorfest 2009, Kelly Marchand. In order to be crowned, she had to go to a live audition and was chosen as a semi-finalist, then had to make five short films in order to win the crown. She is now the official spokeswoman for Afterdark Films!

Thank you, Jennifer, and all the singers/musicians for a fantastic evening of fun. I definitely look forward to the next time we can all hang out together again!

Councilman Holden's Block Party in Pasadena

2009-08-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

(Alyson Roth and Councilman Holden)

On Saturday, Ms. Wheelchair California, Alyson Roth, was invited along with Executive Director of the program, Ruthee Goldkorn, to join Councilman Holden's Block Party in Pasadena. What a fun, relaxing, and productive day! Beautiful homes, sunshine, music, hotdogs, lemonade, games for the children, and great conversations made for a memorable experience for everyone.

(Alyson Roth and Ruthee Goldkorn)

Immediately upon Alyson's arrival, there were children waiting in line to meet her and get her autograph. All were so in awe of Alyson and were so excited to get a picture and personalized autograph from her.

(Alyson signing autographs for everyone.)

The Pasadena Fire Crew was there serving hotdogs. Who can resist a picture with them?

Also, gentleman from the LA Sparks were in attendance. Hopefully in the near future, the Ms. Wheelchair California program will be partners with them and their organization.

Alyson also had the opportunity to meet Larry Madick of Kiwanis who is in charge of the Rose Float Parade Club. He gave valuable insight to Alyson regarding this year's National pageant as he was a judge last year. Alyson was also able to see pictures of what this year's Rose Float will look like that she will be a part of! And the biggest accomplishment of the day is that Councilman Holden agreed to ride on the float with Alyson on January 1st!

(Larry Madick and Alyson Roth)

Another introduction that Alyson had the pleasure of having was to Robbie Motter of Flexiciser. Flexiciser is now an official partner of the Ms. Wheelchair California program which offers free training and use of the machine throughout the titleholders reign! Thank you Robbie and Flexiciser!

Big thanks to the city of Pasadena and to Councilman Holden for a great Saturday afternoon in such a beautiful city with amazing people!

Disneyland Appearance

2009-08-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

Disneyland truly is the happiest place on earth, and dreams really do come true! If you ever visit California, you have to be sure to visit Disneyland. It is completely accessible for anyone wishing to still have a magical experience and not have to worry if the employees will be afraid to handle someone in a wheelchair. They are all extremely accomodating!

Here, Alyson had the chance to visit with Woody (from Toy Story), Mickey Mouse, and Cinderella along with her First Runner Up, Jennifer Kumiyama. Jennifer is a cast member in the Aladdin show at Disneyland and has done great things to help bring awareness to people with disabilities at the park.

You are always welcome to visit California anytime of the year! Greetings from California!

Do you think Alyson is ready for Hollywood?

Alyson at California Adventure in front of the Ferris Wheel.

All rides are accessible, though some you do need assistance onto. However, the "Toy Story" ride is one of the many rides available in the park in which you can stay in your wheelchair if you'd like to!

The final part of the evening consisted of Alyson attending the Aladdin show where Jennifer Kumiyama performed. What an amazing cast and show! It was truly entertaining, comical, and enduring. It was probably the highlight to the day!

There she is!! Jennifer Kumiyama is changing lives every day by being up there on stage.

Aladdin asking Jasmine to marry him. :) Alyson would have said yes!

Disneyland is truly a magical place. You can let your cares and worries from the day stay at the door and enjoy one of the happiest places on earth as you relive your childhood. Thank you, Disneyland, for a fantastic day with Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Woody, and everyone else!

U.S. Open of Surfing: First Woman with Disability to Surf in the Expression Session of the Open!

2009-07-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Alyson Roth was the first woman with a disability to surf in the 8th Annual Expression Session with the non-profit organization, Life Rolls On (LRO), at the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA this past weekend. As the world’s largest surfing competition, Roth was viewed by an estimated 500,000 people at the US Open of Surfing who gather each year to watch the top surfers compete from all around the world.

Returning for the 8th year as the “Official Charity” of the US Open of Surfing, Life Rolls On Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury (SCI) and uses action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis. LRO utilizes action sports to push the boundary of possibility for those with SCI through outreach education programs, motivation, and awareness.

Aren't the sunsets beautiful??

On Sunday, July 26, preceding the Men’s Finals, Roth, along with three Life Rolls On surfers, charged the waves for the LRO “THEY WILL SURF AGAIN” EXPRESSION SESSION – a special exhibition of Life Rolls On’s signature program, They Will Surf Again.

Alyson joined (L-R) Patrick Ivison, Christiaan Bailey, and Jessie Billauer (not shown) as the first woman to ever surf in the Open! What a fantastic day in history!
The waves were extremely big the day before, so everyone was a bit nervous about the surfing conditions for Sunday. However, they calmed down a little, though still dangerous. The current was extremely strong, and with that type of pull, it made for a difficult paddle out.

But, Alyson had a fantastic team of Cory Staley, Scott Caan, Jesse Faen, Grant Kobayashi, and Mike Brown among others to help her pull of a successful surf... catching all four waves without a single wipe out. The crowd lined the Huntington Beach Pier, the bleachers, and the sand as everyone cheered for Alyson as the first woman as well as the fact she is Ms. Wheelchair California! It was such an amazing day!

Afterwards, the four surfers lined up in front of the LRO booth for media and press interviews. Thank you to Life Rolls On for your undying support of people with spinal cord injuries/disabilities and for helping everyone become more aware that life does go on!

Heritage Christian School

2009-07-28T11:29:00.001-07:00

Alyson spent an afternoon with a great bunch of children at Heritage Christian School sharing with them about her disability, why she is Ms. Wheelchair California, and why it's important that we treat everyone kindly, no matter if they are the same or different from us. The children (especially the girls) were so intrigued with her crown and sash and quickly asked if Alyson was a princess!
Alyson read one of her favorite stories, "Madeline" to everyone. In this story, it talks about poor Madeline having to go to the hospital to get her appendix out and how all her friends missed her while she was in the hospital. It was a great lead-in to talking to the children about what happened to Alyson when she was in a car accident almost 9 years ago and had to stay at the hospital.

Many questions were asked like, "How do you get up stairs?" and "How do you put on your clothes?" The simple questions that children ask are always so precious. Alyson posed the question, "What are ways you can tell I'm Ms. Wheelchair California?" They immediately answered "because you have a crown." Eventually, they said, "the sash," but then they were leaving the most important qualifier out! Alyson asked, "Can anyone be Ms. Wheelchair California?" Some said "yes" and some said "no." Eventually (through some probing), they understood that someone with this title had to use a wheelchair! It was precious!

One last group picture at the end. Thank you, Heritage Christian School, for a fantastic afternoon spending time with some of your students talking to them about the importance of accepting people with differences and allowing the children to ask inquisitive questions to further educate their young minds about people with disabilities.

BRYAN MALLINDINE PRESIDENT OF FLEXICISER™ INTERNATIONAL SIGNS SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT WITH MS WHEELCHAIR CALIFORNIA PAGEANT

2009-07-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Click on picture to read entire Media Release.

Spotlight on Fox News

2009-07-22T12:02:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture to see the snapshot of the brief feature on FoxNews.com of the recent surfing opportunity in Malibu.

Surfing in Malibu with Life Rolls On!

2009-07-20T22:21:00.001-07:00

Alyson had the opportunity to participate in another surfing event with the non-profit, "Life Rolls On," which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in action sports again. And what a day this was!

Alyson arriving and signing in. She's ready to go surfing!

The entire group of participants, volunteers, and sponsors. "Life Rolls On"

really knows how to gain support!

Alyson with LRO supporter, Simon Baker.

Alyson with Scott Caan, another fantastic volunteer that day! He was right
by Alyson's side the entire time while out in the water!

Ms. Wheelchair CA, Alyson Roth, and 1st Runner Up, Jennifer Kumiyama, had the
chance to take pictures with "Life Rolls On" founder, Jessie Billauer (middle).

Alyson Roth and Jessie Billauer with Anthony Kiedis (middle).

Here is the entire Blue Team that helped Alyson into the water and helped
her catch about five waves (including 2 wipe outs).

EXTRA! television was there for Life Rolls On and asked to interview Alyson after she came out of the water. What a treat! And not only that, but she had the opportunity to interview CBS's "The Mentalist" star, Simon Baker.

How can you not smile at Life Rolls On supporter, Simon Baker? He was one of the hardest working volunteers out there that day. He never stopped, and was always there when a participant needed him.

Here is a more in-depth interview by Extra (aired on July 21, 2009).

Again, a huge thanks to Life Rolls On and their fantastic outreach programs for people with spinal cord injuries and disabilities in general. You make life that much more valuable to people everywhere!

Angel's Baseball!

2009-07-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has a long history with California. The present-day Angels franchise began play as the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. Owned by actor Gene Autry and his wife Jackie, they played their inaugural season at Wrigley Field in South Los Angeles. During the 1964 season, Gene Autry struck a deal with the city of Anaheim on a new stadium for the Angels. The team changed its name to California Angels late in the 1965 season, as they were the only American League team in the state at the time, and moved to the city-owned Anaheim Stadium in 1966.

The "Big A," as they call it, is a big trademark in Southern California. Each time the Angel's win a baseball game, the halo around the top of the "A" lights up and flashes so that every passerby on the 5 freeway (located right next to the stadium) knows that the Angels had a victory! Here is Alyson in front of this historical symbol.

Alyson found a truck that was completely decked out in tribute to the Angels Baseball team! She had to get a picture in front of it!

Everyone loves baseball, inlcuding Alyson. In fact, she grew up hitting baseballs off of her brother's pitching machine in the backyard as a little girl (before she had to use a wheelchair). She has attended many baseball games throughout the years, and the Angels is definitely one of her favorites!

Alyson Surfs with actor Simon Baker

2009-07-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Press Release announcing that Alyson will be one of the people surfing this weekend with actor Simon Baker of CBS's "The Mentalist" and Scott Caan of the "Ocean's" trilogy as well as professional surfer Rob Machado. Click on the picture to read the article.

Fourth of July Parade - Morgan Hill, CA

2009-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

To help celebrate the birth of our great country, Alyson Roth participated in the 115th Morgan Hill Fourth of July Parade. The theme this year was "A Salute to America's Heroes," and the entire event is coordinated each year since around 1973 by Bob and Maureen Hunt. The work they do and the volunteers that help out is simply a production in and of itself! It's spectacular!

Below is Ms. Roth on the flight to San Jose preparing for the parade which will happen early the next morning.
Over 50,000 people come from all over Santa Clara County to watch this parade. The streets are packed with families as they prepare to yell, cheer, and wave at the people in the parade.

Santa Clara County has a wonderful transportation system called "ParaTransit" (Outreach) which helped pick up Ms. Wheelchair California and bring her to where she needed to be. The festivities began early (about 8am), but the parade itself did not begin until 10am. Yes, Ms. Wheelchair California is a V.I.P!

Below is "The Grange" which served as the meeting place for all the volunteers, staff, and V.I.P.'s. It is one of the few historical buildings still left in this close knit community and once served as an elementary school.

We were greeted with these signs as we entered into the parade reminding everyone on a float or in a car to smile, look sharp, and don't lag!

Ms. Wheelchair California, Alyson Roth's, car was a black Thunderbird convertible. It was a great car to ride in for the parade!

Alyson was able to meet up with Eliza Riley, MWCC Ambassador, while in Morgan Hill since she lives nearby. She was also able to be in the parade behind Alyson. It was good to see her again!

So many people anxiously await this day, and as you can see by the pictures below, they pack into ever nook and cranny along the parade path that they can to get a good view!

Here she comes! Ms. Wheelchair California, Alyson Roth!

The view from Alyson's spot. She followed a Boy Scouts float with a dancing Santa Claus on it. It was hard competition! Behind Alyson was Eliza Riley's car, and then the one and only Elvis was behind her!

There was an "Announcer's Stage" at four different locations on the parade route. Each time a new float/car passed by, the announcer would inform the audience about who they represented. It was encouraging to see so many people cheer, clap, and yell your name as you passed them by!

Turning the last corner of the parade... an hour and fifteen minutes later! The parade route was only a little over a mile long, but it took that long to get around the block!

Participating in the Morgan Hill 4th of July Parade was such a memorable experience. It's easy to see why people come from all over to the county to make this a tradition with their family. Everyone in this community is supportive, helpful, and friendly, and if you haven't been to see this parade yet, you need to! The Ms. Wheelchair California organization looks forward to being back with everyone again next year!

Surfing in Huntington Beach

2009-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Alyson spent the day surfing about a month ago with Life Rolls On in Huntington Beach. Several media crews were there. Here is a portion of what was filmed!

Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)

2009-06-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ms. Wheelchair California, Alyson Roth, and First Runner Up, Jennifer Kumiyama visited children who were patients at CHOC this afternoon. What a difficult but rewarding day!

There were many children who were admitted into CHOC for various reasons, but probably the hardest was visiting the children on the 3rd floor who have cancer. Cancer does not have an age limit and is not gender specific. It attacks any and all people, and many times without warning. The youngest person they met was only 18 months old, and she was diagnosed at 9 months old. Her grandmother stays with her during the day while mom and dad work, dad comes to stay with her in the evenings, and mom stays with her during the weekends. Words don't express the amount of sympathy that goes out to these families who endure so much heartache, grief, and pain for their children.

One of the first patients Alyson and Jennifer met was an 8 year old girl named Kayla. She was busy painting with her mother and grandmother, but quickly turned to playing a version of Monopoly called "Dog-opoly." Supposedly, she always wins! Below is a picture of her with Alyson (left) and Jennifer (right).

Finally, they met a patient who had just been admitted. It was her first day. The 12 year old, Jennifer, seemed nervous as she sat in her hospital bed with her 14 year old sister sitting next to her. Trying to put yourself in her shoes was almost mind-blowing. One can only imagine if you've never experienced the devastating effect of cancer.

May God be with and comfort the patients, family members, and friends of each of these little angels. Each are already survivors.

Meeting Mr. Jay

2009-06-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Alyson had the privilege of meeting the founder and creator of the Jay Cushion, Mr. Rich Jay. Thanks for creating a great cushion for those of us who need it!

Abilities Expo - Anaheim, CA

2009-05-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend! Alyson Roth had the opportunity to meet so many great people this weekend (May 29 - 31st) at the Abilities Expo in Anaheim, CA. Thank you to all who came out to this great event! There were so many great vendors who provided amazing new resources for so many people to live an even better life.

Pictured below is Alyson with the state coordinator for the Ms. Wheelchair Washington pageant, Tammy Wilber. She is featuring a new removable adaptive product on her wheelchair called the "Free Wheel" which allows for off-road adventures. To learn more about the product, click here. I want one!

On Sunday, Alyson participated in the "Kid's Day" and met some of the most amazing kids. She even had a few young boys wink at her! So cute. Another kid came up to her, saw her crown and sash, and with a straight face asked if she was the Mayor. Ha!

The creator of the wheelchair, Quickie, stopped by the Ms. Wheelchair California booth. What a pleasure it was to speak with Marilyn Hamilton (below).

The last picture is of a little girl named Taryn who has mitochondrial disease. Her dad received a tattoo on his arm of his little girl by the television show, LA Ink, and organizes motorcycle rides to raise funds and awareness for this devastating disease. The love this family has for their daughter was amazing.

The biggest blessing of this entire weekend was seeing so many people enjoying the company of others in the same situation as them. Everywhere you looked, you saw people talking, laughing, and enjoying life and sharing in community.

Thank you, Abilities Expo, for a weekend full of connectivity and enjoyment while at the same time providing a great place for people the get valuable resources to make their lives easier!

Reading of the Roll - Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today, Alyson Roth had the opportunity to participate in a very significant event at the Riverside National Cemetery for the "Reading of the Roll." She was one of 500 volunteers scheduled to read over 450,000 names over the period of 8 days, 24 hours a day.

Alyson said, "It was a very moving experience for me. As I read each name, I couldn't help but think about what that person sacrificed for our country and for our freedom. I also thought about my grandfather and his contribution to service during WWII. I'm extremely proud of all those who serve in our military. What a wonderful way to spend Memorial Day Weekend!"

To read more about the "Reading of the Roll," click here for the article.

(Ruthee Goldkorn and Alyson Roth)

University of California, Irvine - Alyson Roth and Chancellor Michael Drake

2009-05-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

University of California, Irvine (UCI) has been a great partner of Alyson Roth's platform and job, Free Wheelchair Mission. UCI will be delivering wheelchairs in Guinea, West Africa through the UCI Africa Initiative this coming Fall.
Pictured here is Alyson Roth with Chancellor Michael Drake. Thank you, Chancellor Drake, for all your support and belief in accessibility world-wide!

City of Anaheim Recognition

2009-05-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Alyson Roth was recognized at the Anaheim City Hall by Mayor Curt Pringle and the City Council on Wednesday, May 19th for her accomplishments and achievements. Also recognized was 1st Runner Up and resident of Anaheim, Jennifer Kumiyama. Congratulations to both recipients!

Ms. Wheelchair California Goes Surfing!

2009-05-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Alyson Roth on a surfboard after just riding a wave. Hang ten!

Alyson had an amazing day with the "Life Rolls On" organization at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, CA on Sunday. This organization provides a way for those with disabilities to get back into the water and surf again. Alyson joined the organization in 2007 after a coworker introduced her and was hooked ever since. What an amazing day!

A film crew came down from Los Angeles to shoot the entire day and everything that happened. Adaptive sports are accessible to so many people these days, and it's a great way for newly injured people (or those who are veterans) to become active in sports.

First, Alyson is put into a beach wheelchair (above) and rolled out to the surf. A beach wheelchair has extra big tires to be easily pushed through the sand by another person. They are available for free at most public beaches.

She was able to stop and talk to a few volunteers while on her way out into the ocean. "Life Rolls On" has an amazing support of volunteers and assistants to help in any way possible. Safety comes first with these people, and they are there in a split second if you need them.

While waiting to head into the ocean, Alyson had the opportunity to sit in the sand and talk with one of the volunteers about his job and participation with "Life Rolls On." Over 30 participants were able to go into the ocean this day, with each able to catch about 4 waves during their turn.

The water crew carry Alyson out into the ocean to the surfboard. Including the camera crew, there were probably 20 people in the water with her helping out! Each surfboard is adapted with a handle, however there are about three people helping to bring each participate out into the surf. One is designated as the Lead and is in charge of steering the surfboard out correctly and spotting the wave. Another is in charge of holding her on the surfboard until time to release her, and the other person is in charge of kicking from behind when initially going out.

Once out into the ocean, the Lead spots an upcoming wave and tells Alyson to get ready! Alyson holds on, and within seconds, the wave picks her up and pushes her forward in the water. She describes the moment as "exhilarating" as she "feels this type of freedom in the water once again"!

Thank you "Life Rolls On" for a fantastic weekend for our Ms. Wheelchair California! You are providing amazing opportunities for so many men and woman who use a wheelchair to know that life does go on!

For more information on "Life Rolls On" and to see when they'll be in a city near you, please visit them at http://www.liferollson.org/.

Gwinnett Daily Post Newspaper Article

2009-05-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Alyson Roth was featured in her hometown newspaper in Georgia. Click on the picture to read the article further. Thank you Gwinnett Daily Post for featuring this great woman!

In the News

2009-04-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

CBS Channel 13 News in Sacramento wrote a great article and posted the video on their website of Alyson Roth's crowning. Click here to view it.

Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 Crowned

2009-04-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Alyson Roth was crowned the 2009 Ms. Wheelchair California in Sacramento, CA on April 4, 2009. She succeeded Shannon Coe of Monterey, CA, who did a great job representing the disabled community. First Runner-Up was Jennifer Kumiyama of Anaheim, CA.

Shannon Coe (2008) and Alyson Roth (2009)

Ms. Roth's quest to be Ms. Wheelchair California came from the desire to change the face of disability and to be a spokeswoman and advocate for those who feel they do not have voice. Her life was dramatically changed almost 9 years ago when she became paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. Her vibrant and barrier-free life quickly switched to one of limitations and feelings of inadequacy. It is now her aspiration to push the boundaries of equality by educating the public, empowering others who face challenges, and to be a woman of tact and poise that represents not only California, but our nation and world. She looks forward to continuing her advocacy platform around the state by speaking to schools, businesses, organizations, and governments about the importance of inclusion and equality among those with disabilities.

California State Capital, Sacramento
(Front L-R): Susan Rotchy (2007), Jennifer Kumiyama (2009 1st Runner Up), Alyson Roth (2009), Shannon Coe (2008)
(Back L-R): Tony Asaro (Rivercats Baseball) and Michael Paravagna (ADA Coordinator)

Ms. Roth will go on to compete at the national level in August with hopes to become the next Ms. Wheelchair America.

Please email the Ms. Wheelchair California office at knowbarriers@yahoo.com to schedule a speaking engagement.