Ms. Wheelchair California 2009 : Ms. Wheelchair America 2010, 2nd Runner Up: U.S. Open of Surfing: First Woman with Disability to Surf in the Expression Session of the Open!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

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

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!

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Ms. Wheelchair California is available for speaking engagements, master of ceremony events, parades, photo opportunities and other community events. All events will be considered, and if deemed appropriate and scheduling allows, the Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation will do its best to accommodate your request.

Please contact the Ms. Wheelchair California office www.mswheelchaircaliforniafoundation.org.

(* Please note that during my reign, my title was underneath the Ms. Wheelchair California pageant with Ruthee Goldkorn as the State Coordinator. Ms. Wheelchair America no longer recognizes her pageant as part of the National program, thus a new Foundation was begun for future title holders to continue spreading advocacy in a positive manner.)

Biography

Alyson Roth, Ms. Wheelchair California 2009, lived in Southern California when she was crowned. In 2000, Alyson was involved in a near-fatal car accident that left her with a spinal cord injury and paralyzed from the waist down. Alyson obtained her BS in Music Education at Samford University, and her MS in Elementary Reading and Literacy from Walden University. While at Samford University, she was successful in establishing a “Disability Awareness Week” where students learned about different disabilities and simulated them in order to understand the barriers that confronted students with disabilities. It brought a new awareness to the campus and became a catalyst for further accessibility within the community. After graduation, she taught music in the public and private school sector before joining Free Wheelchair Mission in 2007. Free Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization that distributes wheelchairs to over 80 countries around the world to the poorest people with disabilities.

Alyson continued her advocacy by speaking at both the National Association for Music Education’s National Convention (2004) with her session entitled “Barrier-free Music Education: Concepts of Inclusion” and the National Orff Schulwerk Association National Convention (2005) with her session entitled “Mainstreaming the Process”. These sessions taught other music educators how to turn able-bodied music lessons into lessons that included those children with disabilities in the mainstreamed classroom. She has also written several articles and been published in several magazines regarding disability awareness.

Yosemite National Park is now more wheelchair friendly and ADA compliant due to Alyson’s input while sitting on the Board of Directors. She has assisted Habitat for Humanity to help build a house for a disabled member of the Atlanta inner-city community. To bring more recognition to those with disabilities, Alyson presented the “Ability through Mobility” Award to four recipients around the country for their outstanding work within their community despite their disability. She has traveled to Nicaragua to work at an orphanage for children with disabilities and teach music at a school for the blind. Alyson has also traveled to Mexico to deliver wheelchairs to the country’s poorest people with disabilities and has had the opportunity to collaborate with the former president of Mexico, President Vicente Fox, about the importance of providing wheelchairs to the citizens of Mexico in addition to providing aide and healthcare to everyone.

In her free time, Alyson enjoys providing mentorship for newly injured patients, participating in several outdoor activities including waterskiing, surfing, and swimming. It is Alyson’s desire to educate the public on the truths of having a disability and empower those with a disability to be all they can be in a world full of possibilities.

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

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

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

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