Abbey Nicole Curran’S Story Of Overcoming Cerebral Palsy

“Accomplishment begins with two words, I’ll try. ” This quote that Abbey Nicole Curran once said is saying that there is no possible way of succeeding if you don’t take the shot at trying. The quote is related to my thesis because the quote is about trying, because if you don’t there is no way of succeeding, and my thesis is about how Abbey Nicole Curran tried her best to become a pageant girl even though she had cerebral palsy. Abbey was an important and influential figure in history that had a positive impact on the world because she encouraged many other young girls, who had a dream but had a disability, to try their best and eventually be able to accomplish their goals. I can relate to this situation because my cousin had mixed cerebral palsy, she was in a wheelchair and she couldn’t talk she only made noises. She wanted to be in a beauty pageant, that’s why I chose Abbey Nicole Curran. Later on my cousin passed at 12 years old from a brain blackout.

Abbey was born July 28, 1988. She was born in Kewanee Illinois. Her parents’ names are Mike and Katie Curran. Abbey was raised on a hog farm in Illinois. Abbey went to high school at Kewanee high school. For college she went to St Ambrose University. Mike, Abbey’s father, was a farmer for the hog farm. Katie, Abbey’s mother, was a nurse. When Abbey was growing up on the farm she always watched beauty pageant shows, she even got a pencil and paper and “judged” the contestants with her mom and grandmother. One day during highschool she saw a flyer for a contest, a beauty pageant. Her teacher told her not to even try because there was no point. That made her wants to do it more just to prove her wrong. She competed but lost, the next year she competed again and won. Everytime people doubt her and her goals she is encouraged to prove them wrong and even conquer more of her goals to. Now she is a person to never give up, just like in high school. She’s motivated by the words “you can’t”, then she proves them wrong.

Her highschool teacher is the person who made her who she is today. Her teacher said “be realistic, you can’t do that”. Abbey was motivated by those words just so she can prove her teacher wrong. Her first pageant changed her life, she didn’t win the first one but since she didn’t she was more motivated to win the next one. She did win her second pageant, she started going in pageants regularly. When she first started the pageant she got noticed by a lot of people because she was the first disabled girl to compete in a pageant. She was even the first disabled girl to win a pageant. She got in the top 10 for the first competition. She just changed her outfit and worked on walking better for her next pageant. Abbey always wanted to be in a pageant when she was younger, she always watched pageant shows, therefore when she got older she already knew the rules and how to fairly judge someone. She did not really need to overcome who she was because she knew that she was already perfectly fine.

When Abbey got a bit older she started a campaign for younger disabled girls to pursue their dreams. She inspired so many children and even adults. She taught many others that with hard work, dedication, and positivity you can accomplish anything. After her first pageant she’s gotten the confidence to win more pageants. She won Miss Iowa in 2008 which made her the very first disabled person to ever win a pageant. Like I said previously, Abbey created a campaign for younger disabled kids. Her most difficult problem to get through was to conquer a beauty pageant with cerebral palsy. It was very difficult for her to walk on stage so she has a escort, someone to help her along the way. The escort pretty much was holding her up so she could balance and walk easier. Another problem she had was all the hate, disbelief, and negativity from everyone else. Not a lot of people believed in her let alone believed she could win a beauty pageant, or even participate. Instead of letting all of the negativity get to her she just ignored it and kept going. The only belief and positivity she needed was her own. She believed in herself so much and was so determined to prove all of those negative people wrong that she won quite a few pageants. She didn’t even let her disability get in her way.