With the organization of Miss Ecuador set to host the coronation ceremony for Miss Ecuador 2021 where the delegates will compete for the national crown and the opportunity to represent the country at Miss Universe 2021, one of the official candidates has caught the attention with her exceptional journey and will to represent the country.
It is none other than Victoria Salcedo, the aspiring beauty queen who lost her limbs at an early age is now preparing her candidature at Miss Ecuador 2021 with immense dedication and determination. Hailing from Guayaquil, Victoria Salcedo is a 23-year-old synonym for resilience and takes forward a strong message and requests the society to be more empathic. Salcedo suffered a brutal accident when she was 5 years old; she touched a high tension cable that resulted in the amputation of her arms and one of her legs.
The accident did not stop her from fighting for her dreams and moving forward, because apart from studying journalism, she practices swimming and performs any activity without any problem. A true symbol of inspiration for people of all ages, she has more than 100k followers on Instagram and 260k on TikTok, platforms where she constantly shares a message of positivism and creates awareness about disability.
The pageant industry has, over the years, witnessed many inspiring stories like Victoria’s. So, without any further ado, let us look at some beauty queens who never allowed their disability to disable their dreams –
Bernadette Hagans Miss Northern Ireland 2021 Finalist
Bernadette, who is currently a finalist for Miss Northern Ireland 2021, recently received the Diana Award for being recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts. Apart from her amazing work, Bernadette also caught some light as she went through the trauma of losing the limb after being diagnosed with cancer in 2018. But that did not stop her, the diva went on to learn to walk again using a prosthetic limb and continued to ascent in the modelling industry, as one of the faces of a major fashion label campaign.
Bernadette uses the power of social media to raise awareness of cancer and disability, whilst empowering others by celebrating difference. She has spoken at events and organised workshops to create peer-support connections for children with cancer. She is also writing a book to support children with their adjustment to life with a prosthetic after amputation.
Gabriela Molina Miss Nanchital 2019
Ana Gabriela Molina de los Santos is a 26-year-old psychology graduate, model and motivational speaker who was born without arms. Though the latter is a minor detail in the context of who she is as a whole, Molina wants to use her disability to inspire others. She became the first disabled woman to compete for the Miss Veracruz as Miss Nanchital 2019. Although she didn’t win the competition, she gained a huge fan base.
She says that completing her degree was key in helping her gain the strength of mind and confidence to participate in a beauty pageant. For her, it is not a disability, as she says, “I feel like any other normal person because I’ve lived my life like that. So, for me, my disability is not a limit.”
Celina Riel Miss Supranational Denmark 2018
Celina West Riel was awarded the title of second runner-up in Miss Denmark 2018 finale and thus became the official representative of Denmark in Miss Supranational 2018. During her national pageant, she also won the People’s Choice Award and Best Charity Project.
Riel was born with only the half of her left arm, and even though she has an arm defect she always lives by the rule that she has to pursue her dreams and be an inspiration to other people. She is also an ambassador for the organization ‘The association for children with leg or arm disabilities’ as she wants to show other people that as long as you have a positive mind and a loving heart, you can do much more than you think.
Nicole Kelly Miss Iowa 2013
Nicole Kelly may have been born without her left forearm, but that didn't stop her from her being crowned Miss Iowa 2013. Giving a voice to her platform, Overcoming Disabilities, was a tremendous honor for Kelly, and she was thrilled to continue my adventure by speaking out and touching lives.
"As I grew older, I learned to offset the initial stares I received, this meant that I tried everything! From baseball, to dance to diving, there was nothing I would not try. I found my passion within a world where I was giving people permission to stare … the stage," she shared.
Nicole is connected to Access Living, the legendary disability rights group, which she applied for after the Miss America 2013 pageant, and became a Fellow of ADA 25 Advancing Leadership, the only leadership program in the nation that trains people to lead with their disability identity. Now, as a leader who proudly identities as having a disability, her personal mission is to share her story so that others don’t repeat my mistake and waste their own Miss America opportunity.
These beauty queens are an inspiration for ages to come. Their beauty, confidence and talent makes them stand out more than their disabilities. They not only demonstrated demonstrated strength and courage by competing in their respected beauty pageants, but also inspired and encouraged everyone to pursue their dreams no matter what and to always be proud of who you are.