Sentimental choice for MISS USA for SBR posters........MISS IOWA
BLOOMINGTON - As a young girl with cerebral palsy, Abbey Curran learned to walk on her own. As a beauty queen, she is teaching others to tear down self-imposed barriers.
"That's what keeps us from doing what we want to do," Curran said. "I encourage people to tear down the walls in their minds.
"Accomplishment starts with two words: I'll try."
Curran, 20, a Kewanee native, is Miss Iowa-USA. She will compete in the Miss USA Pageant in April in Las Vegas.
From ages 2 to 12, she received physical therapy at Easter Seals in Peoria from Gretchen Meyer of Bloomington.
Curran - a sophomore at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa - returned to Central Illinois this week to speak with Easter Seals volunteers. She spoke with The Pantagraph before her talk on Thursday to about 100 volunteers at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center, Bloomington.
"People are scared to take risks," she said. People are afraid of embarrassing themselves and are afraid that others will think less of them when they make a mistake.
"We need to take opportunities and chances and risks or you will be 50 years old, thinking 'I wish I had done that.'"
Curran was diagnosed at birth with cerebral palsy, a disorder of posture, muscle tone and movement. Cerebral palsy for Curran meant that she couldn't walk without holding onto something or someone.
For 10 years, she had weekly physical therapy with Meyer at Easter Seals. Even then, Curran wanted to be a beauty queen, so Meyer would reward Curran's accomplishments accordingly, such as giving Curran a feather boa when she walked up stairs by herself for the first time.
"It was like a huge play day and dress up day," she recalled of therapy with Meyer.
"We worked on her trunk strength, balance, leg strength and range of motion so she could walk without assistance," Meyer recalled. "Abbey was always very outgoing and talkative. She was willing to try about anything and she did it, even if she didn't like it."
By age 12, Curran was walking without assistance. But, to this day, her ankles are weak and she has difficulty with balance, so she walks with a limp. She exercises for 90 minutes four to five times a week.
In high school, Curran wanted to enter the Henry County Fair Queen contest but a high school teacher advised her against it because of her cerebral palsy. Curran didn't listen and placed on the top 10.
In 2004, she started Miss You Can Do It, a beauty pageant in Kewanee for females with special challenges, ages 5 to 25. Each summer, the pageant grows and 40 girls and women have competed so far.
When she won the Miss Iowa-USA Pageant last Thanksgiving weekend, it was a dream come true, she said.
Steve Thompson, chief executive officer with Easter Seals Peoria/Bloomington, said Curran's story is motivating for Easter Seals volunteers preparing for the March 8 Easter Seals Telethon at Bloomington's DoubleTree and at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria.
"It's an example of dreams coming true with a lot of hard work and the support of inspiring people," Thompson said.
Curran hopes to reach all sorts of people with her message.
"Don't miss the point of your life," she said.
"That's what keeps us from doing what we want to do," Curran said. "I encourage people to tear down the walls in their minds.
"Accomplishment starts with two words: I'll try."
Curran, 20, a Kewanee native, is Miss Iowa-USA. She will compete in the Miss USA Pageant in April in Las Vegas.
From ages 2 to 12, she received physical therapy at Easter Seals in Peoria from Gretchen Meyer of Bloomington.
Curran - a sophomore at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa - returned to Central Illinois this week to speak with Easter Seals volunteers. She spoke with The Pantagraph before her talk on Thursday to about 100 volunteers at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center, Bloomington.
"People are scared to take risks," she said. People are afraid of embarrassing themselves and are afraid that others will think less of them when they make a mistake.
"We need to take opportunities and chances and risks or you will be 50 years old, thinking 'I wish I had done that.'"
Curran was diagnosed at birth with cerebral palsy, a disorder of posture, muscle tone and movement. Cerebral palsy for Curran meant that she couldn't walk without holding onto something or someone.
For 10 years, she had weekly physical therapy with Meyer at Easter Seals. Even then, Curran wanted to be a beauty queen, so Meyer would reward Curran's accomplishments accordingly, such as giving Curran a feather boa when she walked up stairs by herself for the first time.
"It was like a huge play day and dress up day," she recalled of therapy with Meyer.
"We worked on her trunk strength, balance, leg strength and range of motion so she could walk without assistance," Meyer recalled. "Abbey was always very outgoing and talkative. She was willing to try about anything and she did it, even if she didn't like it."
By age 12, Curran was walking without assistance. But, to this day, her ankles are weak and she has difficulty with balance, so she walks with a limp. She exercises for 90 minutes four to five times a week.
In high school, Curran wanted to enter the Henry County Fair Queen contest but a high school teacher advised her against it because of her cerebral palsy. Curran didn't listen and placed on the top 10.
In 2004, she started Miss You Can Do It, a beauty pageant in Kewanee for females with special challenges, ages 5 to 25. Each summer, the pageant grows and 40 girls and women have competed so far.
When she won the Miss Iowa-USA Pageant last Thanksgiving weekend, it was a dream come true, she said.
Steve Thompson, chief executive officer with Easter Seals Peoria/Bloomington, said Curran's story is motivating for Easter Seals volunteers preparing for the March 8 Easter Seals Telethon at Bloomington's DoubleTree and at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria.
"It's an example of dreams coming true with a lot of hard work and the support of inspiring people," Thompson said.
Curran hopes to reach all sorts of people with her message.
"Don't miss the point of your life," she said.