Woman from Minnesota Is About to Change the Face of Beauty Pageant
Twenty-two-year-old Mikayla Holmgren from Minn. will compete for Miss Minnesota USA pageant despite having a down syndrome. Despite her disability, she proved that beauty is not just about having a blond hair and blue eyes but also about self-trust and confidence.
Upon applying for the contest, Mikayla made a lengthy resume and highlighted all her past experiences with beauty pageants. Aside from, that she also added her status as a triple -threat athlete and her work as a mentor for young women like her. According to Yahoo, mentors and pageant's directors accepted Holmgren's application without any hesitation upon seeing her talent and self-confidence before her disability.
In the report of disability scoop, the executive director of Miss Minnesota USA pageant, Denise Wallace said that Mikayla is a trailblazer. Aside from pursuing to pageantry, she is also passionate in dancing, in fact, she started to dance since she was still six-year-old. She is the one who choreographs her dance performance which is typically in a modern style where she can do backbends, jumps, and splits.
Holmgren, a student of Bethel University at St. Paul was crowned as "Minnesota Junior Miss Amazing" in 2015, a pageant meant for women and girls with disability. She also represented the state in the national Junior Miss Amazing pageant in Los Angeles. Today, she is in preparation for the upcoming Miss Minnesota USA pageant that will be held at Burnsville, Minnesota this November.
Knowing this great achievement, her mother Sandi Holmgren said that she is an ambassador and a leader that stands firm for others especially for those suffering from a disability. Mikayla on the other side shares how joyful and happy she is in being part of the pageant. She even added that she is proud and she wanted to do it by herself.
Being the first competitor with Down syndrome, Holmgren hopes to change the way society sees the view of beauty pageants. If Holmgren wins, she will compete with Miss USA competition and will mark the history as the first woman with Down syndrome to join a beauty pageant.
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