Ellsworth (WQOW) - You may be familiar with the title of Miss USA. Here in the Chippewa Valley, a local woman has earned the title of Ms. Wheelchair USA. It's a competition that focuses on the accomplishments of women with disabilities.
Ellsworth native, Tasha Schuh, never imagined she would be a participant, let alone the winner, of a beauty pageant. But she says her newly earned title of Ms. Wheelchair USA, comes with much more than a crown.
"Really this program is all about empowering women, the self worth in women and just showing the achievements that can be accomplished even if you are sitting in a wheelchair," says Tasha Schuh.
Fifteen years ago, during a high school theater production, Tasha took one step that changed her life. During a scene change, she took a step backward and fell sixteen feet through a trap door and landed below the stage.
Schuh says,"It left me a C5/6 Quadriplegic, with limited arm function and paralyzed from the chest down."
At just sixteen-years-old, she says the six month recovery was an emotional battle.
"I came home and just realized in time, if I was going to move on, that I was going to need to change my attitude. Because, no matter what, this was going to be my life," says Schuh.
Today, Tasha lives on her own and is proud that she is able to drive independently.
She says, "When I had my accident I really thought my life was over, I never thought that I would be happy, I thought that forever I would wish that my accident had not happened. And today.. it is the best thing that happened to me."
Already a pageant queen, motivational speaker and currently authoring a book about her story, we wondered what's next for Tasha?
"My dreams of speaking nation-wide, even world-wide, writing other books, having a family, all of those things are in my future," says, Schuh.
Tasha tells us her book, "The Last Step Backward", will be out later this fall.
