The SAU Buzz

Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: submitted abbey Curran crowned miss iowa

Believing in yourself is a vital thing that we often hear in our society. People often give up on their dreams. But one
St. Ambrose University student has not. Abbey Curran has always wanted to compete in beauty pageants. Even though people said she couldn't compete in them because she has Cerebral Palsy. Curran didn't listen to the doubters, she proved them wrong. Curran recently was crowned Miss Iowa USA. Along with winning the title of Miss Iowa, Curran will represent the state in the Miss USA pageant in the spring in Las Vegas.

Along with winning the title of Miss Iowa, Curran has also receiving a crown and scholarship and has been flying to many different states, judging different pageants, speaking at corporate, civic, and educational events, and making numerous appearances.

"I think if I didn't have Cerebral Palsy I would never be Miss
Iowa. People wouldn't doubt me as quickly. It's the negative comments that make me so determined. Without it I feel I would just be an average college student, sleeping till noon and hurrying to finish a paper, but instead I am living my lifelong dream every day." Curran said.

Curran was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth. Growing up for Curran was different from her friends. While they were riding bikes and swimming in the summer, she would spend 6 weeks of the summer in leg casts.

Curran always wanted to compete in beauty pageants ever since she was a freshman in high school. She received a flyer for local county pageant.

"As soon as the teacher handed them out I was thrilled, it look like a blast," Curran said.

But her high school teacher told her that she couldn't compete due to her medical condition. But she entered the pageant anyway and won.

Prior to competing in pageants, she was a little scared of what people were thinking about when they saw her walk. But that didn't stop her one bit.

"I realized that it's the walls in our own minds that keep us from being everything we can be," Curran said.
Curran feels that pageants are the toughest competition in
America today because you have to good in more than one thing unlike other competitions like sports, and spelling bees.

"To win a beauty pageant you must be smart by having a high GPA as well as knowing your current events. You must have excellent communication skills, being able to come up with intelligent answers and opinions in a matter of seconds. You have to be physically fit as well as being able to memorize a speech, having an amazing talent. Most of all you must have abundance of self confidence," Curran said.

Curran's Cerebral Palsy doesn't stop her from achieving her dreams.

"Having Cerebral Palsy is a weakness for me, but it has always made me work even harder to achieve my dreams and make them come true," Curran said.

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