Why I Chose Pageants
Throughout my journey of pageantry, I commonly get asked this question. Joining a pageant in general was something I’ve always wanted to do. As a little girl I loved watching pageants but was either too busy with hockey or didn’t think I had what it takes. There’s more to pageant then just joining and looking beautiful on stage I quickly found out. After doing research about all the different pageant systems, it was an easy pick for me. The International Pageant system is all about making a difference. They don’t just look at what someone may look like on the outside. They look at the character of the women. What makes her, her. They are platform based which is something that stuck out to me. That showed me that they really care about what I have to say and appreciate what I’m doing for my platform.
When signing up, I had to pick my platform. To me that was always an easy pick. I knew right away that I wanted to empower the disabled community. As being a part of the 1 in 5 who have a learning disability and 1 in 8 who do have a disability, I knew the highs and lows of having a disability. Before I was proud to be a part of those statistics, I had so many struggles. I didn’t know there were others around me.
For my learning disabilities, I was diagnosed later in life being a freshman in high school. Before and even for a while after, I was constantly comparing myself. I was extremely self-conscious. I would ask why couldn’t I understand what I was reading, why do I have to read the same paragraph over and over again and still not get it. I saw myself as someone who wasn’t as smart as the ones around me.
After becoming comfortable with my accommodations at school and having an amazing support group I quickly understood that there is nothing wrong with me. I just needed to know that my brain just works differently. Ever since that hit me, I was no longer quiet. I knew I had to speak up in class and not be scared to share that I use accommodations. I did that in hope that someone else is/was going through the same thing I was. I knew what it felt like to see yourself as less of a person and alone. That’s a feeling no one deserves to go through.
Just my learning disabilities alone gave me the strive to show other people that no matter what, you can do anything you want. This is not including my rare nerve disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Something that could be seen as life altering in a negative way, changed mine for the better. Without my disabilities and illness, I would’ve never joined a pageant.
To anyone reading this, I hope this is that little push you need to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Pageant or not. I will always have my disabilities. I can’t just throw them away because I’m tired of them. I will always continue to show that disabilities truly are not impossibilities.
Nothing is impossible
LeAnne Brydl
Miss North Dakota International 2020
