This Woman is the First Woman with Down Syndrome to Compete in a Miss USA State Pageant

I love this! The crowd at a recent Minnesota pageant was full of children who have Down syndrome, their parents having brought them to show them history being made: beauty contestant Mikayla Holmgren was the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in a state Miss USA pageant.

Apparently, Mikayla bugged her mom, Sandi Holmgren, to let her enter the Miss USA pageant, until she finally relented.  “I wrote that she had Down syndrome and thought they would pass her by but they decided they wanted her to be a part of it,”, said Sandi. “I didn’t realize it was part of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant and it took me a few weeks to realize the enormity of it and what a big deal it was for her to be in.”

BuzzFeed has this inspirational story.  

Still sporting her tiara atop perfectly coiffed blonde curls, Mikayla Holmgren couldn’t stop smiling as she recalled what it was like to not only compete in but receive two awards at the Miss Minnesota USA pageant.

“I was super shocked, I was in tears,” the 22-year-old from Stillwater, Minnesota, told BuzzFeed News over FaceTime from her celebratory dinner late Sunday night. “I went from a special needs pageant to the biggest pageant in the world. It’s kind of crazy.”

In addition to winning the Spirit of Miss USA Award and the Director’s Award, Holmgren also made history as the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in a Miss USA pageant nationwide, according to the Miss Universe Organization.

“It is a lot of work,” she said, laughing. “My mom and I were always shopping and then the mock interviews and getting ready and practicing everything and the makeup and hair. Just look at my face!”

When Denise Wallace Heitkamp, executive state director, awarded Mikayla with the Spirit Award, she lauded the contestant.  “You make people smile every time you talk, cheer, smile, and dance. You exude the spirit of Miss USA by always being true to yourself and putting others first. You have selflessness, humility, and the ability to overcome obstacles with a smile on your face and excitement in your heart.”

Watch the inspiring video below:

INSPIRING: Mikayla Holmgren makes history as the. “I’m so proud of myself.” https://t.co/2ykPZHxRu1 pic.twitter.com/jwV4TYSqvF

— ABC News (@ABC) November 27, 2017

Image Credit: Screen Cap

Hat Tip: BuzzFeed