Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Miss Wheelchair SA set on inclusivity
SOUTH Africa’s Miss Wheelchair, Tamelyn Bock, is hoping to roll her way to the top spot today where she’s competing in Mexico in the Miss Wheelchair World pageant.
Bock, crowned Miss Wheelchair South Africa in August last year, is from the small town of Nababeep in the Northern Cape, and raised her own funds to participate in the pageant.
“I am very excited to meet the beautiful ladies from all the different countries. We all share the same mission, to change the world and to highlight that beauty has no limits.
“It’s a huge achievement to be able to represent our country,” she said.
The Miss Wheelchair World project was created to change the image of disabled women. The organisation believes disability is not a limitation and wants to break down barriers.
The organisation states on its website: “Miss Wheelchair World is an international non-profit initiative created by the Jedyna Taka Foundation based in Ciechocinek, Poland. We are an organisation that respects ethical values and respects human rights.
“These are international meetings of women with motor disabilities from different parts of the world, where we celebrate overcoming barriers, self-acceptance and empowerment of disabled women through a beauty contest and various recreational activities.”
Last year Bock launched a fundraising campaign on the BackaBuddy website to enable her to compete at the event in Mexico today. An injection of R50 000 from Nababeep copper producer, Copper 360, sealed the deal.
CEO of Copper 360, Jan Nelson, said: “We are a small community, and we all live for one another. And when we heard Tamelyn needed a donation to get over the line, it was a no-brainer for us to help her out,” he said. “I am excited to show the world that nothing is impossible and anything can be achieved through hard work.”
Nelson said he already views Bock as a champion, whether she comes home with the crown or not, adding that the awareness that the pageant creates is the real victory.
“When Tamelyn returns she will head straight to our plant and begin interrogating every aspect of it and help us to make it safer, easier to navigate and more friendly for physically challenged people,” he said.
He added that the resources sector was traditionally not a friendly place for disabled persons, and Copper 360 plans to change that with Bock’s help.
“We intend to publish a guide next year that includes Tamelyn’s recommendations and our progress towards inclusion and make it available to any company as a downloadable blueprint on how to just make a few changes that can change someone else’s experience of the world significantly more positively,” Nelson said.
“I hope to gain worldwide recognition for women in wheelchairs to gain the necessary opportunities and support in our various countries with the main focus on inclusivity. I hope to raise awareness about the challenges we face on a daily basis and to bring change. Most of all I aim to be a voice for women in wheelchairs,” said Bock.