"To me, being a strong woman means being able to surpass any obstacles that come your way, whether it be physical or emotional. Growing up, I had to deal with many obstacles such as stereotypes, discrimination, and more. I was involved in many activities that people would say I could not be good at such as baton twirling, ballet, beauty pageants. It brought me down, but I was always strong enough to believe in myself and keep pushing to be the best. I would do beauty pageants and not win first place or get all the way to the national championships for baton twirling and get second place even though I wanted that first place trophy.
I would be sad at first, but instead of quitting, like many of my peers would do, I would go home, listen to the judges critiques, and work on perfecting them so that the next time I competed I would win . . . and I did! Being a strong woman means never giving up on your passion no matter what anybody says. Even with my recent car accident where I sustained injuries to my body, I am remaining strong, following the doctor's orders, and making sure I keep my body in tip-top shape so that I can once again dance and work out like I used to. I never let anything people say or setbacks keep me down; as a strong woman, I continue to push myself to be the best me I can be. No one and nothing can stop me but me!"
