[tabi] Connor Boss, Miss Florida USA Contestant, Could Be First Legally Blind Beauty To Compete In Miss USA Pageant [PHOTOS] - International Business Times
- From: Lynn Evans <austin.evans60@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TABI Mailing list" <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 17:28:27 -0400
Connor Boss, Miss Florida USA Contestant, Could Be First Legally Blind Beauty
To Compete In Miss USA Pageant [PHOTOS]
Connor Boss will be one of the contestants on Saturday vying for the Miss
Florida title, and, if she is the winner, the 18-year-old college student will
be the first legally blind beauty queen to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
Boss was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, a genetic disorder that led to
blindness when she was just eight years old. Special glasses designed for
people with the disorder did not help Boss, and she struggled throughout middle
and high school to read and take exams. According to Yahoo News, she could
barely make eye contact and sometimes found herself in the men's bathroom by
mistake.
Nowadays, Boss, a incoming freshman at Florida State University, has peripheral
vision and can read in fonts larger than 36-point.
Despite being declared legally blind, Boss hasn't let that stop her from
pageantry; She has competed in 11 different pageants and has five titles under
her belt. Last year, she even won second runner-up in the Miss Florida Teen USA
contest, despite a slight flub. During the swimsuit portion, she stumbled while
making her way up the stairs.
Her mother, Traci Boss, said competing in pageants has helped boost the young
blonde's confidence, namely in the public speaking portion, since she pretends
she is just speaking to herself and not a panel of judges or audience.
But Boss is not looking for sympathy while competing for the crown, according
to her mother.
"She doesn't want to be judged on that," Traci said. "She doesn't want a
sympathy vote or a pity vote. She wants to show people that she could do what
anyone else does."
According to pageant director Mary Lou Gravitt, Boss will not receive any
special treatment in the judging process of the pageant, as the competition has
seen women with disabilities ranging from speech impediments to hearing issues.
Gravitt added that these types of challenges are merely a "part of pageantry."
But Boss' mother hopes that if her daughter is chosen as Miss Florida USA on
Saturday, her story will inspire others on her road to the Miss USA crown.
"You hear about people who have disabilities who choose to stay home, but if
they find one person who puts herself out there, they might do the same," she
said.
View the slideshow to see photos of Boss.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/362435/20120712/connor-boss-miss-florida-usa-photos-pageant.htm
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