Silvius to compete at national contest

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Penny Silvius of Walton will represent Nebraska and compete at the 32nd annual Ms. Wheelchair America program July 27 through Aug. 1 in Richmond, Va.

She will be judged on public speaking, personal interviews and onstage interviews. If she is crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2005, she will travel the country as a spokeswoman for the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities.

Silvius, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1973, has her bachelor's and master's degrees in clinical psychology and is a certified master hypnotist. She has written a book titled "Miracles in the Darndest Ways" and is writing her second book.

Among Silvius' awards are 62 medals, including many golds, for competing in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

Contestants in Richmond will take part in a busy, weeklong schedule of activities, including judging sessions and workshops on the ADA and other issues. The week culminates with the crowning July 31.

The Ms. Wheelchair America Program is open to women aged 21-60 who use a wheelchair for daily mobility.

It is not a beauty pageant. According to Wayne Sale, one of the organizers of the national competition, "the focus is on the inner beauty of these extraordinary women."

Information is available at www.mswheelchairamerica.org.