Miss Unstoppable pageant is back for its 10th year

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Ladies are preparing for the 10th Miss Unstoppable pageant. It is for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It gives participants the opportunity to showcase talents, develop social skills, and learn self-confidence.

“Helping the girls to find their voice, to become confident, to be able to showcase their talents to be able to to see what they can achieve,” Kevin Fish, Ability Point executive director, said. “And that’s that unstoppable moniker that we have is that a lot of girls don’t come in all that confident, but this is a dream that they had to be able to get to compete on a stage.”

Those skills go far beyond the stage.

“All of these things are transferable into other things they are going to do in life as they build their confidence, become more and more composed and comfortable in an interview situation, and being able to be out in the communities,” Fish said.

The pageant started in 2014 and was a hit.

“They had just a fantastic time, really enjoy being able to shine on stage and come out in big fancy gowns and to do their talents. But it was also just as emotional for the families.”

Each participant has a buddy backstage to help them prepare.

“One of the things we as an organization have always done is try to make sure that our ladies have the same opportunities everybody else has, an opportunity to feel included and accepted in our community,” Fish said. “And you know, our overall winner does a variety of events or activities throughout the year.”

Fish says the girls who do it multiple years learn more skills each time.

“It’s just amazing to see how they will just grow and flourish through all of this. But you know, each one of those, it’s a process over about six weeks that they’re leading up to this event.”

Katherine Gwin has competed in the pageant for four years and says she loves everything about it.

Gwin says she has learned a lot because of the pageant.

“The first time, I was very nervous, didn’t want to go to the interview or anything,” Gwin said. “I found my confidence, and I found that I can be comfortable with people that I don’t know.”

She says the pageant has helped to bring her out of her shell and calm her nerves.

It is Saturday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. at Northwest High School. For more information, click here.