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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
For the past nine years, Miss Amazing has been celebrating the abilities, multi-faceted identities, and strengths of girls and women with disabilities. A national organization, the program is now held in thirty states across the country. This past Saturday, Miss Amazing Massachusetts and Rhode Island was held at Medfield High School for the fourth year running. Thirty-nine women and girls participated in this year’s Miss Amazing, from the ages of five to 26.
Sophie Riddick, a Medfield High School junior, has been on the Miss Amazing committee for two years now. “Two of my best friends are actually the directors this year. It’s a student run event, so they contacted me and a bunch of people in our grade just asking who might want to counter with it and help out,” she explained.
“As a committee we start meeting at the very end of summer, so we’re planning well in advance, there’s a lot to do! And that’s one of the things that surprised me the most, just how much goes into it,” she shared. The committee meets about once a month until the show gets closer, in which case they meet more often. Sophie is in charge of organizing the raffle, as well as sending out thank you notes to all those who contribute and support the event. “I realize how lucky I am to live in this community, because everyone is so supportive and everyone just really comes together in support of the event, which is really incredible to see.”
Moving away from the term “pageant,” which can often hold a negative connotation, the Miss Amazing event celebrates the abilities of women with disabilities. “What we really stress is not comparing the girls among each other, but focusing on improving themselves and encouraging confidence in each one of them,” Sophie explained. “For example, the girls do interviews during the day, and the evaluators who judge them don’t judge them based on other contestants. They do it based on a list the parents have given them beforehand describing how well their daughter makes eye contact, or how well she talks in front of people.”
While a great amount of work goes into the event beforehand, the actual event includes an introduction, formal wear, an optional talent portion, the raffle drawing, and then the awards. “We don’t like to have a ‘winner’ - we focus on making them all feel special, so they all get trophies and prizes at the end,” Sophie added. “I run the talent practice, so they get to practice their introductions and their walks and the talents they do. I know that’s by far been my favorite part of being a part of this event, because I get to interact face-to-face with these girls,” Sophie shared. “Before this event, I wouldn’t say that I underestimated them, but I had never interacted with many people with disabilities. Just seeing how much they’re capable of, it’s incredible, and it makes me so happy.”
The event has touched the lives of more than 650 women and girls nationally. Sophie shared some of her own personal experiences with just how important this event is to the participants. “I had one parent say to my mom and I last year that Miss Amazing has helped her daughter more than any therapy and more than anything ever could,” she explained. “One of the girls today was telling me how she used to be bullied in fifth grade and she felt she wasn’t confident at all anymore. And then she became part of Miss Amazing, and it just helped her express herself and become so much more confident.”
Miss Amazing is a beautiful, and truly inspiring event - one that Sophie has gotten more out of she'd ever hoped. “I went into this, I guess, expecting that I was going to be making such a change for these girls. But it’s really completely changed me, and I say that completely genuinely. It’s completely changed my perspective on how I look at all people with disabilities. I never underestimate them anymore, because they are capable of so much.”
