North Carolina woman crowned Miss Wheelchair America

The 28-year-old woman chosen as Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina in an Asheville ceremony in April was recently crowned Ms. Wheelchair America.

Erika Bogan of Concord, N.C., won the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant held Aug. 29 in Rapid City, S.D. Contestants from 26 states and the District of Columbia gathered for rounds of interviews and speeches in front of judges and audience members to compete for the honor.

Click the image above to view a slideshow by Jason Sandford.

“I was shocked,” Bogan told Xpress in a recent telephone interview. “It was altogether an amazing experience.”

Bogan says she’ll use her title to continue to spread “show the world — both disabled and able-bodied — that we can do anything. Our wheelchairs don’t have to put a limitation on our lives.”

Bogan is living proof of her personal motto that “anything is possible.” The single mother of three was paralyzed from the waist down in a 2002 car wreck. Today, she cares for her children and works at a medical home health and mobility business.

Brandee Ponder of Weaverville was the reigning Miss Wheel Chair North Carolina before she passed the crown to Bogan this spring in the Asheville event. Ponder says Bogan’s win “is absolutely unbelievable.” Ponder says part of Bogan’s duties will also include working toward having a Miss Wheelchair program in all 50 states, a goal she would like to see accomplished to help spread awareness and break down stereotypes.

Click on the photo above to see an audio slideshow of the pageant held in Asheville back in April.

— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

6 thoughts on “North Carolina woman crowned Miss Wheelchair America

  1. Bugg

    I’m glad these contests happen. It gives young handicapped women everywhere a reason to hate their bodies just like their non-handicapped counterparts.

  2. travelah

    Bugg just wishes he were a woman in a chair so he could stop loving himself so much.

Leave a Reply to travelah ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.