Lina Nguyen, the new Miss Wheelchair Utah
Lina Nguyen was just a teen at Granger High School in 2009 when a car accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. For weeks and months back then progress was glacial – coming off of a feeding tube, learning to talk, regaining use of her right arm. She overcame the fear and anxiety that plagued her as she considered returning to high school. With grit, determination and support from family and friends, she graduated.
Now Lina attends Salt Lake Community College, where she majors in communications and is the publicity and advertising vice president for the SLCC Student Association. She advises the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and is active in the Ladies In Motion support group. In her spare time, she skis, boats, hand cycles, volunteers and spends time family and friends. Lina’s life has its setbacks, though, as she detailed recently on her Instagram account, @rollingwithlina, in which she describes being sick and hospitalized after being “over stressed” and not listening to her body.
“I always want to achieve so much and do many things, but I tend to overdo it, which can cause some harm to my body,” she wrote. She also said in that Instagram post that she had a big announcement to share. That declaration turned out to be that she would be crowned the new Miss Wheelchair Utah, and as a bonus SLCC President Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin would place the crown on her head.
Lina's family.
At a ceremony on the SLCC Taylorsville Redwood Campus, Peter Moosman, director of the SLCC Gender & Sexuality Student Resource Center, introduced Lina to a crowd of family, friends and supporters, including many SLCC students who know and work with her in student government. “She lives life to the fullest and aims to shine a positive light on ability and disability through advocacy and education,” Moosman told the audience.
Lina’s new title, Moosman noted, is not about winning a beauty pageant but rather about advocacy through focusing on recognizing abilities and accomplishments of women who use wheelchairs. “During her reign as Miss Wheelchair Utah, Lina will serve as a spokeswoman throughout the state, where she can discuss awareness, acceptance and the overall understanding of abilities and disabilities with the general public,” he said. “She will have the opportunity to travel across the state, visit advocacy groups, make public appearances and conduct interviews.”
After her introduction, Lina showed everyone a presentation that chronicled her journey from car accident to present day and the struggles she has endured as a result of her spinal cord injury. The 2016 Miss Wheelchair Utah, Eliza Stauffer, who also won Miss Wheelchair America, delivered the crown to the stage. President Huftalin crowned Lina, followed by a long line of admirers who wanted to pose for pictures with newly-minted royalty.
“As Ms. Wheelchair Utah, my platform and what I will be striving for throughout my year will be to spread awareness about support and mentor groups for people with disabilities so we can come together and support each other through our trials and errors,” Nguyen said. “Also, I want people to learn from one another and become mentors to those in our community who are facing a transition to living life with a disability. Having a disability does not mean you have to go through the journey alone - we are better when we are together supporting each other.”
Lina also plans to compete in the Miss Wheelchair America competition later this year in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her SLCC family wishes her luck!
SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin and Lina Nguyen
Former Miss Wheelchair Utah Eliza Stauffer and Lina
Lina holds court with a few friends.