The Courage to Compete

Abbey Curran lives by the motto "if you can dream it, you can do it." Though born with cerebral palsy, she made the choice never to let her disability limit her. Her determination and drive led Abbey to make history when she became the first contestant with a disability to win a major beauty pageant. Having secured the title of Miss Iowa, she went on to compete for Miss USA.

Growing up on a hog farm in Illinois, Abbey overcame the painful and embarrassing leg braces she was required to wear in her early years, as well as the stares and often insulting comments of her classmates. While still a teenager, she competed in local pageants and felt the power and sense of accomplishment they gave her. As she realized her dream of competing in the Miss Iowa pageant, and later in Miss USA, she helped other disabled girls live their own dreams by starting Miss You Can Do It, a national nonprofit pageant for girls and women with special needs and challenges.

In this incredible memoir Abbey tells a story of overcoming the odds, following her dreams, and finding in herself the courage to compete, even as she continues to inspire the same spirit in others.