Gabby Taylor wins Miss Minnesota International

When Gabby Taylor prepared for a stunt during a routine practice with her East Ridge High School cheerleading squad at a competition in 2009, she had no idea it would be for the last time.
While practicing the stunt, a teammate landed with her shoulder on Taylor’s neck, sending searing pain down Taylor’s arm. The team tried the stunt again, with the same result. But Taylor thought she could power through the pain.

The third attempt ended the same way — but this time Taylor couldn’t move her right arm.
It was paralyzed for two-and-a-half years.
After a long struggle, Taylor is improving. She no longer attends physical therapy and has stayed out of the hospital for the past five months.
“I’ve gotten a lot of mobility back,” the Stillwater resident said. “I’m not 100 percent.”
But Taylor says what happened to her could happen to anyone participating in extra-curricular sports. That’s why she’s been working with the National Center for Sports Safety to educate students, parents and coaches about the importance of sports safety.

Now she has a new podium from which to proclaim her message.
Representing Stillwater, Taylor was recently crowned Miss Minnesota International two years after being crowned Miss Teen Minnesota at age 18, also representing Stillwater. She turned to pageants to replace cheerleading after her accident.
The Miss International competition is intended to focus on professional and community involvement among young women. Taylor’s platform in the competition was “Accidents Hurt, Safety Doesn’t.”
Taylor has already used her reign as Miss Teen Minnesota, as well has her position as a spokesperson for the National Center for Sports Safety, to spread her message. She focuses on helping students be advocates for themselves and on helping coaches and parents be aware of the dangers.
She says the “no pain, no gain” mentality can be harmful.

“Minnesota’s highly competitive,” Taylor said, referencing what she calls a “warrior culture.”
“I was told to push through it, to be better,” she said.
But that cost her a lot. It cost years of pain and lost mobility. It cost her the typical high school experience, though she did graduate from Stillwater Area High School by taking online classes after moving to the area during her senior year in 2012.
Taylor says she doesn’t blame her former coach for her injury, but she wishes she had known when to listen to her body’s signals and stop pushing.

“A lot of time we’re told that it’s not OK to fail and that mistakes are not acceptable,” she said. “So many students are afraid to just speak up and say something doesn’t feel right.”
Since her accident, Taylor has had the opportunity to speak in front of many students.
“Typically when I go up on stage and I speak and I have my crown and my banner, I’m not taken very seriously at first,” she said.
But then she tells her story.
“After I give my presentation … a lot of students come up to me,” she said.
She hopes her reign as Miss Minnesota International will give her many more opportunities to share her message.

This summer she will present her platform in Jacksonville, Fla., as she competes for the title of Miss International July 31 to Aug. 2.

Source: http://stillwatergazette.com