ARTICLE
[Tampa, FL] – Schuyler Arakawa, Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025, has returned to the Sunshine State with not one, but two prestigious awards from the Ms. Wheelchair America National Competition 2025 held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Arakawa won the coveted Ms. Congeniality Award, an honor bestowed by her fellow contestants, as well as the inaugural Derrick Manning Jr. Memorial Award, sponsored by First Light Home Care. The latter recognizes the contestant who exemplifies compassion, resilience, integrity, leadership, and joy. Schuyler also made history as Florida’s first Ms. Wheelchair titleholder to win the crown with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her inspiring journey began in 2016 when a life-changing accident in Colombia, South America, left her with a severe traumatic brain injury. While on a Yale fellowship, she was crushed by a boulder, resulting in the loss of her balance, depth perception, and long-distance vision, along with double vision, a speech impediment, and compromised fine motor skills. Despite these challenges, Schuyler captivated hearts throughout the competition with her radiant spirit, resilience, and unwavering commitment to advocacy. One of the highlights of the week-long event was the dynamic presence of Schuyler and her mother, Meridith Alexander, a three-time published author and renowned speaker and coach whose work has been featured in the Forbes Coaches Council over 40 times. Together, this mother-daughter duo brought an infectious energy to every event, from their twinkling "enchanted forest" costumes to their joyful “scooter surfing” through the halls of the Amway Grand Plaza. Schuyler’s state board, adorned with “emotional support flamingoes” and featuring her recently published children’s book, The Miracle Princess and the Boulder, was another standout. Written and illustrated by Schuyler and Meridith, the book turns Schuyler’s personal tragedy into an uplifting story for children and adults alike, celebrating the strength found in our scars and imperfections. Schuyler’s advocacy platform, ROAR (Raising Awareness, Opening Doors, Amplifying Voices, and Redefining Accessibility), focuses on using technology and AI to address silent disabilities such as cognitive, visual, and verbal challenges. Her message is clear: those with disabilities aren’t just a community of takers but a community ready to roll out and change the world if given the opportunity. Now back in Florida, Schuyler and her mother are taking their message on the road, speaking at conferences, universities, and organizations. They’re also offering a signature keynote for companies on the power of teamwork to achieve the “impossible,” even amidst uncertainty. For more information or to book Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025 for your event, contact team@meridithalexander.com. The mission of Ms. Wheelchair Florida, Inc. is to provide an opportunity of achievement for women who use wheelchairs for their daily mobility to successfully educate and advocate for the more than 64 million Americans living with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair Florida is based on advocacy, achievement, communication, leadership and presentation to select the most accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for persons with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair Florida, Inc. focuses on the inner strengths and accomplishments of women with disabilities and provides an opportunity to advocate, collaborate and initiate communications that break down the architectural and attitudinal barriers often faced within the disability community. The selected representative must be able to communicate both the needs of people with disabilities and the accomplishments to the general public, the business community and the legislature with a message of inclusion, acceptance and respect. #ENDS# For media inquiries, interviews or to schedule Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025, Schuyler Arakawa for appearances, speaking engagements, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities to the national pageant, please contact Meridith Alexander at 813-924-0675 or by email at meridith@meridithalexander.com. Follow Ms Wheelchair Florida 2025 Schuyler Arakawa at: Facebook Ms. Wheelchair Florida: www.facebook.com/MFLW2025Schuyler Facebook “Schuy is the Limit”: https://www.facebook.com/schuyisthelimit Instagram: @mswheelchairfl2025
[Tampa, FL] – Schuyler Arakawa, Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025, has returned to the Sunshine State with not one, but two prestigious awards from the Ms. Wheelchair America National Competition 2025 held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Arakawa won the coveted Ms. Congeniality Award, an honor bestowed by her fellow contestants, as well as the inaugural Derrick Manning Jr. Memorial Award, sponsored by First Light Home Care. The latter recognizes the contestant who exemplifies compassion, resilience, integrity, leadership, and joy.
Schuyler also made history as Florida’s first Ms. Wheelchair titleholder to win the crown with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her inspiring journey began in 2016 when a life-changing accident in Colombia, South America, left her with a severe traumatic brain injury. While on a Yale fellowship, she was crushed by a boulder, resulting in the loss of her balance, depth perception, and long-distance vision, along with double vision, a speech impediment, and compromised fine motor skills. Despite these challenges, Schuyler captivated hearts throughout the competition with her radiant spirit, resilience, and unwavering commitment to advocacy.
One of the highlights of the week-long event was the dynamic presence of Schuyler and her mother, Meridith Alexander, a three-time published author and renowned speaker and coach whose work has been featured in the Forbes Coaches Council over 40 times. Together, this mother-daughter duo brought an infectious energy to every event, from their twinkling "enchanted forest" costumes to their joyful “scooter surfing” through the halls of the Amway Grand Plaza.
Schuyler’s state board, adorned with “emotional support flamingoes” and featuring her recently published children’s book, The Miracle Princess and the Boulder, was another standout. Written and illustrated by Schuyler and Meridith, the book turns Schuyler’s personal tragedy into an uplifting story for children and adults alike, celebrating the strength found in our scars and imperfections.
Schuyler’s advocacy platform, ROAR (Raising Awareness, Opening Doors, Amplifying Voices, and Redefining Accessibility), focuses on using technology and AI to address silent disabilities such as cognitive, visual, and verbal challenges. Her message is clear: those with disabilities aren’t just a community of takers but a community ready to roll out and change the world if given the opportunity.
Now back in Florida, Schuyler and her mother are taking their message on the road, speaking at conferences, universities, and organizations. They’re also offering a signature keynote for companies on the power of teamwork to achieve the “impossible,” even amidst uncertainty.
For more information or to book Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025 for your event, contact team@meridithalexander.com.
The mission of Ms. Wheelchair Florida, Inc. is to provide an opportunity of achievement for women who use wheelchairs for their daily mobility to successfully educate and advocate for the more than 64 million Americans living with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair Florida is based on advocacy, achievement, communication, leadership and presentation to select the most accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for persons with disabilities. Ms. Wheelchair Florida, Inc. focuses on the inner strengths and accomplishments of women with disabilities and provides an opportunity to advocate, collaborate and initiate communications that break down the architectural and attitudinal barriers often faced within the disability community. The selected representative must be able to communicate both the needs of people with disabilities and the accomplishments to the general public, the business community and the legislature with a message of inclusion, acceptance and respect.
#ENDS#
For media inquiries, interviews or to schedule Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2025, Schuyler Arakawa for appearances, speaking engagements, or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities to the national pageant, please contact Meridith Alexander at 813-924-0675 or by email at meridith@meridithalexander.com.
Follow Ms Wheelchair Florida 2025 Schuyler Arakawa at:
Facebook Ms. Wheelchair Florida: www.facebook.com/MFLW2025Schuyler
Facebook “Schuy is the Limit”: https://www.facebook.com/schuyisthelimit
Instagram: @mswheelchairfl2025