Review: The Courage to Compete: Living with Cerebral Palsy and Following My Dreams by Abbey Curran, Elizabeth Kaye

The Courage to Compete: Living with Cerebral Palsy and Following My Dreams by Abbey Curran, Elizabeth Kaye

A remarkable memoir by Miss Iowa USA Abbey Curran about living with cerebral palsy, competing in Miss USA, and her inspiring work with young women who have disabilities.
Abbey Curran was born with cerebral palsy, but early on she resolved to never let it limit her. Abbey made history when she became the first contestant with a disability to win a major beauty pageant. After earning the title of Miss Iowa, she went on to compete in Miss USA.
Growing up on a hog farm in Illinois, Abbey competed in local pageants despite naysayers who told her not to. After realizing her own dream, she went on to help other disabled girls achieve their goals by starting Miss You Can Do It, a national nonprofit pageant for girls and women with special needs and challenges, which became the subject of an HBO documentary with the same name. This is Abbey’s story.

Publishes in US: September 8th 2015 by HarperCollins
Genre: memoir
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free
Series? no

Buy it: Amazon IndieBound Book Depository Barnes and Noble

Abbey: ~site ~twitter ~facebook
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    I wanted to read The Courage to Compete because I admired Abbey's strength and motto to try. I am drawn to books with illness or disability, and although I normally shy away from nonfiction, this one just caught my eye. 

   I think that she is extremely brave, and I love how open and honest she is. About her struggles, about people who bully against her, about her disability, and about finding within herself to not only blaze a path, but look for other ways to help and encourage other's with disabilities or challenges. 

Bottom Line: Heartfelt look into one young woman's life, facing down her disability and rising above.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever done a pageant?