July 2024 in Review

“Hello, everyone! It’s Ms. Wheelchair Ohio – Gabby Kozinski again. Man, have I been busy this month with appearances, the busiest month by far…

First, on July 5th, I had the wonderful opportunity to work the Ms. Wheelchair Ohio booth at First Friday with my state coordinator, Laura Sykes and her partner, Seth. I got to talk about my platform and I had multiple people who came up to thank me for making my platform what it is.

Gabby, wearing her sash and crown, sits next to Seth and Laura behind a table. Atop the table are a green checkered tablecloth, flyers, inclusive coloring pages, and scattered packs of crayons. The Ms. Wheelchair Ohio logo is posted on the front.

Next, on July 12th, I had the opportunity to mentor the upcoming Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival court by giving them advice about on-stage presence and how to answer interview questions, answered any questions they had, and talked about my platform. I had a great time helping them and even broke some of them out of their shell.

Gabby is wearing her sash and crown and sitting in her powerchair surrounded by a group of young girls. All are wearing big smiles.

Then, on July 14th, I went to the All Disabilities Festival in Columbus. (It’s a festival for individuals with disabilities and their families.) I went there just for fun and to see what it was about, but I ended up speaking there about my platform (The Real Lady Xtreme – Nicole Carter asked me to speak once she found out who I was), telling people about the organization and educating people about how to interact with people with disabilities. It was a fun experience, and I recommend going if you have a family member who has a disability. I even had a few parents who came up to me with tears in their eyes, telling me thanks for making my platform what it is and how much it means to them. It definitely made me feel good.

Gabby is wearing her sash and crown and sitting in her powerchair next to a woman on a scooter. A man hugs the scooter-using women from behind.

Fourth, on July 15th, I had the pleasure of attending the Crawford County fair’s royalty meet and greet, ice cream social, and the fair royalty contest. Congratulations to the new 2024 Crawford County fair royalty winners! It was wonderful to see new and old friends again and to hang out with my younger sister – the 2024 Harvest Festival Princess, Eva Kozinski. Thanks for having me. It was a great time.

Gabby sits in her powerchair in front of a group of girls wearing dirndls (traditional German dresses). All are wearing sashes, crowns, and big smiles.
Gabby sits in her power chair next to her younger sister, Eva. Both are wearing their sashes, crowns, and big smiles.

Finally, on July 25th, I had the pleasure of helping the girls again with their stage presence for the upcoming Bratwurst Festival pageant, asking them a few on stage interview questions to help them prepare and emphasizing the importance of looking at the judges, smiling, and answering the question with the question. Thanks, Anny Gebhardt, Hannah, and Kylie Grau for letting me help this year and mentoring the girls. I can’t wait to see them compete and do their best. I love working with them.

Gabby is wearing her sash and crown and sitting in her powerchair surrounded by girls wearing their dirndls (traditional German dresses).

Stay tuned for next month’s entry, as it will be focused on nationals!!!😁”