Amy Saffell |
by
Amy Saffell
Greatness
lies within us all, however sometimes we don’t recognize our potential without
someone else’s help. This is the case with the newly-crowned Ms. Wheelchair
Massachusetts, Patti Panzarino. What started out as an ordinary trip to get her
wheelchair serviced turned into much more. A woman who worked at the shop
mentioned the pageant to Patti, mentioning that she happened to be on the board
of directors and thought that she would be a great contestant. Patti had never
thought of herself as the “pageant type.” Particularly at the age of 53, she
had her reservations about a pageant, but after learning that the contest
focused on advocacy and accomplishment, she began to consider the idea a little
more. With the encouragement of this woman and her husband, who she married in
August of 2011, Patti was eventually convinced to compete.
Although
she was originally reluctant to participate, as Patti began to prepare and the
days got closer, she became increasingly motivated and excited. Becoming a part
of this pageant meant something to Patti, and she wanted to put her nerves
aside. She was worried that her accomplishments thus far weren’t on par with
the other contestants, nonetheless Patti stuck with the process.
It
wasn’t until she began filling out the pageant application, and saw her
accomplishments laid out before her, that Patti began to realize that she did have a long history of achievements.
Patti was able to connect a lot of what she experienced as a child to
philosophies that she now lives by as an adult. “As you look back on your
answers you write down, you realize all that you’ve done,” Patti said. While
that application may have been one of the most tedious parts of the process, it
ended up giving Patti the deeper confidence that she needed to go into the
pageant believing in herself.
A
Lifetime of Preparation
Patti
realized that all along, even in her childhood, she had known what it took to
rise above her disability and to succeed. Growing up in the ‘60s with spinal
muscular atrophy (SMA) before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Patti
learned that one of the keys to having success as a person with a disability
was to be creative. Her sister, who also
had a disability, was her mentor, teaching her how to do things in ways that
someone without a disability would never think about doing. Having someone with
a disability help to navigate her through becoming independent was important to
her, inspiring Patti to want to become a mentor to others.
Patti
also discovered that perseverance had been instilled within her at a young age.
She broke barriers at a time when many people with disabilities were stifled by
society’s notion that they didn’t have dreams and goals like everyone else.
Patti had a desire to fit into mainstream society. She joined the Girl Scouts
long before girls with disabilities were common in local troops, and she found
ways to earn the same badges that the other girls were earning. At school, she
was always in a mainstream classroom. Despite occasional opposition, Patti
graduated from high school and then enrolled at Hofstra University ,where she
lived independently and majored in Interdisciplinary Studies. No matter what it
took, she just never gave up.
Preparing
for the pageant reminded Patti of the importance that music had in the
development of her character. She grew up with music in the house at all times.
Patti began piano lessons at age 6. These lessons served a variety of purposes,
one of which was that playing the piano was a form of therapy to strengthen her
hands, but it enabled her to do so with an activity that she shared with many
of her classmates. Instead of therapy isolating her from her peers, it actually
united her. In addition, piano also developed her sense of creativity. There
were times where she couldn’t stretch her hand to reach the keys for specific
songs, so her teacher would help her think of a new way to play them. It was
during this process of learning to adapt that Patti developed good problem
solving skills. Patti said that she learned to “assess situations anywhere.
When you hit a wall, turn around and go the other direction,” which is a skill
that she now uses each day in every aspect of her life. These days, Patti remains
commited to music and is the lead singer, keyboardist, and songwriter for the
band OLYPSYS.
Patti was a guest on WBSM radio station where she talked about her pageant experience and her platform of Creative Perseverance |
Her Crowning Moment
Despite
her renewed sense of confidence, Patti did feel the pressure when it came down
to the wire. On the day of the pageant, original doubts crept back into Patti’s
mind, but they were mixed with anticipation. “I was a wreck, but it was great,”
she recalled. Citing the importance of the day, Patti joked, “I woke up at
6:30, and I’m a musician, so I don’t normally get up that early.” She wanted to
make sure that her hair, makeup, and outfit were perfect, not to mention having
her talking points set in her mind. Her platform that day was, and will be for
the rest of the year, “Creative Perseverance,” which Patti uses to describe her
way of using creativity to overcome challenges.
The
Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Pageant, sponsored by the Ms. Wheelchair
Massachusetts Foundation, is not a beauty pageant. It’s an advocacy forum in the form of a
competition consisting of personal and onstage interviews, a platform speech,
and past accomplishments to select the most articulate spokesperson for advocacy
around the state. One of Patti’s favorite aspects of the pageant was meeting
the other women competing. They all come from different backgrounds, and
although they were competing, they were really all advocating for the same
cause. The contestants also got to meet
people from a variety of organizations, from wheelchair companies to adaptive
yoga instructors, to provide them with helpful information for wherever life
takes them next.
Patti
felt positive about how all aspects of the day went for her, but she was
stunned to hear her name called as the winner.
In fact, a couple months later, it’s all still sinking in: “I feel like
my alarm is going to go off, and it will all be a dream!”
Using Her Voice
Patti
is proud to wear a crown that serves as much more than a sparkly accessory. “I
have a voice now,” she said. “The crown gives you a voice to make a difference
in society.” While Patti has been using her voice for advocacy for years, now
it is on a much bigger scale.
Even
though her reign has just begun, she already has a full schedule. Because Patti
has a passion for music, one of the first appearances that she wanted to make
was at a songwriting session at the Parters for Youth with Disabilities
meeting. Patti helped the group write a song solely from their own lyrics. What
was once thought of as disability became ability in their songwriting session.
Knowing that music should be experienced by everyone, one of Patti’s goals this
year is to advocate for more accessibility in the entertainment industry for
both spectators and performers.
Patti
will soon be appearing on Ablevision, a television and media program produced
entirely by people with disabilities; at the Massachusetts Hospital School
graduation; the SMA Walk & Roll; the Equal Opportunities Career Day; and
that’s just in May! As for experiences that she hopes to have this year, the
top of that list centers around music. She submitted an audition CD to sing the
National Anthem for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park for the Disability
Awareness Day this summer. Ultimately, though, Patti hopes to help promote more
overall opportunities for people with disabilities. She said that she has seen
many people get frustrated at the lack of opportunities for people with
disabilities, and she wants that to change both by advocating for change in
overall society and by encouraging others with disabilities to keep living life
to the fullest. “People give up. Don’t give up. I’m still going. Life’s not
over,” said Patti.
Later
this summer, Patti will advance on to the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant. She is excited to meet other women with
disabilities from across the country, and she has her eyes set on the crown. “I
really want to win the title,” she said with confidence. “It’s a second chance
to show my abilities to an even wider audience.” Patti knows that she has a lot
to do in preparation for the big stage of Ms. Wheelchair America. In addition
to building her experiences, she’ll also have to raise money for the entry fee
and travel.
With
the grace with which Patti carries herself, her positive attitude and determination
when it comes to reaching her goals, those around Patti often refer to her as
an inspiration. Patti is quick to say that she is simply just living life the
best way she knows how. There are times, however, when those compliments come
in handy, as Patti admits, “No matter how well adjusted you are, there are
those days when having a disability gets you down. But you can’t stay down. I
store those compliments up for a rainy day and keep on going,” she said.
With
the way that the last few months have gone for Patti, it’s safe to say that
those rainy days will be few and far between and that she’ll have plenty of
inspiration to get through them.
To follow Patti’s progress or to learn more about
the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Pageant, visit www.mswheelchairmass.org. To check out Patti’s band OLYPSYS, visit www.facebook.com/olypsys and www.reverbnation.com/olypsys.
Columnist Amy Saffell lives in Nashville, TN and works
in the music industry. She enjoys spending time with friends, concerts, and
volunteering for a local youth wheelchair sports and independence group.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this write -up about Patti. She is an inspiration to me and to many others..
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Patti...
I am inspired, privileged, and enriched because I know Patti as one of my best and favorite friends. We ALWAYS have at least one good laughing fit when we are together. That's another one of her abilities and gifts to us around her.
ReplyDelete