Ms. Wheelchair Delaware has been Crowned, for the first time in 45 Years | By Monique Harmon

March 2, 2020

TaLisha Grzyb was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Delaware by Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, February 25th. She has had muscular dystrophy since birth. She is a disabilities influencer with over 16,000 YouTube subscribers on her channel, “Rolling through life with Talisha”. Her accomplishments include going to college, getting married, having children, and writing a book titled Rolling through Life with Mommy, which is being sold on Amazon. 

Ms. Wheelchair America is an organization that gives women who are disabled a voice to advocate for the disability community. It allows these individuals to showcase their accomplishments and the needs of the people in Delaware. 

“I am so honored to represent the first state Delaware and to be the first after 45 years. I just hope to represent Delaware well, continue to do things in the community, to represent the disability community, and promote inclusion throughout is what I hope to achieve during this reign,” said Grzyb. 

The Delaware author lets her followers know that they can do anything as a mantra. 

“I’m disabled. I was born this way. But, I wish to be treated like anyone else. There’s nothing stopping me. Since I was born, I wasn’t expected to live long. To be at this stage in my life, I want to continue to reach my dreams and always strive for bigger and better. No matter what I achieve,” Grzyb said. 

Jasmine Robert, her best friend, said she is so excited for her. “Sky’s the limit for her. I knew she could always do this. She was always incredible in high school, middle school, throughout. I’ve known her for 11 years plus and she’s always been amazing. She’s always been a go-getter. She’s always stuck up for the little guy, the underdog,” said Robert. 

Lisa Lee, her mother said she is very proud of her. “She’s come a long way. She’s done a lot of things within the community and things within her life that she actually endured. She did things that I always knew she would persevere in. To have her crowned as Miss Wheelchair Delaware was not a surprise,” said Lee. 

Lee describes her daughter as caring, intelligent, and selfless. She said she has supported her daughter in any way she could and pushed her to do the best that she could do. She encouraged those who have family members who are disabled to let them go out and do the impossible. 

“As far as things that society puts as you can’t do, always look at yourself to be able to achieve anything you can do. Things that they say are unable to do for a disabled person, they can do. It can be accommodated in any way. And altered in any way to do it. There are tools and research to be able to do it and accomplish it the way you want to accomplish it,” said Lee. 

Grzyb will be going to the Miss Wheelchair America 2021 competition in August. 

You can follow Talisha on Instagram @misstalisha.