Wheelchair-Bound Woman Has Fun but Loses Beauty Contest
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FAIRFIELD, Calif. — A wheelchair-bound woman who danced and modeled a swimsuit and nightgown in a local beauty contest Sunday night failed to win but says she has no regrets.
“I’ve had a really good time here and I think that we’ve realized that there are more important things than winning,” said Maria Serrao, 23. The title of Miss Solano went to Terri Zorn, 18, of Suisun City, who won out over 21 other contestants .
Serrao, paralyzed in a car accident when she was 5, was the first wheelchair-bound woman to enter a local beauty contest leading to the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
The movie and TV actress, who lives in North Hollywood, participated in the program’s opening production, swinging her arms and spinning her wheelchair in a dance number that featured the contestants in feather headdresses and sequined costumes in a Las Vegas-style chorus line.
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