โœจ1st Runner-Up Ms. Wheelchair America 2027 โœจ ADAPTIVE MARTIAL ARTS FOR ALL โœจPost-Fight Interviews, Author, Speaker, Podcast Host, Bilateral Above Knee Amputee

Memphis, TN
Joined June 2019
โ€œThis canโ€™t all be for nothing.โ€ I have said those words since the beginning of everything Iโ€™ve been through. Even when I couldnโ€™t understand my own journey, I believed there had to be a greater purpose in what I would do with it. If sharing my story helps just one person in this life, then I have done my job. But Lord, I hope it helps a whole bunch of people. โค๏ธ When I look at these photos of myself speaking at Ms. Wheelchair America, I think about everything that brought me to that microphone. Abuse. Neglect. Addiction. Loss. Grief. Trauma. Divorce. Motherhood. A life-changing disease. Losing both legs. Learning how to begin again. There are so many chapters to my story. Somewhere in those chapters, someone else may recognize a piece of their own. That is why I choose to use my voice. Because I know what it feels like to be on your knees, crying out to God, โ€œI canโ€™t do this anymore.โ€ Iโ€™ve been there. And if that is where you are today, I want you to know that there is hope beyond this moment. You deserve support while you find your way through it. There is still life to live, love to experience, and joy you havenโ€™t met yet. I am living a life I couldnโ€™t have imagined in some of my darkest moments. That is part of my testimony, too. So Iโ€™ll keep sharing the hard chapters alongside the beautiful ones. Iโ€™ll keep showing up, having honest conversations, and using what Iโ€™ve lived through to serve a greater purpose. If you know of an event, conference, church, school classroom, or stage where my message could make a difference, please connect with me. I welcome opportunities to speak about resilience, faith, disability, and rebuilding a life after everything changes. And if someone comes to mind as you read this, please send it their way. You may be the connection that helps my story reach the person who needs it. My story is still being written. And I intend to keep using my voice. โค๏ธ
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That โ€œI CAN and I WILLโ€ mindset has gotten me into some pretty interesting situations over the years! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐ŸŽ  And you know what? I wouldnโ€™t change a dang thing! Lifeโ€™s too short not to have a little FUN along the way, my friends! ๐Ÿ’ชโค๏ธ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ! ๐Ÿ˜‰ #WhitsGrit #ICanAndIWill #ChooseJoy #LivingWithoutLimits #EverythingIsOvercomable
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Thereโ€™s more to accessible parking than most people ever think about. โ™ฟ Sarah shares concerns about differences in parking placardsโ€”and why awareness is just the beginning of her advocacy. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Our full conversation is available everywhere podcasts are streamed! Find Whitโ€™s Grit Episode 15 through the link in my bio and stories. ๐Ÿ’œ #WhitsGrit #PodcastClips #AccessibleParking #AccessibilityMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy
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TOOLS GONE WILD is back tonight! ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ๐Ÿ”ฅ @jamie2gs and I are going LIVE tonight โ€” Sunday, October 25 at 6 PM CST on @NameBrndOvrstks eBay LIVE! They picked up new inventory, and tonight weโ€™re also throwing in another fun surprise ๐Ÿ‘€๐ŸŽ‰ So trust meโ€ฆ you do not want to miss it. Weโ€™ll be live untilโ€ฆ weโ€™re not! ๐Ÿ˜† Come hang out with us, check out the deals, and grab some awesome finds. ๐ŸŽ„ Christmas is coming, so this is a great chance to start knocking out gifts early! ๐Ÿ“Join us on Name Brand Overstocks on eBay LIVE #ToolsGoneWild #eBayLive #NameBrandOverstocks #LiveAuction #ToolDeals
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New state. Bigger campus. A whole new chapter. ๐ŸŽ“โ™ฟ Sarah shares the mobility decision that helped her navigate college with more independenceโ€”and why it was one of her best decisions. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Listen to Whitโ€™s Grit Episode 15 everywhere podcasts are streamed. Full episode linked in my bio and stories! ๐Ÿ’œ #WhitsGrit #PodcastClip #WheelchairLife #CollegeAccessibility #CentralCoreDisease
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Another first with @jamie2gs this weekendโ€”my first EVER hockey game! ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿฅ… And itโ€™s safe to say Iโ€™m HOOKED!! ๐Ÿคฉ The @midsouthhockey won their first home game, I got to meet the mascot, AND I made a couple of new amputee friends that Iโ€™m sure Iโ€™ll be seeing plenty more of this season! Iโ€™m SO glad hockey is back in the Mid-Southโ€ฆyโ€™all have a HUGE fan in this gal for sure!! ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—งโ€™๐—ฆ ๐—š๐—ข๐—ข๐—ข๐—ข๐—ข!! ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ”ฅ #HockeyIsBack #Hockey #WhitsGrit #MidsouthMonarchs #afventuresofjamieandwhit
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If youโ€™d told me a few years ago where life would take me, I NEVER wouldโ€™ve believed you! ๐Ÿฅนโค๏ธ There was a time when the unknown absolutely terrified me. But these days? Iโ€™m learning to embrace it. To trust the journey, enjoy the unexpected, and find beauty in all the possibilities ahead. I have NO IDEA what this next chapter holdsโ€ฆ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป, ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐—œ ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜! ๐Ÿฅฐ Everything is OVERCOMABLE. โค๏ธ #WhitsGrit #TrustTheJourney #NewBeginnings #EmbraceTheUnknown #EverythingIsOvercomable
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Whitney Lavender โ™ฟ๏ธ๐Ÿฆฟ๐Ÿค retweeted
Crack the Red Bull. Not the skull. Too pretty for prison especially over a blue-haired Dem. Memphis Queen rules. ๐Ÿ‘‘
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Whitney Lavender โ™ฟ๏ธ๐Ÿฆฟ๐Ÿค retweeted
My coworker spent one year in Tennessee. He came back to Tokyo two months ago. He is not the same man. He says "y'all" in meetings. To our boss. He holds the door for the entire floor. Twelve people. Every morning. He asked the convenience store clerk how her day was going. She had to sit down. He calls every man "bud." Including the CEO. He refuses to describe anything under three hours away as "far." He waves at drivers who let him cross. One driver waved back and almost hit a pole. Last week, he told a junior employee, "I'm proud of you." She went to the restroom and cried for ten minutes. We thought it would wear off. It didn't. It's spreading. Three people in accounting now say "y'all." The junior employee holds the door. The convenience store clerk asks HIM how his day is going. Tennessee, I don't know what you did to him. Please do it to the rest of us.
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Whitney Lavender โ™ฟ๏ธ๐Ÿฆฟ๐Ÿค retweeted
JUST IN ๐Ÿšจ Dr Stella is calling on Texans to storm the polls to make sure Talarico & his ilk NEVER gets elected in the great state of Texas! Dr. @stella_immanuel is an American hero who saved many American lives during Covid with Ivermectin & never wavered even as the left threatened to have her medical license revoked.. She is a Texas resident who is calling on all conservatives to VOTE RED to keep the tyrants who locked us down, out of office!
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Whitney Lavender โ™ฟ๏ธ๐Ÿฆฟ๐Ÿค retweeted
Retweet if you can define what a woman is. The @WNBA needs some help!
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He parked his car. Sarah was left wondering how sheโ€™d get back into hers. Those striped access aisles have a purposeโ€”and this story explains exactly why they need to stay clear. โ™ฟ ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Hear Sarah Kinneyโ€™s full conversation on Whitโ€™s Grit Episode 15, available everywhere podcasts are streamed. Link in my bio and stories! ๐Ÿ’œ #WhitsGrit #SarahKinney #DisabilityAdvocacy #AccessibleParking #PodcastClips
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What an awesome morning! ๐Ÿ’œ Today I had the privilege of virtually sharing my story and leading meaningful discussions about disability with four high school classes at San Jacinto Christian Academy in Amarillo, TX. We talked about respect, dignity, inclusion, acceptance, and looking beyond appearances to get to know the person. I shared encouragement, challenged assumptions, and offered some practical dos and donโ€™ts for treating people with disabilities with kindness and consideration. At the heart of it all: we are each created in Godโ€™s image, with value and purpose. A disability doesnโ€™t change that. And, of course, I loved wrapping up with Q&Aโ€ฆbecause letโ€™s be honestโ€”everyone has a question for the lady with no legs. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Making room for thoughtful questions is one way we grow in understanding! A huge thank-you to their teacher and my friend, Sandi, for reaching out and inviting me into these conversations, and to the students for spending part of their morning with me. This is why I share my story. If it helps someone see another personโ€”and their own possibilitiesโ€”a little differently, it matters. ๐Ÿ’œ #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityAdvocate #InclusionMatters #AskDontAssume #SeeThePerson
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There was a time when I couldnโ€™t make sense of any of it. The pain. The loss. The heartbreak. Having to pick myself up and start over again and again. I couldnโ€™t understand WHY I had to go through so much. But looking at moments like this, surrounded by incredible women, using my voice, sharing my story, and doing work that truly matters to meโ€ฆ ๐—œ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—œโ€™๐—บ ๐—ฒ๐˜…๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—น๐˜† ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—œโ€™๐—บ ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ. โค๏ธ I wouldnโ€™t have chosen the road that brought me here. Not in a million years. But I also wouldnโ€™t trade the purpose Iโ€™ve found, the people Iโ€™ve met, or the woman Iโ€™ve become along the way. Iโ€™ve said it before, and Iโ€™ll say it againโ€ฆ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜†๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—œโ€™๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ต ๐—–๐—”๐—กโ€™๐—ง ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด. And the more I live, the more I see God revealing that purpose, one beautiful connection and opportunity at a time. ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ So if life has completely turned yours upside down, please donโ€™t assume youโ€™ve reached the end of your story. Sometimes the chapters we never wanted lead us somewhere we never knew we belonged. Everything is OVERCOMABLE. โค๏ธ #WhitsGrit #FindingYourPurpose #DisabilityAdvocacy #FaithAndPurpose #EverythingIsOvercomable
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Sheโ€™s a queen, a community leader, and a woman using her voice to protect something too many people take for granted: the ability to get out and live their lives. ๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ’™โ™ฟ๏ธ Sarah Kinney, Ms. Wheelchair South Carolina 2026 and 2nd Runner-Up at Ms. Wheelchair America 2027, joins me for Episode 15 of Whitโ€™s Grit - and Iโ€™m so excited for you to meet her! Through her platform, โ€œProtect the Space,โ€ Sarah is showing why accessible parking means so much more than a spot close to the door. It means safety, independence, and being able to show up. We talk life beyond the crown, finding unexpected opportunities, stepping outside your comfort zone, and why you donโ€™t need a title to make a difference. Sarah brings warmth, humor, and a perspective that will have you thinking long after the episode ends. โค๏ธ ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ The full episode is OUT NOW! Listen wherever you tune in to podcasts, or watch our conversation on YouTube. youtu.be/pQYj554lNt8 #WhitsGrit #Podcast
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๐—ง๐—›๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ช๐—•๐—”๐—–๐—ž: This was the very FIRST time I stood on my prosthetic leg. ๐Ÿฅนโค๏ธ Watching this now hits me in a way I canโ€™t quite explain. Iโ€™d already lost so much. My right leg was gone, and I was trying to figure out how to put the pieces of my life back together. What I didnโ€™t know was that Iโ€™d eventually lose my LEFT leg, too. But you know what else I didnโ€™t know? ๐—๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ง ๐—›๐—ข๐—ช ๐—š๐—ข๐—ข๐—— ๐— ๐—ฌ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—™๐—˜ ๐—ช๐—”๐—ฆ ๐—š๐—ข๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—ง๐—ข ๐—š๐—˜๐—ง. โค๏ธ The woman in this video had no idea about the adventures sheโ€™d have, the incredible people sheโ€™d meet, the doors that would open, or the purpose sheโ€™d find in everything sheโ€™d been through. Iโ€™m not going to pretend those losses werenโ€™t devastating. They were. And Iโ€™m certainly not going to pretend the road was easy. But what I once thought was the end of so many things turned out to be the beginning of a life I never could have imagined. If I could go back and tell that woman just ONE thing, it would beโ€ฆ ๐—š๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—น, ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ช๐—”๐—œ๐—ง ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—น ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜! ๐Ÿฅน๐Ÿ’ช Today, I have no legs. But my life? Itโ€™s bigger, fuller, and more beautiful than I ever dared to dream. So if youโ€™re in a season of loss, uncertainty, or starting over, please donโ€™t assume this is where your story ends. ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ข ๐—œ๐——๐—˜๐—” ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜. โค๏ธ Everything is OVERCOMABLE. #WhitsGrit #LifeAfterLoss #AmputeeLife #Resilience #EverythingIsOvercomable
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Some prayers Iโ€™m still waiting on. Others Iโ€™m already LIVING in. ๐Ÿฅนโค๏ธ Itโ€™s easy to get so caught up in what weโ€™re praying FOR that we forget to appreciate everything God has already blessed us WITH. A little reminder to count your blessings today, my friends. Even the little ones. ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€™๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ข ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ. #WhitsGrit #CountYourBlessings #FaithAndGratitude #GratefulHeart #EverythingIsOvercomable
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Whitney Lavender โ™ฟ๏ธ๐Ÿฆฟ๐Ÿค retweeted
Memphis: TOMORROW the City Council takes its FINAL vote on a 12-month moratorium on new data-center permits. ๐Ÿ›‘ A pause means fewer jobs, fewer tax dollars, and less momentum for our city. City air tests near the site found no dangerous levels. Let's set smart rules, not slam the brakes. ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Tues., Oct. 20 ยท 4:00 p.m. ยท City Hall Council Chambers (Lobby Floor), 125 N. Main St. Fill out an appearance card to speak. Show up. Speak up. NO moratorium. ๐Ÿ‘‡ Sources in replies. My opinion.
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