Wanna sit on your stool? Yeah. Put your feet under.
Public perception is important for
me with regard to Gigi, because representation matters. Representation
matters across the board.
You want to open it for me?
So we can pick out some cool colours?
I know her independence is important with
regard to her doing things for herself, but I have learned that she's not going
to be that person. So she's going to need support, and the other aspect of that is
Genevieve enjoys that. She feels good about herself. So it's just...
perception matters
Did you go outside? Yeah? Shake it.
You're a little sweaty?
You're fine
I have known Gigi for over three years now, I started hanging out with her at
the end of my freshman year of college and she's a really great friend and
she's more than a friend, she's like family.
I think this is awesome.
I'm gonna be Gigi's buddy for Miss Amazing for the Nationals, so for all the days I'll be
there with her.
She has a little bit of a difficulty with her vision so I'll be
there to help her make sure that it's smooth sailing, no bumps, no falls, nothing
going on and that she can just enjoy her weekend.
I would like to find some
earrings to go with my gown.
She's like a lot of girls, she may present herself as
being confident but she also has a lot of anxiety and fears and concerns about
what people may think of her, especially using a speech device because she's so
different, so I'm hoping that some of that nervousness and anxiety that she
has on the inside will be even quelled further.
You're gonna look gorgeous.
Gigi definitely has a very contagious positive attitude with
anybody that she talks to. She can put a smile on anybody's face and it's
something that makes her so special.
Even leading up to the event I still- I'm chatting with state directors about how
their events are going.
Cool, so Jeannie, you, uh, you were talking a little bit
about your progress on fundraising. What what kind of things do you have in
motion right now?
We're gonna do a jewellery pool and a backwards auction,
endless mimosa brunch. I never say no to that.
I mean dare I
say, we're inviting a lot of cougars, they'll like jewellery and mimosas!
Awesome, thank you so much everyone for being here. We only have four days until
Nationals which is pretty crazy. I can't wait to see all of you but thank you so
much for being here and enjoy the rest of your days.
Yeah just leading up to the event there's so many errands that need to be
run, so if one thing drags on a little bit longer that totally affects other
things that I'm able to get done. So yeah yeah, everything's set it's just a lot of
things that can only happen in the two days leading up to it so...
Yeah so, pretty much every printer in the place was broken and we had to use the
employees personal computer, but I have to meet my mentor so let's go.
So I'm on
my way to meet Zionna who's at my apartment right now waiting. She's my mentor
and has been really crucial in helping Miss Amazing develop its theory of
change. It's so important for any entrepreneur to have tools in place like
mentors and just inspiring people and surrounding oneself with inspiring
people who have kind of already been through it.
How was your trip? It was easy.
Hopefully you don't mind the casual location.
We don't get this often right?
I think it really started cementing in my
mind when we first started talking about just a lack of understanding truly what
what people with disabilities can accomplish
You know that my sister is
disabled? She was told, and this same stigma is, you'll never graduate high
school, you'll never have a normal job, you'll never live on your own, and she
like, not only just annihilated all of those things but like went above and
beyond anything, you know, and so that was the greatest accomplishment and her
biggest confidence builder was graduating high school.
Parents and caregivers need to be included in this conversation because I do think it
starts there, very early when very well-meaning people in the lives of
girls and women with disabilities want to protect their daughters and protect
the women but they might not realise that really she can accomplish so much
more if the expectation is there.
I mean I think it's correct to say
that about any woman. Right. Let's, give me a piece of paper.
This is - let's start building blocks here.
Some of the ways that I've
found really help me grow as a leader is surrounding myself with people that I
really admire and that I look up to and friends and then also mentors as well.
You're amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Get it?
Come on.
Wings!
I'll give you a ring for good
luck okay.
Gigi and coach Kristine have a very special relationship and they
just enjoy each other's company so much so this has really been a beautiful
experience to have the two of them together, it allows me to step out of the
picture as Mum The Coach and Kristine is in this role, it's a little more
joyful for Gigi.
Good luck and are you ready to be a butterfly?
Yeah?
Gigi has chosen to be the monarch butterfly in this interpretive dance
because conservation means a lot to her and the evolution of the butterfly is a
metamorphosis and so we just thought that that would be a really perfect fit
for her.
My wings are very big and they are made of flowy and silky fabric. I hold
two sticks that extend the wings up and out. I really love those wings.
Alright.
We're having a moment, it's okay. She's a little bit embarrassed.
When you start to cry then you're like oh my god everyone's watching me.
You look gorgeous!
Yay!
You look beautiful. You look beautiful. Oh and your earrings, perfect.
Smile! Wave!
That was wonderful. We ready? We ready to go party? Yeah.
We are having Genevieve's kick-off party right now and so we have guests showing
up and they're from all aspects of her life.
She is so beloved, there are so many people that follow what she does in her
life. They see her successes, they're very inspired by all the different things
that she does within her community, all her interests, and they're behind her
100%. They're supporting her and she's very lucky to have so many people that
love her.
It's kind of crazy this part of the day because everyone's just arriving, they're
getting all the information, they're checking in.
I am so nervous to speak in
front of people, especially those girls who are looking up to me.
All this hard
work is coming to a head and now it's time to party and have fun.