Mobility issues don't stop Porum native

Jul. 1—Jennifer Carter's objective is to open doors, whether it be by voice or actions.

The single mother of four who hails from Porum is the reigning Ms. Wheelchair Oklahoma and will represent the state July 15-17 at the Ms. Wheelchair America contest in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

There is also a People's Choice Award that is conducted by donations through the Dane Foundation, the presenting organization of Ms. Wheelchair USA.

Carter has been in a wheelchair since 1994, when she was in a car accident that injured her T4 and T5 vertebrae.

"The first thing I wanted to do after the accident was graduate with my senior class, which I did," she said.

Carter played basketball in high school and tried wheelchair basketball for a while but stopped when she decided to have a family.

"It became too demanding on my time," she said. "My family became more important than basketball, so I put that part of my life away."

It wasn't until late last year when someone told her about the Ms. Wheelchair America program, an organization that gives women with mobility issues a platform to share their stories and ideas.

When she heard about it, she wasn't sure what is was all about.

"I was approached about the opportunity," she said. "I didn't even know it existed. I have been in a chair for 28 years and had no idea."

She thought about the idea and wasn't 100% sure about pursuing it.

"I talked it over with my kids and they said, 'I think you should do it,'" she said. "So I filled out all the paperwork and had to do some Face4Time interviews with some ladies in Ohio. Right after Christmas, they messaged me and told my I had gotten the title."

Emmah Wright, Carter's oldest daughter, said this is something that is out of Carter's "comfort zone."

"I didn't really expect that this is something she would do," Wright said. "But I'm glad she did. She's been wanting to do public speaking and stuff like this for quite a while, so I'm glad she's getting an opportunity."

Wright, who's headed to her first semester at Oklahoma State University in the fall, said that she considers her mom her hero.

"She is the strongest woman I know," Wright said. "She pushes me to do anything that I set my mind to. And I know she'll always be there for me and to take things one day at a time."