MEET THE (MISS) AMAZING LARANDA ROBINSON

WRITTEN BY ANDREA HURR PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JULIAN CURET

Laranda is a true example of how perseverance and being with the right people pays off. 27 years ago Laranda was born in Youngstown and at age 7 came to live with Timothy and Pamela Wilkes in Tallmadge. Laranda has Intellectual Disabilities but has not let that stop her. A successful career in the Summit County Special Olympics Track and Field and representing Ohio in the Special Olympics at the National level, plus participating in Ohio Miss Amazing pageant are just a few of the accomplishments Laranda has had.

First let’s backtrack to when she moved in with the Wilkes family. She felt scared at that time, understandably, and had her share of challenges getting used to living with them and starting at a new school. Her now mom Pam, took time off of work to help her to adjust and her now dad Timothy loves track and field which he encouraged Laranda to try. She loved being on the track and says it changed her life. She started with the traveling track team and then participated with the Tallmadge High School team. Although she had a lot of fun with them, her disabilities made it challenging for her to have friends and caused her to struggle more than the others. Upon the advice of her SSA, Terina Behrend, she looked into the Summit County Special Olympics track and field program and everything changed. She finally had friends who understood her and cared for her. She was finally happy. Laranda remembers winning her first track meet and everyone congratulating her and that being the best feeling in the world. With the Special Olympics, she has also been on the cheerleading squad (she’s now an assistant coach), and on the bowling and basketball teams. She was honored to be representing Ohio in Nationals and says that just having the opportunity to participate in SO has opened her up to be more engaged with people.

Another great accomplishment and story about Laranda’s perseverance is learning to drive and getting her driver’s license. She took the written part of the test many, many times over the course of 5 years. One day on their way to take the test again, Laranda told Pam that she was going to read the test herself instead of listening to the recording. She finally passed that test! She then started taking the actual driving training classes but had no success. In fact, her instructor called Pam and told her that she was not capable of driving. Laranda did not give up though! She started doing her own research and was reached with many closed doors. While watching a documentary, a person with Down Syndrome wanted to learn to drive and he found a program that teaches people with special needs how to drive. This launched her into doing more research to see if Akron had any programs similar and she found one at Cleveland Clinic. With Pam’s help, she was accepted into the program and began taking classes twice a week. She had an amazing instructor named Donna Guigas-Siegman who took her time with Laranda and from there she was able to take the test and passed on her first try!! She is only comfortable driving to her brother’s house and the local store all just within a couple of miles, but she can do it and her entire family is so proud of her.

Laranda personally recommends people like her and those with other special needs to reach out to their local SSA or County Boards to see what activities are out there for them. “Not only are there sports but there are also dances and travel opportunities. We are with our peers, and they understand what the struggle is for them in their communities. We help each other to feel good about ourselves,” she says. She is a huge advocate for the Special Olympics community which has been just awesome for her. With SO she had the opportunity to travel to Florida for the USA Special Olympics and that was an amazing experience for her as well. Laranda says, “If I had never taken the chance to do SO, I would not have had so many amazing things come my way. I have met so many people. I would tell anyone to just take a chance.”

WE CAN ALL DO IT! WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT NO ONE IS. JUST TRY TO HAVE FUN AND ADVENTURES AND TRY SOMETHING NEW.

Laranda is also a very active volunteer. She has volunteered at nursing homes and assisted teachers in first grade with reading. She babysits and volunteers at many events to help with the younger children. She hopes to start a track program for younger children to share the opportunity with special needs children so they know that they too can participate and have fun. Laranda also says being involved in Miss Amazing has changed her life so much. Miss Amazing is a national talent showcase that also doubles as a self-esteem movement for girls and women with disabilities.

Additionally, she credits her mom and dad for being her rock. They may not be her biological parents, but they have taken her to every one of her events without hesitation. They are super encouraging and that pushes her to be the best she can be. She loves how competitive her family is and they have a lot of fun. Laranda does not like negative talk and tries to be kind to everyone. She wants parents and families in the local special needs community to know that “We can all do it! We may not be perfect, but no one is. Just try to have fun and adventures and try something new.”