Miss Kentucky Ramsey Carpenter plays the fiddle, battles Multiple Sclerosis, and is a force to be reckoned with in the 2015 Miss America competition. Read on for the facts …
1. Carpenter Discovered She Had MS When She Was Playing the Fiddle
Carpenter’s talent in the 2015 Miss America competition is playing the fiddle. It’s this very talent that helped her discover she had multiple sclerosis. The Press of Atlantic City tells the story:
Miss Kentucky Ramsey Carpenter wanted to play the fiddle for her grandfather’s birthday, but as she tried to play she knew something wasn’t right. She began to feel a numbness and a tingling in her hands. “As I was trying to play, I was watching my fingers and I could not control them,” she said. Days later, on Aug. 25, 2010, she learned she had multiple sclerosis.
Because of MS, there was a time when Carpenter was unable to play the fiddle, but those days are behind her.
2. A Relapse Is Very Possible
When Carpenter was diagnosed, she was able to get self-injection treatments and rehab. Currently, she is symptom-free, but there is always the chance that she could relapse. Her platform in the 2015 Miss America competition is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and her goal is to help find a cause and a cure. Carpenter tries to stay healthy and “listen to her body.” Carpenter told Today:
I have MS, but MS does not have me.
3. It Took Her Four Times to Win Miss Kentucky
Carpenter didn’t win Miss Kentucky on the first try. It was her fourth attempt that got her the win. She reportedly had a job lined up at high school, but was crossing her fingers for the title … and she got it. She attributes the organization to changing her life forever and for the better.
4. She Has Put Her Teaching Career On Hold
Congratulations to Ramsey Carpenter, a UK grad, on winning the title of #MissKentucky 2014! #MissKY #MissKYPageant pic.twitter.com/pSTt6R8WQ8
— NASH FM 92.9 (@nashfm929) July 13, 2014
In order to compete in Miss America 2015 and to be Miss Kentucky, Carpenter has put her career as a teacher on hold. She just graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in special education and behavior disorders. Her goals are to work with elementary school students. Carpenter also hopes to get a Master’s degree in Media Specialist Librarian Services.
5. Carpenter Won in the Preliminaries
Ramsey Carpenter #Kentucky plays the fiddle to much applause! pic.twitter.com/eP7WQITIra
— Miss America AC (@MissAmericaAC) September 11, 2014
Carpenter competed in the preliminary competition this past Wednesday, September 10, 2014 and won the talent competition for her skills on the fiddle. Today wrote:
The victory represented how far she’s come since she couldn’t control her fingers while playing bluegrass standards “Sally Goodin” and “Orange Blossom Special” due to her progressive neurological disease.
