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Whitney Lavender

@whitscomplex

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1st Runner-Up Ms. Wheelchair America 2027
Author: Whit & Wheels 📖
Podcast Host: Whit’s Grit 🎧
Motivational Speaker 🎤
Bilateral Above-Knee Amputee 🦿🧡

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GRIT wasn’t born as a podcast name or a clever branding idea. It was born in some of the hardest years of my life.

For years, #WhitsGrit and #WhitHasGrit followed my journey through countless surgeries, unimaginable losses, and days when simply making it to tomorrow felt like an accomplishment.

But here’s the thing…

I didn’t survive all of that just to spend the rest of my life talking about what I’d survived.

I still had dreams to chase. Adventures to experience. People to meet. A purpose to pursue. And a WHOLE lot of living left to do!

Somewhere along the way, GRIT became so much more than a hashtag. It became part of who I am, what I stand for, and what I hope to encourage in others.

And today, I’m giving those four little letters a meaning that I hope reaches far beyond my own story.

GRIT: Go Redefine Impossible Today.

Because I don’t want you to look at my life and simply think about everything I’ve overcome.

I want you to look at YOUR life and start questioning everything you’ve been told you can’t do.

I’m not saying it will be easy. I’m not saying you won’t fail, struggle, or have days when getting through is enough.

I’m saying don’t let the word impossible have the final say.

This is my challenge to myself, and now it’s my challenge to YOU.

Everything is OVERCOMABLE.

You’ve got GRIT. GO USE IT! 💜

👇 Tell me something you’ve been told was impossible. Maybe it’s time to redefine it.

#GRIT #GoRedefineImpossibleToday #EverythingIsOVERCOMABLE

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What an awesome morning! 💜

Today I had the privilege of virtually sharing my story and leading meaningful discussions about disability with four high school classes at @sanjacpatriots 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 don’ts for treating people with disabilities with kindness and consideration.

At the heart of it all: we are each created in God’s image, with value and purpose. A disability doesn’t change that.

And, of course, I loved wrapping up with Q&A…because let’s be honest—everyone has a question for the lady with no legs. 😉 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 person—and their own possibilities—a little differently, it matters. 💜

#DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityAdvocate #InclusionMatters #AskDontAssume #SeeThePerson

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She’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. 👑💙♿️

@kinneysw, Ms. Wheelchair South Carolina 2026 and 2nd Runner-Up at @ms_wheelchair_america 2027, joins me for Episode 15 of Whit’s Grit - and I’m so excited for you to meet her!

Through her platform, “Protect the Space,” 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 don’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. ❤️

🎙️ The full episode is OUT NOW! Listen wherever you tune in to podcasts, or watch our conversation on YouTube.

🔗 Link in my bio/stories!

#WhitsGrit #SarahKinney #DisabilityAdvocacy #AccessibleParking #MsWheelchairAmerica

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It’s never too late to… ❤️

Write the book. 📖
Take the trip. ✈️
Try something that scares you.
Get back to what you love.
Find your voice.
Step into the spotlight.
Start something new.
Fall in love with life again.

If life has taught me anything, it’s that the story isn’t over just because a chapter didn’t go the way you planned.

I’ve had to learn how to do things differently. I’ve had to start over. I’ve had to figure out who I was becoming when life looked nothing like I thought it would.

And along the way, I’ve learned something pretty incredible…

There’s still SO MUCH LIFE left to live.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t need anyone’s permission. And you certainly don’t have to wait until everything is perfect.

Whatever it is you’ve been putting off…maybe this is your sign.

Because EVERYTHING is OVERCOMABLE. 💜

Your turn: It’s never too late to ______.

Fill in the blank. I want to hear yours! 👇

#WhitsGrit #EverythingIsOvercomable #ItsNeverTooLate #WhitandWheels #liveyourbestlife

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She is not planning another draw. @taydagnerbkfc says tomorrow night is Holloway’s volume and Gaethje’s carnage, cleaned up so the shots are set up instead of eaten.

Aggressive, heavy, and she does not turn her cheek. “I get hit and I get prepared. Bite down on the mouthpiece. Put on a show.” That is the version Bethlehem gets.

Ruthless Taylor Dagner vs. Marisol Ruelas, women’s flyweight.

Friday, October 9, Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA. Doors 7 p.m. ET, first bell 8 p.m. ET.

Free prelims on the Bare Knuckle YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@BKFC. Full card on the BKFC app.

@bareknucklefc

#MemphoWars #BKFC #RuthlessTaylorDagner #BareKnuckleFigjtingChampionship #BareKnuckle

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Her first @bareknucklefc fight went five rounds and ended in a draw. David Feldman still got in the ring and doubled her purse. @taydagnerbkfc says she still gets emotional talking about it, because she does it for her daughter. She had already pictured him getting in the ring. The double was the part she had not seen coming.

If that was the debut, Friday is the follow-up.

Ruthless Taylor Dagner vs. Marisol Ruelas, women’s flyweight, BKFC Fight Night Bethlehem.

Friday, October 9, Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA. Doors 7 p.m. ET, first bell 8 p.m. ET.

Watch Taylor’s bout on the free prelim stream: https://www.youtube.com/@BKFC.

Full card on the BKFC app.

#MemphoWars #BKFC #RuthlessTaylorDagner #bareknuckle #bareknucklefighting

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This week belongs to Kristi Scheunemann, Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin 2026.

Born with spina bifida in Watertown, she has spent years teaching other people how to use their voice — People First of Wisconsin, Safe and Free, Know My Rights, two keynote panels, peer mentoring, boards, eight years on the This Is How We Roll runway — before she finally let friends talk her into the crown. She put the work in all year. Then she rolled to nationals.

In the full interview she gets honest about school, the buildings she still cannot enter, and the obstacles that were there long before anyone told her about them. They tried switching her schools twice for accessibility. She just was not aware of it yet.

Do not let the extra obstacles stop you. You were made to leave a mark.

Nothing about us, without us.

Friend. Advocate. Queen. Full episode is up.
https://youtu.be/BM6mR9URnB0

#WhitsGrit #Podcast #MissWheelchairWisconsin #DisabilityAdvocacy #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

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“Ruthless” @taydagnerbkfc waited years for a @bareknucklefc contract. Her debut at Mohegan Sun went five rounds, ended in a draw, and got her purse doubled in the ring. Friday she is back, this time in Bethlehem, looking for the win.

The Senatobia fighter and mom joins @whitscomplex on MemphoWars to talk about training camp at home with her daughter and fiancé @zacharyb547, what that first bare-knuckle punch actually felt like, and why she is not sleeping on @marisol_rue_ .

BKFC Fight Night Bethlehem is Friday, October 9 at the Wind Creek Event Center.

Full interview: https://youtu.be/jETiLgtgGx4?si=yD-Zz6EmKOveSr9l

#MemphoWars #BKFC #TaylorDagner #MidSouth #BareKnuckle

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What a beautiful afternoon to spend at the @memphiszoo with my #chairchicks!

Had a blast, enjoying the weather and showing my Mississippi girls around. @rsentell0515 @rollingthroughlife23

The zoo at Halloween is SO much fun!! 🎃👻🐘🦁🦍

#Memphis #zoo #memphiszoo #halloween

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