BILLINGS — Shelby Norton has participated in pageants for seven years, and now she's enjoying an amazing new feeling: Victory.
Norton, 28, recently won her division in Montana Miss Amazing, a pageant that celebrates women and girls with disabilities and gives them an opportunity to build self-esteem and pursue their goals.
It was a long time coming for Norton, who participated in the Miss Amazing pageants in a different state before being crowned in Montana's second annual pageant.
“I told myself, 'I don’t like my disability. I’m ashamed of it,'” Norton said Thursday. “Then when I found out the show came along, I said, 'I’m not ashamed.' I’m embracing who I am and I’m embracing this disability with pride.”
It was always Norton's dream to have a crown and sash from Miss Amazing. In March of this year, her dream finally became a reality.
“I was in shock when I looked back and saw that sash. I’m like, oh my gosh it’s right there. It’s going to be yours right now it’s all up to you to get it,” she said.
And what made the moment even more special was the person who placed the crown on her head. Her fiancé, James Hargrove, has been one of Norton's biggest supporters in her journey participating in pageants.
"My miss amazing, Shelby…Seeing her get up there after people put her down, see her walk across that stage singing, dancing, dressing up, smile on her face, I really can’t explain it,” Hargrove said. “Supporting her is one of the biggest honors that I got to do.”
Now Norton has an even bigger goal to achieve. She wants to go to the national Miss Amazing pageant this July in Chicago. In order to do so, she needs to raise at least $5,000 but hopes to get more so Hargrove can join her.
Norton said the money will go toward "a dress, a hotel room, tickets that we could use.”
For the last two weeks, Norton has been going to businesses in Billings trying to raise money for her trip, but she said she has not raised anything yet.
On top of it all, Norton and Hargrove are currently looking for housing and have been living at the Montana Rescue Mission.
“I’ve been here for three months… It's kind of a hard thing to talk about,” Norton said.
But she isn't giving up on her dreams of going to Chicago.
“Everything that I’ve been through, I can say I’ve struggled but I put my struggles to bed and make the best of myself,” she said.
