Whit's Grit

What happens when you stop letting other people’s expectations define your life? In Whit’s Grit Episode 14, Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2026, Magda Samantha Carlos-Treviño, joins Whitney Lavender for a real conversation about spina bifida, disability advocacy, independence, and learning to be your own advocate.

Magda is a senior HR professional, Chief Empowerment Officer of MS Consulting & Training, and a Latina leader whose platform is “Roll Into Your Power—Be Your Own Advocate.” Her goal is clear: people with disabilities deserve to be at the decision-making table, not just the topic on it.

From a first tattoo that marked her independence to winning Ms. Wheelchair Kansas on her fourth attempt, Magda shares the experiences that helped her find her voice—and why she wants to help others find theirs.

We talk about:
• Growing up with spina bifida and challenging other people’s expectations
• Independence, relationships, and asking for support
• Self-advocacy, accessibility, and disability inclusion in the workplace
• Ableism and the pressure to never make mistakes
• Latina identity, bilingual experiences, and inclusive leadership
• Persistence, community, civic engagement, and claiming your power
• Making room for rest while doing the work you care about

Her definition of grit? “Just try to defy what other people say about you.”

If you’re finding your voice, starting over, or working toward a goal that’s taking longer than you hoped, this conversation is for you.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Whit’s Grit intro
00:22 Meet Magda Carlos-Treviño
02:20 Growing up with spina bifida
05:41 Facing the world and finding independence
10:02 Why independence matters
11:02 Becoming your own advocate
13:41 Her grandmother’s legacy of using power for good
15:31 Building a career in human resources
18:30 Disability inclusion, education, and finding your spark
21:45 Ableism and the pressure to never fail
23:02 Latina identity and bringing others with you
25:04 The journey to Ms. Wheelchair Kansas
30:22 Why she almost didn’t compete again
32:26 Navigating two languages in real time
34:31 Roll Into Your Power: advocacy and civic engagement
37:58 Why advocacy doesn’t switch off
38:43 What’s next: accessibility, inclusion, and rest
41:56 Advice for young women finding their voice
43:47 What grit means to Magda
45:03 Where to follow Magda and get involved
46:37 Closing thoughts: be your own advocate

CONNECT WITH MAGDA
Find her on Facebook by searching:
Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2026 — Magda Samantha Carlos-Treviño

For speaking opportunities, community events, or collaborations, her email is listed on her Facebook page.

CONNECT WITH WHITNEY
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Whitscomplex
Social media: @whitscomplex

Subscribe to @Whitscomplex for more Whit’s Grit conversations about resilience, heart, unbreakable spirit, and the kind of grit that refuses to quit.

What’s one expectation you’re ready to defy? Tell us in the comments.

#WhitsGrit #DisabilityAdvocacy #SelfAdvocacy

Kristi Scheunemann, Miss Wheelchair Wisconsin 2026, joins Whitney on Whit’s Grit for the next stop in the Queen series. Born with spina bifida and raised in Watertown, Wisconsin, Kristi is a disability advocate with People First of Wisconsin, a certified peer mentor with Aptiv, a board member with Creative Community Living Services, and an advisory committee member for My Choice by Molina. She has spoken on the keynote panel of the Self-Determination Conference, modeled for eight years in the This Is How We Roll fashion show, and competed at Nationals on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools, workplaces, and society.

In this conversation she talks about mainstream school, the year she started finding her voice at Youth Leadership Forum, being nominated in 2019 as a self-advocate leader, and why she waited years before saying yes to the crown. She was crowned in a Denny’s. She also gets honest about buildings that still aren’t accessible, the awkwardness of asking for basic accommodations, meeting with a local candidate, speaking at The Marquardt, and what comes next—including her first solo session at the Self-Determination Conference.

Her word for anyone who uses a wheelchair: do not let the extra obstacles stop you. You were made to leave a mark. Nothing about us without us.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
0:22 Welcome to the Queen series and Kristi’s bio
2:29 Hello and catching up after Nationals
3:34 Childhood in Watertown: youngest, only girl, spina bifida
4:16 Mainstream school, learning-disabled math, and when difference became real
5:44 Why teaching kids about disability early changes everything
7:49 Technical school, the “wheelchair means desk job” advice, and wishing she’d spoken up
10:33 Youth Leadership Forum and the start of her voice
11:31 Nominated in 2019 by the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities
13:00 People First of Wisconsin and keynote panels (including voting rights)
13:55 Certified peer mentor with Aptiv
14:50 Board and advisory work—and how she balances a full calendar
15:54 Eight years of This Is How We Roll and why she waited on the pageant
17:43 Crowned at Denny’s
19:30 Favorite moments of the reign (and the sash-and-crown factor)
20:35 Her platform: DEI and disability education starting in preschool
21:36 Access barriers, high chairs, fitting rooms used as storage, and speaking up
25:54 Nationals in Grand Rapids: being understood
28:12 Meeting a local candidate about downtown buildings she can’t enter
29:29 Speaking at The Marquardt
30:27 What’s next: first solo session at the Self-Determination Conference
31:18 Goals, hard days, and being easier on herself
32:48 How to follow Kristi (and Spina Bifida Awareness Month)
33:25 What grit means to her
34:51 Closing and how to subscribe

Follow Kristi:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571005318192

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=kristi%20scheunemann%20

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month—she’ll be posting updates all month.

Looking for a peer mentor? Reach out.

Subscribe to @WhitsComplex so you don’t miss new Whit’s Grit episodes.

Whit's Grit Episode 12 is live. 👑

Dr. Sue ElHessen is an educator, public servant, childhood polio survivor, and Ms. Wheelchair California 2026. She earned her doctorate in education from USC, a master’s in industrial-organizational psychology from Cal State Long Beach, and has spent her life opening doors that were slammed shut — in hospitals, classrooms, graduate programs, and government.

In this conversation, Dr. Sue walks Whitney through contracting polio at age three in Lebanon, learning to walk again, having spinal fusion at nine while largely on her own, being left on the playground, being shoved into lockers, and being denied a graduate program because of her disability. She fought her way in anyway, graduated with a 3.75 GPA, and has spent decades advocating for students, teachers, and the disability community.

She also shares why she ran for Ms. Wheelchair California, the ADA story that proved her platform, why media still overlooks disability pageants, and why she’s now running for Cerritos College Trustee Area 3. Her definition of grit is simple: no matter how many times you get punched down, you get up.

If you have a disability and someone has already decided your ceiling for you — this episode is for you.

Subscribe to @WhitsComplex and turn on notifications so you never miss a Wednesday drop of Whit’s Grit.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast intro
0:22 Welcome & meet Dr. Sue ElHessen
2:16 Childhood in Tennessee, Lebanon, and contracting polio
6:12 Nine years old, alone in the hospital after spinal fusion
8:44 Growing up different: braces, the playground, and being left behind
12:22 College roadblocks and inaccessible campuses
14:48 Denied graduate school because of her disability
17:42 Inclusion, representation, and who should lead disability work
24:04 How she became Ms. Wheelchair California 2026
26:18 The ADA story that proved her platform
31:23 Did the crown open more doors than her degrees?
35:43 Running for Cerritos College Trustee Area 3
41:49 The Hope and Freedom Award
43:59 Isolation, public recognition, and getting ghosted
49:43 Advice for a young person with a disability
50:19 What grit means to Dr. Sue
51:28 How to follow Dr. Sue and support her campaign

🗳️ SUPPORT DR. SUE

Campaign site: https://www.vote4drsuetrustee3.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594221173201
She is running for Cerritos College Trustee Area 3 (Bellflower community) in the November general election.

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1SRtTnBP-mgfumACyykROA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsue_2026mwc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSue2026/

🎙️ ABOUT WHIT’S GRIT
Whit’s Grit is hosted by Whitney Lavender — double above-knee amputee, author of Whit & Wheels, Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2026, and advocate. This show is for real stories of resilience, heart, unbreakable spirit, and the kind of grit that refuses to quit.

New episodes every Wednesday.

📩 Guest inquiries: [email protected]
🌐 Whitney: https://www.whitneylavender.com

#WhitsGrit #DisabilityAdvocacy #MsWheelchairCalifornia #ADA #PolioSurvivor #Inclusion #Resilience #Grit #CerritosCollege

Whit’s Grit | Queen Series

Jamie Clendening — Miss Wheelchair America 2027

Born with spina bifida, Jamie was told at age 5 she would never walk again. She did — until a tethered cord release a week before her 34th birthday left her a T10 incomplete paraplegic. Infection, ten more surgeries, coding on the table, years without a proper exam table or accessible scale, and a system that sent her home with almost nothing.

Fourteen years later she is Miss Wheelchair America 2027, a Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation peer mentor and Regional Champion, Wilson College graduate, Certified Tourism Ambassador, and founder of I Can and I Wheel. Her platform is healthcare access and equity: exam tables, accessible scales, equipment, therapy, and policy so people with disabilities don’t just survive — they thrive.

In this conversation Jamie and Whitney talk childhood grit, medical gaslighting, rehab trauma, depression, turning pain into purpose, the 17 million people in the disability community, and what’s next for her year as Miss Wheelchair America.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro bumper
0:22 – Welcome to Whit’s Grit & introducing Miss Wheelchair America 2027
2:22 – Jamie joins: “Hey Whit, how are you?”
3:58 – Age 5 surgery: doctors said she’d never walk
5:22 – Allergies, hospitals, “guinea pig” years, and 1974 turning point for spina bifida care
7:47 – Kids calling her shell, getting back up, and being told she couldn’t have children
8:32 – “Biological mishap” vs. miracle: Matt and Ciara
10:17 – Complex regional pain syndrome and finding someone who gets it
12:31 – Pain into purpose
15:36 – Tethered cord release, waking up paralyzed, infection, ten more surgeries
18:55 – Coding twice, promising no more surgery unless life or death
19:56 – The doctor who disappeared and “you signed a waiver — you were a lesson”
22:22 – Day 13: “She was paralyzed before she got here”
24:01 – 3 a.m. transfer to brain unit, attacked, no wheelchair
26:43 – Dropped in the shower, case manager who wouldn’t help
30:47 – Sent home with a pharmacy wheelchair, no ramp, no home study
32:47 – Year 4: walls closing in, depression, stopping drinking
35:59 – OVR, Reeve Foundation, becoming a peer mentor
37:01 – July 2026 rule: one accessible exam table and scale in federally funded facilities
39:31 – “I have the weight of 17 million people”
42:28 – Adaptability Home Services and proactive vs. reactive care
45:41 – One month crowned: Senate floor, New Jersey, crowning Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania, South Dakota ski trip, accessible hunting
53:30 – What grit means to Jamie
54:29 – How to follow and support Jamie
55:28 – Closing & subscribe

Subscribe to @Whitscomplex so you never miss an episode of Whit’s Grit (new episodes Wednesdays).

Support Jamie’s travel and advocacy:
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Miss Wheelchair America 2027, Jamie Clendening (Zeffy donation link pinned at the top)

Doctors gave James Logan months. He gave himself a start line.

In April 2024, Jim was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer. Thirty months later he is still here: surgeries, chemo, radiation, an ostomy, a book, and a slot at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona on October 10 with Team IMF.On this episode of Whit’s Grit, Jim talks about the life that looked perfect until it wasn’t, the sentence he still lives by — “I have cancer. Cancer does not have me.” — and why he calls cancer both the worst and the best thing that ever happened to him. We get into Just Keep TRI-ING, the DSSP formula (Discipline, Sacrifice, Suffering, Pain), what Kelly and their son have carried, what the public doesn’t see about racing that body, and what still counts as a finish if the clock or the course says otherwise.

His mission is simple and enormous: arrive alive, finish under 17 hours, and turn the miles into impact for the IRONMAN Foundation.

Book: Just Keep TRI-ING on Amazon
Fundraiser: https://ironmanfoundation.donordrive.com/participants/4148
Instagram: @stage42025
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.logan.462536

If this conversation hits, send it to someone who just got news that knocked the floor out.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
0:22 Welcome / meet James Logan
1:46 Growing up in New Jersey, high school in Germany, building a life in Atlanta
3:27 The snow globe, stage 4, and “cancer does not have me”
6:45 Writing Just Keep TRI-ING and finding faith in the infusion room
12:25 Book profits, the $100K goal, and racing for more
16:43 Team IMF, a 42-year reunion, and the road to Kona
18:13 Training through treatment, surgeries, and an ostomy
32:01 Why IRONMAN leaves room for stories like this
34:26 What Foundation dollars actually do for kids and race towns
41:41 First advice after a diagnosis that changes everything
46:32 What grit means to Jim
47:45 Book, Instagram, donate, and the October 10 start line

#WhitsGrit #JustKeepTRIing #IRONMAN #Kona #TeamIMF #AnythingIsPossible

Welcome back to Whit’s Grit — the podcast dedicated to resilience, heart, unbreakable spirit, and the kind of grit that refuses to quit.

This episode opens the "Drama Queen Series" with Whitney’s friend and wheel sister Carla Sanders, Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2026. Carla is a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, bilingual real estate professional, and fierce disability advocate. In 2018 a car accident left her a T12 incomplete paraplegic. She rebuilt her career, stayed rooted in family, and turned the experience into a platform.

As Ms. Wheelchair Arizona she advocates for three things that actually change lives: accessibility, mental health awareness, and economic empowerment for people with disabilities. She says it plainly: the chair is not her limitation — it is part of her leadership.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 — Show intro
• 0:22 — Welcome and introduction of Carla
• 1:49 — Little Carla: energy, violin, mariachi, teen mom, education
• 5:11 — The 2018 accident
• 14:00 — “I’m going to walk,” the hospital chair, Panama, and acceptance
• 16:49 — Finding community and the I Am a Warrior run
• 20:46 — Family help that became disabling, and the weekend she was left alone
• 26:00 — Mental health, the unpublished journal, relationships, and family court
• 31:24 — Real estate from a wheelchair: heat, ramps, and ADA new construction
• 39:43 — Finding Ms. Wheelchair Arizona at the Abilities Expo
• 44:56 — Platform: accessibility, mental health, and economic empowerment
• 53:31 — Advice for someone whose world just flipped
• 55:02 — What GRIT means to Carla
• 56:16 — Where to follow Carla and how to get involved
• 57:10 — Close

Follow Carla at @Carla_L_Sanders on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of the "Drama Queen Series". Until next time — keep up the good fight.

In Episode 8 of Whit’s Grit, host Whitney Lavender sits down with Reggie “KingKnub” Amerson — congenital one-armed MMA fighter, former Team USA Para Taekwondo athlete, coach, husband, and dad of (soon-to-be) four.

Born with a complication from his umbilical cord that left him with one hand (his “nub”), Reggie shares how he shimmied free in the womb, the childhood bullying that followed, and the pivotal moment his mom told him God knew he only needed one arm. That message, plus supportive brothers and parents, helped him accept himself early. He adapted to football (starting underage with his older brothers and shocking coaches who assumed he’d be the water boy), earned defensive MVP honors, and later found his true passion in martial arts & combat sports after watching Anderson Silva, Rampage Jackson, and Bruce Lee.

Reggie walks through discovering MMA in his early 20s while working an IT job he found unfulfilling, training at Fite Nite MMA in Memphis, competing in Para Taekwondo for Team USA (and the valuable sports science resources that came with it), and the unique challenges of finding opponents and fair rules as a one-armed fighter. He opens up about the frustrating Arkansas Athletic Commission experience — last-minute restrictions, forced covering of his nub that altered his grappling and striking, the mental impact that made him feel like the little kid who was once mocked, and why he refuses to fight there again. He contrasts it with smoother experiences elsewhere (like Tennessee) and advocates for consistent rules that treat fighters equally and better prepare amateurs for pro competition.

Now focused on a pro debut before the end of October (ahead of baby #4, William, due October 26), Reggie discusses coaching kickboxing and fundamentals at a local Arkansas gym, plans for Fite Rite MMA in Pocahontas, the unwavering support of his wife JC, and the joy of watching his kids (Tobias, Henry, and Lily) grow and cheer him on. He shares powerful advice for kids with limb differences — don’t accept the limits others place on you; your biggest limit is your own mind — and defines grit as the force that lets you not just survive hard moments but come out on top and keep adapting.

This is a raw, motivating conversation about self-acceptance, creative problem-solving in life & sports, fighting for equal treatment, representation in the disability community, and the drive to inspire the next generation (including kids like little Dallas).

Follow Reggie:

Instagram: @kingknubmma

Facebook: Reggie Amerson

Email for fight inquiries: [email protected]

Gym: Fite Nite MMA (@fitenite_mma) — Fite Rite MMA coming to Arkansas 

And remember, everything is OVERCOMABLE. Keep up the good fight.

In Episode 7 of Whit’s Grit, host Whitney Lavender sits down with her dear friend and remarkable disability advocate Lauren Compere. A quadriplegic living with a rare genetic condition (one of only about 22 documented cases), Lauren opens up about her lifelong journey from an early cerebral palsy diagnosis through whole genome sequencing, the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, and a recent consultation with leading specialist Dr. Peter Kang at the University of Minnesota.

Lauren shares how symptoms and questions intensified in her late twenties and early thirties, the emotional weight of navigating the unknown, and how her deep faith in Jesus has been her anchor through it all. She discusses growing up feeling different, the challenges of school with changing caregivers, her drive to understand people (leading to a B.S. in Psychology from Mississippi College with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a recent Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary), and her transformative experience as Miss Wheelchair Mississippi 2015 and First Runner-up at Miss Wheelchair America.

Her platform — connecting families impacted by disability with the church and vital resources — continues to guide her work today as Secretary on the Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi Board. Lauren also reflects on what “grit” truly means to her: moving beyond white-knuckling through hardship to self-awareness, self-compassion, sustainable boundaries, and relying on God’s strength. She offers heartfelt advice for young girls navigating disability and reminds listeners that everyone is worthy of taking up space.

Timestamps:

[0:22] Welcome & introduction to Lauren Compere 

[2:05] Lauren explains her rare genetic condition and lifelong diagnostic journey 

[7:30] Recent trip to Dr. Peter Kang & insights on EMARDD / MEGF10 mutation 

[10:40] Faith, suffering, grief, and finding hope in the unknown 

[14:50] Growing up with disability: school experiences, identity, and healing 

[21:20] Path to psychology & counseling; college life at Mississippi College 

[24:30] Miss Wheelchair Mississippi 2015, Miss Wheelchair America experience & platform 

[33:00] Current advocacy work and board involvement 

[40:00] Advice for a young girl with a disability 

[45:10] What “grit” really means to Lauren Compere 

[50:00] How to connect with Lauren & closing encouragement

Lauren’s experience includes over 1,000 hours of clinical counseling (410+ direct service hours), roles as Development Director at One Shred of Hope Nonprofit and Vocational Coordinator at Son Valley, plus disability ministry training with Joni and Friends. She continues volunteering and mentoring while actively recruiting personal care assistants.

Follow Lauren on Instagram and Facebook @LaurenCompere

Visit her website: teamlc.net (for her story and personal care assistant opportunities)

Subscribe to Whit’s Grit on YouTube (@whitscomplex) and never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

It’s okay to ask “why.”

There is always hope — and grit — on the other side.

In this raw, powerful, and often hilarious episode of Whit’s Grit, host Whitney Lavender sits down with fellow bilateral above-knee amputee Mandy Horvath — the first female bilateral amputee to summit Mount Kilimanjaro without prosthetics, 8-time world record holder, TIME100 Sports 2026 honoree, Naked and Afraid star, and subject of the award-winning documentary The Ascent.

Mandy opens up about waking up at 21 in the back of an ambulance with no legs after a suspected date-rape drug incident, the brutal year of debridement surgeries and rare bone regrowth, the exhausting reality of prosthetics for bilateral amputees, and how she turned unimaginable trauma into a life of record-breaking climbs, charity work, and radical self-acceptance.

From training for Kilimanjaro (she slimmed down to 70 lbs), a terrifying hyena encounter in the Serengeti, preparing for another Naked and Afraid, writing her memoir, barrel racing with her horse Scooby, training her dog Patsy with buttons, and finding real love — this conversation is unfiltered, funny, deeply honest, and full of the kind of grit that refuses to quit.

If you’ve ever felt like life dealt you an impossible hand, this episode will remind you that you can always climb out of it — one more day at a time.

Timestamps:
[00:00] Podcast Intro
[00:22] Welcome & Intro to Mandy Horvath
[01:38] Early Life: Graduating High School at 16, Vet Tech to Chef
[02:34] The Night Everything Changed: Waking Up Legless at 21
[04:15] Hospital Recovery, Reamputation & Rare Osseoregeneration
[06:47] The Brutal Reality of Prosthetics for Bilateral Amputees
[12:27] Reconciling Trauma, CPTSD & Reliving It Through The Ascent Documentary
[14:23] Training for & Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (First Female Bilateral Amputee Without Prosthetics)
[16:52] Africa Adventures: Serengeti Safari & the Wild Hyena Incident
[20:31] More Record-Breaking Climbs: Pikes Peak, Cerro Tusa, Space Needle & Beyond
[28:24] Turning Personal Challenges Into Charity & Creating Her Own “Sport”
[32:31] Writing Her Memoir: The Emotional Toll of Sharing Her Story
[38:00] The Daily Reality: Work Ethic, Finances, Insurance Battles & Job Discrimination
[44:31] Preparing for Round Two on Naked and Afraid
[46:03] Naked and Afraid Experience, the Community & Why She’s Going Back
[48:13] Finding Love, Horses, Dog Patsy & Building a Real Life
[50:50] Important Advice for New Amputees: Devotee Community, Sex & Online Safety
[58:20] What Grit Really Means to Mandy: “Just One More Day”
[1:00:35] Closing & Where to Follow Mandy’s Journey

Mandy’s story is living proof that your circumstances don’t define your limits — your grit does.If this episode hit you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps us keep bringing these real stories of resilience to the world.

Follow Mandy Horvath: Instagram: @mountaingnome0.5
Facebook: Mandy Horvath
Website: mandyhorvath.com

Watch for updates on the award-winning documentary The Ascent.

#WhitsGrit #MandyHorvath #BilateralAmputee #Kilimanjaro #NakedAndAfraid #TheAscent #Resilience #Grit #TIME100Sports #AmputeeStrong #OneMoreDay