When a gun accident paralyzed Chanda Hinton from the chest down at age 9, she could have given up on living a normal life.

But for the graduating DU senior and recent recipient of Miss Wheelchair Colorado 2005, quitting was obviously not in the cards.

Hinton said that her desire to live and succeed in normal life has inspired and will continue to inspire others in her situation.

“I do get looked at a lot, but it’s not in a bad way,” she said. “Many people are inspired by my choice to carry on and only want to observe how well I get around. Individuals approach me all the time, expressing the inspiration I’ve provided them.”

Hinton, who will compete for the Miss Wheelchair Nationals in New York in July, was chosen as champion over five other entrants in the contest. With her constant canine companion, robust service dog Flint, Hinton breaks stereotypes aimed at the disabled every day.

“I am very outgoing and one of the main stereotypes about people in wheelchairs is that we don’t do much,” she said. “I drive, go to college, travel, have a service dog, go out with my friends and love doing it all.”

Included in those are of course her recent triumph at the beauty contest. Though her public speaking experience helped her nerves on stage, there will still some butterflies for Hinton during the judging.

“I am used to doing speeches in front of an audience, and I’m very passionate about what I have to say, so I had a lot of things going for me,” she said. “I was nervous about actually winning the competition because the runner-up is a very powerful and inspirational woman.”

Hinton’s victory gives her more than just personal pride, however. According to Hinton, her new title gives her some leverage to help others in her situation.

“I am excited to have this platform because it gives me the opportunity to make some connections and to share my ideas on what can be improved for disabled people,” she said. “My drive got me this position, and it’s opening doors for me.”

Growing up in a small town, Hinton received acceptance that she may not have received otherwise. Her go-get-em attitude and bright demeanor can be traced back to a nurturing atmosphere growing up.

“I was very fortunate because I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone,” said Hinton. “Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but with need for extra help, it truly was a community that saw me and not my wheelchair. I think that many people forgot that I was disabled.”

Though her town helped shape Hinton into the success she has become, she has still had to deal with her fair share of discrimination. Once again, though, her upbeat attitude prevails over ill-intentioned commentary.

“People that don’t see that there are possibilities and potential in others usually have problems that they haven’t dealt with,” she said. “I realize this and don’t absorb their negative energy.”

Though she is happy about her win, Hinton hopes to spread the word about the contest to others in her situation.

“There aren’t a lot of contestants due to the lack of people knowing about Miss Wheelchair’s existence,” she said. “My goal is to spread the word and get more women involved. Educating and advocating is an amazing thing that we get to do by just being who we are.”

A beauty queen’s advice to young hopefuls?

“Never stop chasing your dreams and believe in yourself,” said Hinton. “It doesn’t matter if others believe when you do.”