HPL

On Tuesday, July 11, at 6 PM, Sierra Sandison will be speaking at the library. Sierra was Miss Idaho 2014 and the first Miss America contestant to walk the stage with a visible medical device. She has type one diabetes and made the news when she wore her insulin pump on her bikini during the swimsuit competition. An NPR article written about her was the most viral NPR story of the year and helped create the #showmeyourpump movement. The press catapulted her to the final 10 in Miss America and earned her the People’s Choice award. She wrote Sugar Linings, a book about her experience from diagnosis to crowning and tours the country speaking at schools, conferences, and keynoting events. She talks about accepting yourself as you are and loving what makes you unique.

“I’ve been following Sierra since the first article about her was written in NPR” said Vera Haynes, Young Adult Librarian, “I actually participated in #showmeyourpump before I met her. I wanted to bring her to Hays because I love the message of her story. Sierra was diagnosed with a life changing illness while she was a teenager. It could have become a burden in her life. Instead, she decided to become the second woman with diabetes to walk the miss America stage and the first person to walk it with a visible medical device. She loves everything about herself that makes her different, and encourages others to do the same – not just diabetics.”

This summer, Sierra joined Bike Beyond, where she is part of a team of 21 type one diabetics biking from New York to San Francisco to raise money and awareness of type one diabetes. She’s taking a day off biking just to come speak at our library while her team bikes from Beloit to Stockton.

You can find out more about this and other library programs by visiting the library’s online calendar at hayspublib.org or by calling 785-625-9014.