MISS PANAMA
Hi , I ’ m María de los Angeles Aguilar Vega . I was born on June 6 , 1983 , in Antón , a town located within the interior of Panama City . My mother ’ s name is Praxedes Vega and my father ’ s name is Omar Aguilar . On my mother ’ s side , I have two brothers , Rafael and Raúl . On my father ’ s side , I have a sister , Fátima . I am the youngest of my family .
My pre-kindergarten studies took place at the COIF CAIPI close to my home . When I was a child on my way to school my mom would come out of the house to watch me on my way . She would later regale me with stories of my walking along the shore greeting people along the way . Upon my return home , my bags would be so heavy with fruit and vegetables gifted from those people she was unable to lift them . It ’ s funny to hear , and beautiful too .
After I finished my secondary studies , I began university studying early stimulation with family orientation ( to work with children with disabilities ). It was during this time I experienced my accident . I was 23 years old , very young , and happy . The first thing doctors told my parents is that I would no longer be able to walk . Three months later , I knew it was true . I was in the hospital for nearly 9 months , my condition serious due to the trauma caused by the strong blows in the accident .
I had not received the news of my paralysis well , as you can imagine , however , I understood my blessings . I still had my hands , my brain , and my eyes , all in working order . My father was very surprised by my response . My parents are very old . I am the captain of this ship , if I fall , they fall and that cannot happen . I have to give them strength . This is how my new story began , full of new challenges and starting from scratch . I needed to learn to move around while sitting in a wheelchair , therapies to learn how to dress , and more . I thank God infinitely for this new opportunity in life . It hasn ’ t been easy , at all , but each one of my steps has been deeply worthwhile . I value so many things , including each part of my body .
In this new part of my life , I have met many people . Among them is the physiotherapist Hugo Lombardo , a fighting man who ’ s fought from day one for adapted sports , to whom I will be deeply grateful . I am involved in wheelchair racing . It has led me to leave my country and to stand out in the area of athletics . My forte has been discus throwing , shot put , and my favorite , javelin . Javelin has taken me to Costa Rica , to the Special Olympics where I won a gold medal in three categories . I ’ ve also traveled to El Salvador and stood out very well in this for many years . Afterward , I went back to the university where I graduated with a Bachelor ’ s in Human Resources Administration . I currently work in the Ministry
of Environment , working on behalf of the environment , forests and animals .
In 2019 , something beautiful happened in my life , something I never thought would happen . I became pregnant with a beautiful boy . It was not an easy experience and at 6 months I gave birth . Thankfully , God allowed me to hear and feel my son . These were the most beautiful minutes of my entire life . Sadly , these minutes were all I
90 Miss Wheelchair World USA