Connor Boss, the first legally blind contestant of Miss Florida USA pageant, wants the crown.
“It’s my favorite quote by Audrey Hepburn: ‘Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I’m possible.’ And I like to think that it says a lot about me just because any goal I set for myself I go for it. I don’t like to hold back. I don’t like to use my vision as a crutch. It’s just something I jump over.” she said.
Boss, from Royal Palm Beach, is a gifted gymnast, cheerleader, homecoming queen and president of her senior class. She earned a 4.2 grade point average.
“I’m one of the youngest, but I’m very excited and anxious to see what happens," she said.
"She’s a very amazing girl starting at a young age she gone through a couple of medical problems," said her father William Boss.
When she was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a genetic disorder that causes progressive vision loss. She started wearing glasses but learned quickly that they didn’t help.
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“Because the retina can’t be corrected it’s not like the lens, so I had to read closer. I started finding that at one point I couldn’t really read font anymore unless its 36 point which is a lot of paper to waste," she said.
Out of 11 different pageants, she’s won five titles, and last year Boss won second runner-up in Miss Florida USA’s teen category. Her poor depth perception caused her to stumble on the stairs leading up to the stage during the swimsuit segment.
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Although Connor has faced many challenges and overcome them, she has a clear vision of where her future is going.
“Well I’d like to continue my education at FSU. I’m studying public relations, and I hope to become a successful business woman. And if I can continue to inspire people, I’ll be a happy girl," she said.
If she brings home the Miss Florida USA crown this weekend, Connor will represent the state in the Miss Miss USA national beauty pagaent.
