Kaci Herron and Madison Woods have competed in many STAR pageants which focus on people with special needs, now the girls are headed to the runway in New York.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Kaci Herron and Madison Woods have competed in pageants for nearly a decade together and they’ve helped multiple charity efforts through their pageants.
Now, the girls are taking what they’ve learned from the pageant world to New York Fashion Week.
Both girls live with Down Syndrome, but they want people to know that it doesn’t stop them from living out their dreams. When asked how she felt about walking the runway, Kaci said she was “So excited,” and Madison said the opportunity was “crazy”.
The girls have been close since they were little, with their parents even going to high school together, so getting the opportunity to walk in a fashion show together is incredibly special.
They’ve gone all over the country competing and all over East Tennessee doing charity work in their own communities, like maintaining blessing boxes and collecting donations for victims of natural disasters.
The girls will be walking in the Ryleigh Alexander show, and while they don’t know what they’ll be wearing yet, Madison said she’d love to wear something a little sporty.
Madison will also have her picture on a jumbotron in Times Square.
The girls are not only excited to walk in the show, but they’re also excited to advocate for themselves and others with special needs who may have dreams of the stage. Kaci said being able to speak up for herself is very important to her, and she wants to help others use their voice.