Heather Tomko, the new Ms. Wheelchair USA, is from Pittsburgh and competed in the national pageant as Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania USA. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and is a Masters of Public Health student at the University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys writing her blog called “The Heather Report,” the musical “Hamilton,” and loves animals.
Tomko has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic neuromuscular disease, which she has had since birth. Heather’s platform, Increasing Inclusion of People with Disabilities into their Communities, deals with advocating and educating the community about disabilities and accessibility.
Heather not only won the title, but also received the Invacare People's Choice Award and the Dr. Georgi Hudson-Smith Quest For Knowledge Award. Heather will spend the next year of service working with The Dane Foundation increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to be included into varioius aspects of their communities.
