18-year-old Alexis Wineman will represent Montana

Jan 10, 2013 17:41 GMT  ·  By
18-year-old Alexis Wineman will be this year's youngest Miss America contestant
   18-year-old Alexis Wineman will be this year's youngest Miss America contestant

Alexis Wineman is about to make history as Miss America's first contestant with autism. She has already managed the performance of becoming Miss Montana.

Alexis was diagnosed with autism when she was 11 years old, Fox News writes. Now, 7 years later, she will be Miss America's youngest contestant in this competition.

Posted above is an interview with her from December, and you can definitely tell she displays “very mild symptoms,” as she puts it.

Even so, joining the contest is very commendable. She still feels uneasy in crowds sometimes, but is fighting to overcome that.

“We cannot cure what is not a sickness. [...] But we can begin to understand autism, and help those with the condition to unlock the potential that lies within all of us,” she tells us.