One-Armed Miss Iowa Will Compete in Miss America Pageant

Nicole Kelly was born without her left forearm

Here's some beautiful news.

Nicole Kelly, who was born without her left forearm, was crowned Miss Iowa over the weekend. As a result, the 23-year-old will find herself competing at the Miss America pageant on Sept. 15 in Atlantic City, N.J.

"A year ago, I certainly didn't see 'pageant titleholder' in my future," Kelly writes on her Miss Iowa bio page. "Perhaps I didn't originally envision this path, but I now know that being Miss Iowa is the perfect fit for me, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who have encouraged me every step of the way."

She adds, "Giving a voice to my platform, Overcoming Disabilities, is a tremendous honor and I am thrilled to continue my adventure by speaking out and touching lives as Miss Iowa 2013."

Best of luck, Nicole!