HA NOI(VNS) — Student Nguyen Thi Anh Ngoc has been crowned the winner of the first-ever pageant in Viet Nam for handicapped women.

Enrolled in Ha Noi's University of Social Sciences, Ngoc, 21, won the final among nine others on Sunday with a moving speech about her mother.

Ngoc was born with a malformed spine. She gave the address from a wheelchair.

The other competitors showed their talents in a range of arts, such as singing, playing musical instruments, dance and so on.

Ngoc told how her mother's love helped overcome many difficulties to raise her. She included the analogy of two burning candles, one of which was crooked.

"Like two those candles, it doesn't matter if a person is disabled or has a perfect shape," Ngoc said. "What is most important is that they have the energy to live their lives."

The competition attracted 70 contestants from across the country.-VNS