From Miss Wheelchair World to IT: A Journey of Triumph and Simplicity with Aleksandra Chichikova

From Miss Wheelchair World to IT: A Journey of Triumph and Simplicity

A few years ago, Aleksandra Chichikova became a global sensation when she was crowned Miss Wheelchair World in Warsaw. Since then, her life has been a whirlwind of photoshoots, fashion shows, magazine covers, and collaborations with international organizations like UNFPA. Today, she works in a major IT company. We recently caught up with her to discuss her values, new victories, and the simple joys of life.

Alphabet of Life

In our “Alphabet” section, we let our guests share their associations with different letters of the alphabet.

A – Airport

I love flying. Although I don’t travel often, I do have business trips. I enjoy the rhythm of life at the airport – the small chaos. I love seeing different people. The airport is a place for new acquaintances. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with a stranger there… It’s great. Communication is a big value. I have a person waiting for me in almost every country.

G – Pride

I am proud that I have the Miss Wheelchair World crown and sash at home, that my name will forever remain in newspapers and articles as the name of the first winner of this international competition. I am proud that out of 19 countries and 24 participants, they chose me. And I think this is something to be proud of. Of course, I don’t tell everyone about it: for example, at my work, only a couple of people knew about it even after six months.

I wear the crown and sash to some events, but it’s not just a decoration for me. For example, I wore them to a “special show” organized by the National School of Beauty with the participation of boarding school students. Then it was important for me to show these kids that if you have a goal, you can achieve it.

H – Health

I work with UNFPA on issues of reproductive and social health in the field of people with disabilities. Recently, we conducted a survey among young women with disabilities, and to my great surprise, it turned out that most women take little care of their health and do not visit a gynecologist (although there are reasons for this).

Fortunately, when asked: “Do you believe that you will have a family and children?” most answered affirmatively. But at the same time, many told stories of men asking them questions about their ability to have children. People are still poorly educated on such issues.

I have heard from doctors: “Are you planning to give birth?” This topic is acute for me. And I try to contribute to ensuring that health care is at the proper level for all categories of people.

F – Christmas Tree

Christmas is an important holiday for my family. And the Christmas tree for us is an attribute not only of winter and Christmas holidays but also of family, traditions. There are seven children in my family – everyone already has their own families, and my parents have grandchildren. And we always gather for Christmas as a big family and give each other gifts.

I remember a funny story with my sister when we decided to make a personal gift for each relative. For two weeks, we walked around fairs and shops, bought a lot of gifts, and on the eve of the holiday… we forgot who we bought what for!

B – Beauty

I have reconsidered my understanding of beauty. Today, beauty for me is what fills a person. External beauty changes: due to age, lifestyle, certain situations. Life leaves its mark on your face, in your eyes, in your “glow”.

Inner beauty is what needs to be valued and worked on. It’s important what you radiate, what world is inside you. I was born into a believing family, raised on Christian principles – they have become my life principles: to love, never to harbor resentment inside.

Creating inner beauty is about analyzing yourself. Each of us has fears and problems, but we need to work on them, think about them. There are two ways out of a situation – to be angry and indignant about why something happened to me, or to accept it and take something good from it. I am sure: even the bad teaches us something. These principles cultivate beauty in me.

H – Horse

I have never ridden a horse. But it is my favorite animal. As a child, I begged my parents to buy me a horse and rent a stable for it! Probably, this dream is still with me. This animal is the embodiment of grace, speed, endurance.

At one time, I went to hippotherapy (therapy with a horse): you lie on a horse, do different “tricks”, feel it, relax. Once I noticed that the horse’s hind leg movements are similar to human walking. Then I closed my eyes, felt the horse’s stomping, and imagined that I was walking. This is a very bright and interesting memory.

J – Joy

…and happiness! I will combine these two words: they are similar to each other. This is an ideal state in which I can be. What brings me joy? Just life. Maybe I look idealized from the outside: a girl focused on joy, happiness, and beauty. But that’s how it is. For me, this is the foundation on which I want to stand all my life. I am learning to catch every morning the feeling of joy that I woke up and can do what I love.

T – Title

Two years ago, I received the title of Miss Wheelchair World. When a couple of days later journalists asked me: “Has anything changed?”, I answered negatively. Only now can I realize how much my life has changed and how much I have changed myself. This is a great responsibility that will always be with me – and I enjoy it. I like that I have a voice, and my word can be heard, that I can influence society, legislation, healthcare, and the people around me.

Then I decided to participate in this competition because I was close to its main idea: beauty has no boundaries. Every girl can be a mother and a wife, get an education, and achieve success. For the competition committee, the face was not important, but your perception of the world.

Now such competitions are held all over the world: I see this and rejoice. The chain has been launched. By the way, thanks to this title, I have the opportunity to hold my competition in Belarus or a qualifying stage for participation in the world competition. So everything is ahead.

C – Character

Character is not only your view of the world and reactions to situations, it is your core. I play in the Belarus Free Theatre in the play “House No. 5”, where in the final scene the hero says: “I don’t want to try and be a hero to someone. I just want to be”. When I first heard this phrase at the rehearsal, I realized how close it was to me.

I have my own character traits: I don’t like it when they violate my personal space, take my things, I don’t like hugs with strangers. Earlier, I was afraid to talk about it. But lately, I have changed my attitude towards this, because it is a matter of my comfort. I am still soft with people, but I consider it important not to be silent.

I don’t like it when I am stopped somewhere and told: “You are so strong! Well done!” I smile and thank, but inside me there is bewilderment. Why did this person approach me? Each of us is strong in our own way, and this strength comes from character. I just made the decision that, despite everything, I want to go further and develop. Of course, it’s another question when I communicate with a person face to face, and my story and life position inspires – then I get a kick.

For more information about Aleksandra’s journey and her work with UNFPA, you can visit the official UNFPA website.