~Submitted by Marissa Wollmann
“No expectations” seems counterproductive when you are set to compete in the Miss South Dakota USA pageant on September 30 and October 1. But Siri Wollmann made this rule for herself after struggling to recover from a sports injury and concussion three years ago.
“There are some things about the injury that are easy to explain and talk about,” she said. “I tore my ACL and my meniscus in my knee going for the most amazing goal in soccer my sophomore year. When I think about how much I loved playing soccer and my teammates it absolutely hurts. But when I think of how much the concussion affected me and how little I understood then how my life would change, well, that's devastating. I have a lifetime of stories but the one I hope to share is the story of moving forward and accepting change. I'm a firm believer of ‘we don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.’”
“Head injuries and concussions can only be understood fully if you have gone through them. You would be amazed at how much cognitive effort it took to have simple conversations, make a phone call or even be around friends. At that time isolating myself seemed to be easiest route. With all the activities and people I enjoyed stripped away from me, along with that went my confidence and my identity. A lot happened that next whole year, but after a lot of rest and soul-searching I set a ‘no expectations’ rule on myself and realized everyone makes their comeback on their own time and in their own way. Explaining to everyone around me why I wasn't back to my normal self was impossible, and I had a set of expectations of myself that were no longer possible....to come back, be an athlete who plays soccer, be on the basketball court, throw shotput in track, all these things...I started adding new and challenging things in my life that were completely different. I also realize the most important thing that I could ever learn was that sometimes our biggest failures or mistakes are the most rewarding. I never did make the goal that day but looking back I think I really won. I've never been happier or more confident than right now!!! My own expectations changed, I was the key to happiness and confidence. It was my responsibility to focus on the future. The element that was missing from my life was goals and purpose. Being accountable to a team. The last three years have been filled with so many new things and first times for me, some of them were very scary like the first day at my new high school in Brandon Valley, that was extremely challenging. But after I tackled that I knew the next challenge would only get easier.”
“And so… When my brother Bryce Wollmann said ‘Siri why don't you try sending your senior picture to the Miss South Dakota USA pageant?’ I had received an invite in the mail never giving it serious consideration. I mean in a beauty pageant? That seemed arrogant. But I have to say after my brother, who is my role model, said all the reasons he believed I was absolutely 100% what he thought defined beauty. Kindness, hard work, volunteering, overcoming challenges and staying steadfast in my values and knowing my actions are what defines me. The support and positive thoughts or just the simple words ‘you've got this’ go along way for someone, they last a lifetime!”
“The last six months I transformed not only my body but my mind. I've definitely started seeing myself more like my brother described to me. It was not an overnight thing, it was a tiny change every single day. Being my best consistently.”
“I really thought a lot about this, I want to thank Bryce for the best gift a sister could ask for. Change is good. The country right now is obsessed with change. Whether it's changing each other's views, their religion, their actions, just about everything. I truly believe being the change isn't manipulating the people or things around you. It comes from within! You can only change yourself. And that is something I'm passionate about. There are so many levels people can change that will affect their own lives and our world around us. I will be competing on Saturday, September 30 at Brandon Performing Arts Center. Confidently beautiful with ‘no expectations’ and proud of my new ‘goal’.”
Siri Wollmann was a graduate of Brandon Valley High School class of 2017 and is currently attending the University of South Dakota as a business major.
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