"After the storms, puddles hold beautiful reflections."
- Mataya Lee
Turtle-Siobhan Travers (Nez Perce) is a parent, advocate, teacher and public speaker. She is also currently studying medicine and hopes to become a doctor on her Reservation. When she isn’t spending time with family, at work as an independent health and fitness coach or at her classes she can be found at the youth center or the local library. Some of her many passions are running, hiking, teaching others about nature and wildlife, photography, and her horse. She also enjoys participating in Special Olympics.
Turtles faith is a huge part of who she has become and she is blessed that she does not have to hide her beliefs.
Turtle, is an inspiration because she continues to strive and do things that she was told she could never do. In her lifetime she was told that she would never speak. Turtle, conducts public speaking events in two languages. When she was told she couldn't graduate high school and that she was uneducable. She knew that she needed to press fourth and finish her high school education and continue to college. When she was told she could never hold a job, she served in the army; she has become a teacher and works as a fitness coach. Lastly, when Turtle was told she could never walk again, she also proved others wrong and she participates in awareness runs.
Turtle has participated in several different pageants; she participates in many causes and advocacy activities that are not limited to, wolf education, teaching homeless and disabled youth, photography, tribal community activities, fundraising, Special Olympics, and she has become a self published author. Her primary goal is to mentor others through Integrity Beauty and to advocate to others who battle with disabilities that you can achieve anything you set your mind to do.
"IB is a group who loves the Lord and isn't ashamed to express it. These women are inspiring, compassionate and most of all, ladies to whom you can go to with any problem you have and the prayers are going up! I've been greatly blessed to know the director, Roberta Cykon and to call her friend! Although I have been IB's Inspiring Woman, it is she who has inspired me to do more of God's work. It has been an honor to be part of such a fantastic group and I will always cherish those I've met through IB!"
- Lady Kelley Bracken-Rainey
IB Inspiring Woman 2011