The road to Ms Captivating 2012

Wow! What an amazing experience! I can not believe that I am your new Ms. Captivating 2012! I never thought in a million dreams that i would be wearing that stunning crown atop my head! It has got to be the most beautiful crown I have ever seen! After all these years, it is finally my turn! So, Let me back up a little and tell you about my pageant history:

I have been competing in pageants since the age of 13. I was a nerd of sorts. Gappy teeth, glasses, tall and lanky with knobby knees. Not the most attractive little girl in the world! A teacher of mine in the 8th grade introduced me to my first pageant. She said it might help me with my confidence! And boy did it!!!! I fell in love with everything about pageants! The runway, the make-up, the clothes, getting the chance to really showcase who I am and what I was passionate about. Pageants helped me to grow from that ugly duckling to this beautiful, confidant, poised, out-spoken woman you see before you today. I went on to compete in the Perfect system and won Ohio's Perfect Teen 2002 then onto the USA system where I recieved the photogenic award in 2003, 3rd RU Miss Teen Ohio USA 2003, 2nd RU Miss Teen USA Ohio 2004, and 1st RU Miss Ohio USA 2006!

In 2006, I decided to get serious about school and marry my high school sweetheart so in 2008 i graduated from Shawnee State University with my nursing degree and married the love of my life. I took a break from pageants to move, travel, get involved in work where I worked as an Organ Transplant RN, and start a family. in 2010 i gave birth to my baby girl, Kenna Grace who has stolen my heart right out of my chest ever since she came into this world!

Last year, I was battling weight issues. I was the heaviest i have ever been nad was actually 20 pounds over weight! I tried every fad diet you could think of. One night laying in bed and watching an episode of MTV made where the Miss Captivating pageant was the pageant the MADE beauty queen competed in, my husband asked me "Why don't you get back into pageants again?" My reaction was "With this body?" He then told me, "Pageants have been your only motivation to stay healthy and they make you feel good about yourself." So I called Rick MArtinez, the director and producer of the Captivating system I just saw on MTV and I entered. 6 months later and 30 LBS lighter, I was being crowned! What an amazing moment and accomplishment for myself! So here we go! Let's get this party started and I hope by letting you into my world this net year, I have encouraged you to compete and hope to see you there next year as mine or my sister queens' successor!
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