I am still on cloud nine, and every time I think about that crowning moment, I smile from ear to ear! What an incredible night, and what an incredible group of ladies that I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with! Each one of you is amazing and you should be so proud of yourself for stepping out in FAITH and taking the journey leading up to the Mrs. Ohio pageant. Which, brings me to why I am writing this! I want to share my journey with you....first I want to share my journey leading up to Mrs. Ohio America....and then I want to share my year with you, so please stay tuned! :)
I am not a pageant girl by nature! In fact, the only stage experience I ever had was competitive baton twirling, a few talent shows, and singing in church with my father when I was little. Five years ago, at the suggestion of a friend who competed in the NAM and Miss Teen USA system, I entered the Mrs. Ohio America pageant. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself in to, and no idea what I was doing. I made a million mistakes....starting with ill fitting clothes, and ending with a gown I spent WAY too much money for. There were 12 of us that year, and I placed 4th runner up and won the photogenic award. I was thrilled! I never intended to place at all, and I was only doing it for fun anyway! But, that year I was bitten by the "bug". What I loved the most was the preparation and discipline it took to get there. Deciding to compete made me set a goal and stick to it, and that took hard work. I also loved the women I met there. Each woman there was supportive and uplifting of the others. Some of the very first women I competed with have become some of my very best friends! So, I entered again...this time working more on my appearance and stage presence as well as my interview. But, it still wasn't my year, and the next year was more of the same ( I was second runner up both of these years!). One thing that was missing in those early years was the "why". I knew I wanted to be Mrs. Ohio, but the reason wasn't quite clear to me. I decided to compete for a 4th time, and that year, I worked a little harder on my paperwork, had help in finding the right "look", and worked on my stage presence. I knew that I wanted the title, and I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with it. I felt it was my time, after all it was my fourth time competing. But, at the end of the night, my name was called as first runner up. I went home and was devastated, and that is honest. I spent the next week sure that I was never going to compete again and wondering what was wrong with me. I cried, I prayed, I talked to close friends about it, and I made up my mind that perhaps this just wasn't the title I was supposed to have. But, in my heart, I knew that this is what I wanted, and I believe that God places a dream in your heart for a reason. He places it there for it to grow, so that His work can be fulfilled through you. So, I entered again, and I did everything I could possibly do to improve upon my weak areas, I defined the "why", and I had FAITH that God led me here for a reason.
I was a different woman this year on that stage, and I did not get there alone. I had a network of amazing people who helped me make it to that crowning moment. I want to share with you some words of wisdom as you prepare for next year's pageant....
- Believe that you are worthy of the title and worthy of the crown.
- Know the "why" behind the title. What is your passion and purpose?
- Get the help you need to improve, and take constructive criticism.
- Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your dream.
- Don't ever give up!!! Your shining moment may be closer than you think!
Best Wishes to all of you and much love!
Teri
Mrs. Ohio 2013
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