Involvement in the Miss America Organization includes several tasks. Each contestant must compete in the following areas: Evening Wear, Talent, Private Interview, On-Stage Question and Lifestyle and Fitness. The last, resulting in 15 percent of the overall score, is the category that America loves and contestants dread: Swimsuit. ‘Dread’ is a strong word, and not every contestant feels that way about strutting her stuff in an itty-bitty bikini, but I did.
Following the Miss World pageant’s decision to ban the swimsuit portion has prompted questions of whether other pageantry organizations should follow in their footsteps. If you were to ask me my opinion before I had experienced this process, I would have quickly said, “Of course, yes.” However, after competing in several Miss Alabama preliminaries, my answer is “No.” Why?
I ran my body and mind ragged before my first on-stage Lifestyle and Fitness portion. It taught me to be diligent about what foods I put into my body, and it sparked a love for healthy living. While I learned how to regulate my sugar intake, I also learned how to control my thoughts. As a female, it is common to look into a mirror and criticize imperfections. I began to realize that only I could control my thoughts regarding myself. Descartes, a famous philosopher, once stated, “I think. Therefore, I am.”
Approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies, and 58 percent of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight. These statistics are staggering, but they speak what no one wants to say. On-lookers criticize the Miss America Organization’s decision to keep Swimwear, and argue that it is “degrading to women.” As a girl who has been on a stage in front of hundreds of people in a bikini, I believe that it is the opposite. Being on-stage in a two-piece is empowering. While it is the hardest 20 seconds of the pageant, it is the most fulfilling. Regardless of shape, weight or height, you leave the stage feeling like a conqueror.
So let the criticism and judgments role in… until you have exposed yourself in such a way, you have no room for commentary. The Miss America Swimsuit Competition taught me to embrace my imperfections, to channel inner confidence even when it seems unreachable, and to, most importantly, be proud of myself. Since 1921, women have strutted gracefully across stages all around America in bikinis, and I hope we continue to for years to come. On-stage, we represent every woman, and hope to inspire many to love themselves.
As Miss Alabama, Meg McGuffin, says, "HEALTHY is the new skinny."
