![]() ![]() Instead, I used my body to bring awareness to the issue of child abuse by advocating on behalf of organizations focused on the issue. There’s nothing wrong with being healthy, but there’s nothing healthy about obsession.Īnd here’s the other part: Once I actually won, the year I spent fulfilling my duties as Miss America had absolutely nothing to do with how my body looked. I would much rather have put in extra time at work, spent more hours working on social issues that I cared about, or actually enjoyed a meal out with my friends from time to time. For six straight months, I’d spent countless hours working out, counting macronutrients, and feeling unworthy to walk across the stage in a bikini. For six straight months, I had obsessed over swimsuit preparation. When I walked onstage in January of 2013 (wearing white, might I add), I may have been confident in my body but I was also mentally exhausted. “You can’t wear white unless you get rid of that cellulite.” “You won’t need Spanx when you lose 5 more pounds.” “Well, the dress will look better when you’re swimsuit-ready.” Every fitting for a swimsuit, every hour in the gym, every evening gown I tried on was another reminder. Someone or something was always reminding me that my body wasn’t good enough. My journey to Miss America also created a pretty intense internal battle over my self-image. For those who feel empowered to learn about exercise and wellness by the swimsuit competition, I hear you.īut there’s another side to it. ![]() When I started competing at 13, I knew little about healthy eating (I thought a salad with croutons, cheese, ranch dressing, and bacon was healthy), and it wasn’t until 18 that I learned the correct way to do execute a deadlift. On the one hand, participating in the “Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit” phase of competition can be a catalyst for young women across the United States to learn about health. It’s a common question in the contestants’ behind-the-scenes interview portion. But over the past decade, the relevance of Miss America’s swimsuit portion has been hotly debated among those in the pageant industry. After all, Miss America started in 1921 as a “bathing beauties” contest on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, and letting go of tradition can be difficult for some. ![]() This decision is an emotional one for the long-term volunteers and participants in the Miss America Organization. This week, the Miss America pageant announced that it will no longer include the swimsuit portion of the competition, saying that contestants “will no longer be judged on outward physical appearance.” In place of the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the competitions, there will now be an “onstage interactive session” with the judges where contestants will discuss their “social impact initiatives.” This is long overdue and a step in the right direction for the Miss America competition, whose goals include empowering women through leadership, scholarship, and service. It’s a criticism I would carry with me all the way to age 24, when I was crowned Miss America in the 2013 competition, and even after I won the title. My healthy, strong, fit body was suddenly not good enough. That one piece of criticism stuck with me - or more specifically, stuck to my thighs - like glue every time I looked in the mirror. Lance Armstrong once said, “One boo is louder than a thousand cheers.” Armstrong’s shortcomings aside, he was right. Former Miss America winner Mallory Hagan reflects on the decision.Īt 14 years old, I stood devastated on stage as the first runner-up to Miss Teen Alabama.Īt that moment, a local volunteer for the Miss America Organization turned me and said, “If you would have just lost 10 pounds, you would have won.” Miss America announced this week they will eliminate the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the pageant. ![]()
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