How Being a Swimmer Prepared Me for Pageantry
I grew up in the pool and was a competitor by the time I was 5 years old. Each practice and meet challenged me to push myself to the limit. Swimming is such an interesting sport because there are no distractions during a race. You can barely hear the muffled roar of the fans and the only thing you really see is the bottom of the pool or the wall ahead. Each time you are in the water it becomes you versus yourself.
Pageantry is similar to swimming. Stepping onto stage is like waiting by the starting block. I never worried about what suit or goggles the girl next to me was wearing because it didn’t affect my race. So why would I look at the beautiful woman next to me during a pageant and care about what color her gown was or how her hair was styled? There is also a great deal of mental preparation that goes into any type of competition. My swim coach would take us through exercises where we envisioned ourselves winning the race.
Pageantry is similar to swimming. Stepping onto stage is like waiting by the starting block. I never worried about what suit or goggles the girl next to me was wearing because it didn’t affect my race. So why would I look at the beautiful woman next to me during a pageant and care about what color her gown was or how her hair was styled? There is also a great deal of mental preparation that goes into any type of competition. My swim coach would take us through exercises where we envisioned ourselves winning the race.
A throwback to high school senior year when I found out I qualified for the state championships.
Before I competed for Miss International I did the same. I planned out what each of my walks would look like on stage, played out the scenario of interviewing with the judges and I even pictured myself being crowned.
However, pageants (and swimming) are not all about “winning”. There were plenty of races that I didn’t get the gold but had to find reasons to celebrate. Maybe I placed sixth but I earned a best time, or qualified for state. I had the same mentality when competing in pageants. When I wasn’t crowned Miss Florida International 2016 for example, I went home and thought, “what can I take away from this experience?”. I encourage you to do the same. Take time to reflect on the entire journey, not just the end result.
*Did you learn something new about the world or yourself?
*Are you going home with new friends?
*Did preparing for competition make you healthier?
*Have you improved your interviewing skills?
*Do you have more confidence than when you started?
Being a titleholder is like being an athlete. You train, you mentally prepare and you make sacrifices. However, the moments leading up to competition are usually the ones that grow us the most. My hope is that you look back on your entire experience and appreciate even the smallest of victories!
In health and happiness,
Kelsey Craft
Miss International 2017
However, pageants (and swimming) are not all about “winning”. There were plenty of races that I didn’t get the gold but had to find reasons to celebrate. Maybe I placed sixth but I earned a best time, or qualified for state. I had the same mentality when competing in pageants. When I wasn’t crowned Miss Florida International 2016 for example, I went home and thought, “what can I take away from this experience?”. I encourage you to do the same. Take time to reflect on the entire journey, not just the end result.
*Did you learn something new about the world or yourself?
*Are you going home with new friends?
*Did preparing for competition make you healthier?
*Have you improved your interviewing skills?
*Do you have more confidence than when you started?
Being a titleholder is like being an athlete. You train, you mentally prepare and you make sacrifices. However, the moments leading up to competition are usually the ones that grow us the most. My hope is that you look back on your entire experience and appreciate even the smallest of victories!
Me visiting the RALong High School swim team during my visit home to Longview, WA.
Kelsey Craft
Miss International 2017
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