Busy Weekend

Two weekends ago, I was busy, busy, busy!  I raced a triathlon as part of a relay in Tri The Village!  Will Wood swam, my brother Chris biked, and I ran.  Our name was "Save the Best for Last Place".  We went into it just to have a good time, but ended up winning first place in the co-ed relay category!  Will actually swam the fastest overall time of the entire day.
This triathlon was a sprint distance of 500m swim, 13.5mi bike, and 5k run.  I hadn't ran that far since my last triathlon in September.  It was a great experience...we had to leave at 5am from my apartment, so it was a bright and early morning!

Triathlons have become a passion of mine.  Last summer, I lived with my sister in Georgia.  She is a very good triathlete and told me I should train with her since I was living with her.  So I did.  My first triathlon was GA Veteran's Triathlon in Cordele, GA.  Once I crossed that finish line, I was addicted.  Then my second was in September, the Rose City Triathlon in Tyler, TX.  My parents raced that one with me...their first triathlon at age 57!  They are proof that anyone can get up and get moving!

So after the triathlon in Hot Springs Village, I had to go almost straight to a photoshoot for Miss Arkansas with none other than TONY BOWLS!  This was one exciting opportunity that I just loved being a part of.  I literally felt like a high fashion model!  We got to wear custom dresses, shoes, and jewelry.  And to top it off, our hair and make-up was done professionally.  I had a blast posing and working it for the camera!  These photos will be posted soon to be voted on for people's choice.  I cannot wait to see how my picture turns out!

On Sunday, we had our contestant brunch and meeting.  This was an exciting chance to meet all the contestants, turn in paperwork, and learn about the job that I'm applying for: Miss Arkansas.  Sloane Roberts gave a wonderful description of what it is like to be Miss Arkansas, and I'm just even more excited to compete and apply for the best job in the state!  I feel so much relief having all my paperwork turned in.  It really does feel good to know that all the business side of stuff is taken care of and all I have to worry about now is getting my talent down pat and getting my swimsuit body the best it can be!
We also chose our positions for preliminary nights by means of the lottery.  This was fun because everyone was on edge and just wondering if their name was in the bowl at all!  My title was called pretty late in the lottery, but I am just thrilled with my position!  I will be competing in Group A, and I'm #6!  My week will go like this:
Monday Evening - Interview
Wednesday - Talent
Thursday - Swimsuit
Friday - Evening Gown
Saturday - (hopefully) TOP TEN!

On Monday, I had the opportunity to tour Arkansas Children's Hospital in the morning.  This was such a wonderful experience because the Miss America Organization actually partners with Children's Miracle Network to raise money for these hospitals.  By touring the facility, I got to learn where the money was going that I've been raising for the past four years.  During the tour, we got to see different areas of the hospital including a psych room, the nicu, and the cardiovascular center.  Each area had its own impact on me.  As a psychologist, I personally found the psych room fascinating and I could honestly see myself working in an environment like ACH one day!  The nicu was just heartbreaking to see these tiny tiny babies fighting so hard to live.  We saw one baby that was only 19 days old, but had been born at 20 weeks after conception!  The little baby boy was so tiny, but he was alive and fighting and that was just amazing to see.  All I want to do is go back and volunteer my time at ACH!  I hope I get the opportunity to do so soon.

 Monday afternoon, we got to help out with the golf tournament which is actually the biggest fundraiser for the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization.  Thirty teams participated!  Chelsey Jones and I got to sit at Hole #13 with was a par 3, and we got to chat with the golfers.  There was something special about our hole though...if someone got a hole in one shot, then they won a pheasant hunting trip!  Chelsey and I had a wonderful time together and interacted with the players.  We obviously appreciated their support and wanted to show them that by being friendly.  We had some great conversations and even gave the golfers some tips if they needed some.  I am the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about golf, so I'm sure the players did the exact opposite of what I said!  It was a lot of fun though, I learned quite a bit throughout the afternoon!  At the end of the day, Chelsey and I looked around, and realized we were the last people on the course and the caddy had apparently forgotten about us!  So luckily, I had my phone on me, and some other queens hijacked a golf cart and came to our rescue!!  This was a long day, but it was so worth it on so many different levels.  I had a blast meeting and getting to know the wonderful ladies I'm competing with...made some memories and started friendships that will last a lifetime.