Why I Chose Pageants
7 years ago, when I was just 12, I was approached to do my
first pageant. I had an “Aha” moment where I thought “wait this could be fun!”
I looked to my mom and she kind of shook her head. Not a bad “shook her head”
but a “oh great another adventure” kind of shake. I signed up and the rest is
history!
When I first joined pageants, it was just about having fun,
making friends, and gaining confidence.
My perspective has differed slightly since then. Although making friends
and having fun is great...so is the opportunity to make a difference. That’s
why I love the International Pageants system so much! A platform-based system
is so important. It truly gives the queen the opportunity to make the year as a
titleholder that much more special by promoting an organization or issue that
they hold close to their hearts.
There are some hard parts about being in pageants, too. The
most difficult part about participating in pageants to me is having a
disability. When I was younger, each time I would on stage in a short dress or
an open toed pair of shoes, I had focus 10x harder on being confident in who I
was. I used to struggle with being different, but adversity creates champions.
I have learned through my 7 years of pageantry that the only way to look
confident is to BE confident. Through my platform I am a representative for 15%
of the world’s population. I’m the representative for the 1 billion people in
this world who have disabilities. If I want to be a positive role model for
those people than I need to strut my stuff and embrace my differences.
I’m so glad that my mom allowed me to compete in pageants
and that my family has supported me every step of the way. They know the
opportunities that I have been blessed with throughout my years competing never
would have happened if I hadn’t started to compete. They also know that
pageantry helped save my self-image. I never ever would look at myself as
beautiful because of my disability unless I had competed in pageantry. Who
knows what kind of place I would be in if I hadn’t discovered my strength in my
weakness? Pageantry has given me the opportunity to create a platform and live
it. Without pageants I would not be who I am today.
Redefining Disability, Transforming Minds
Miss Teen North Dakota International 2019
MacKenzie Johnson
