Leading up to MRI 2020, I had numerous issues with my gown, this was the first time ever I had an Overlay style gown, the first time also with a very long train. With the gown being white, I was only practicing in it once every week, due to the fact that it easily picked up dirt and I did not want it to become a brown gown. So once a week for about 2hrs I practiced in it going over my routine. After the first day, I realized some issues, it was too long in the front, and ONLY in the front, the dress was so heavy that it made me slouch weirdly, and the weight made the sleaves fall when I turned.

I started a daily upper body work out, to strengthen my shoulders, so I could hold the gown up without the slouching or pain. I took the dress in to be altered and nearly had to have the entire under-lay of the dress fixed to fit and flow better on stage. Soon I had walking in it down. Then I needed to work on my turns in the gown, I needed to grab the dress (gracefully) and swoosh it to turn, which for the first 5 or so hours I feared as it was not going well. But on my last hall session at Paddle Wheel Hall, I felt like I nailed it.

The pageant came, fashion wear finished. As soon as our break came after fashion wear competition, I put the gown on and practiced in the hallway, many girls in my category and others passed me on there a way to their dinners, or even with there dinners. I practiced upstairs until it became too crowded with people coming and going to much.

The next morning, after my 5am makeup, I practiced in the hallway. My coach Wendi was joking as I went a little practice crazy, needing it to be the best I could do. I was walking back to my room, done practicing when I noticed another girl on the stage practicing. I went in and asked the Staff if I could practice, they said sure, and I had my Mom “judge” me for over 20 minutes on ste stage walking through.

Then came the Gown competition. I was still very nervous about “throwing” the train, so I walked through it over and over again until the Miss were told to line up. Slowly all the miss went on and came off, and there was just me standing there left. I took a deep breath and told myself that I was Miss Royalty International, and stepped on stage. Most of it is a blur, but I remember thinking to my self, “wow this is going good”.

When I got off stage, the sound man Jeff, told me somehow my final turn was set perfectly to the music, I wanted the live stream later and it truly way, which is quite funny!

What shocked me more was that evening, being called up as the top 5 for the whole pageant (ages 13+) in a gown the only Miss that was called, what was even crazier was being told after that I won gown in the Miss Division, 48.9 out of 50 points WHAT??