As I approach leaving for the national Mrs. America pageant, I am filled with many emotions. The biggest emotion is one of thanks. I continued to be amazed by all of my friends, family, and people in our community who have given me support and encouragement. I have said this before and I’ll say it again, none of this would be meaningful if I were experiencing this alone.
The Friday night before I left for nationals, I was blessed with the advice from my Mrs. Colorado Queen Sisters as they host a sendoff party for me. A big thank you to Janell Aims and Tricia Dampier who have worked hard to plan every detail, which I have to say was “Fabulous!” My stomach literally hurt from laughing as I listened to the hilarious stories, advice and recommendations for this once in a lifetime adventure. A huge heartfelt “thank you” to Sharon Nuanes, my Queen Sister, who designed and sewed my adorable Hammonds Candy Girl costume. Sharon is the type of person who gives the world and expects nothing in return. Sharon, we are going to rock the costume portion of this pageant and I want you to know that the entire time, I will be thinking of you and how kind you have been to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Once again, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be part of this sisterhood.
A Huge thank you to my sponsors who have poured hours of blood, sweat, and tears with me. Megan Anderson with Graphique Fine Art Photography, you always make me feel and look like a million bucks! I will feel so proud to have my ad page in the Mrs. America magazine. Your talents are incredible. DJ at Timothy D’s Salon, you are one of my angels. You have believed in me from the beginning and your kindness is immeasurable. I consider you a dear friend to me. Tiffany Yee and crew at The Body Statement Gym, thank you for keeping me on track and pushing this 35 year old, mother of two, to its full capacity. You never let me give up and always push me to my limits. From weight training to nutrition your team is always there for me. I know that you believe in me, even when I don’t. Thank you! Dr. Raj Terkonda, you make my skin feel radiant! I have never gotten compliments on my skin until now. Athena at Rockstar Spray Tan, thank you for giving me that golden glow! Raeanne at The Royal Image Boutique, you are my own fashion advisor. Thank you for supplying me with amazing gowns for nationals. Amy Nakos, what would I do without you? You not only make sense of my mind but make me feel like I can conquer the world! Christina Sacha, thank you for giving me a “one over” and sending me off with confidence. To all my Queen Sisters, thank you for taking me in and encouraging me to stand proud.
As I sit here writing this, I am reminded of the movie Ms. Congeniality staring Sandra Bullock. It really does take a crew of people working their magic (and some grinders) to transform a normal woman into a beauty queen. Words could never be enough to thank all of the people who have supported me and I know I have missed many. I keep pinching myself and think …how lucky I am. xoxo - Mrs. Colorado 2012, Courtney Graham
