The weekend is almost upon us. We know some people are traveling today, and some tomorrow. We wish all Texas Twirlers heading to Lubbock for the Texas State Championship safe travels and good luck! In the meantime, our FIVE Texas twirlers competing in the Miss Texas pageant next weekend are gearing up to head to Dallas for the 2018 Miss Texas Week!
To make sure our twirlers get the proper level of support from the twirling community, leading up to the Miss Texas pageant (June 25th to June 30th) we will be doing an interview with the baton twirlers that will be competing. We want to come together and unite to celebrate and support these young women as they represent our community and show Texas what twirlers can do!
Our next Miss Texas twirling representative is the 2018 Miss Fort Worth, Erica Kuntz!
PEOPLE'S CHOICE VOTING IS OPEN! Help support our Texas Twirlers in their mission to get baton twirling to the Miss Texas stage! Top 2 highest "votes" get a guaranteed spot to perform in the finals. Check out the People's Choice voting site to donate. We still have two twirlers in the Top 5 for People's Choice (including Erica!), but none in the Top 2 yet. Who wants to see these ladies perform live at the Miss Texas Finals? If you do, click on the link and support our twirlers!
This is Erica's first year in the Miss America Organization. She was honored to bring home the Miss Fort Worth title, and it looking forward to experiencing the big stage and the Miss Texas sisterhood! (As this is Erica's first year in the MAO, we are asking her a different set of questions as the returning competitors. Check out the archives to read answers to the same questions from the other Texas Twirlers, as they answered them before their appearances in the Miss Texas 2017 pageant).
Miss Texas Platform: Rise Above It: Leveraging Adversity for Success
Life Motto: "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. Many of life's failures are from people who gave up before they realized how close they were to success." - Thomas Edison
Favorite Twirling Experience: "Going to Peru as a United States Goodwill Ambassador changed the course of my life. It was there that my passion for Spanish came alive and my servant's heart was put to work through a sport I love most. I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime."
What made you pursue competing in the MAO?
"It seemed like a natural transition for me in this stage of my life; it's a fun way to showcase my talent while still being competitive. Above all, it's an incredible opportunity to change lives of those in my community through volunteer work and service."
How would you say Baton Twirling has helped you in your MAO journey?
"The amount of discipline it takes to juggle a full course load in college while preparing for the competition is unlike any other experience I've had. The amount of discipline and self-motivation I've had to exercise as a result of years in the sport of baton twirling is the only way I've been able to balance it all successfully."
Why did you select your platform? What made it special to you?
"My social impact, "Rise Above It: Leveraging Adversity for Success" knows no boundaries. It's applicable to all ages and provides a guide to transform your biggest weakness into your biggest strengths. It's a personal issue I face as a woman pursuing a male-dominated career, so I wanted to capitalize on that and show other people how to overcome barriers in their lives."
What has been the most rewarding moment so far as Miss Fort Worth?
"I loved volunteering at the Special Olympics in Dallas. It changed my perspective on how society views those who have a disability, be it physical, mental, or both. The amazing people at the Special Olympics have such contagious spirit of joy and taught me many valuable life lessons that day: dance like nobody's watching and don't let life tell you that you can't do something. It was rewarding to be a part of such an incredible day and meet so many wonderful people."
What has been the hardest part about competing in the MAO pageants?
"The most difficult part is actually fundraising. There are so many different causes that need monetary support, which forced me to go above and beyond the fundraising expectation given how moved I was by these various causes. I was fortunate enough to have incredible fundraising events with Twirl ATX "Kids Twirl for Kids" and Texas Touch of Class "Makeup for Miracles." I am so grateful for the support I've received not only from these organizations, but from everyone in my life who has given to me either financially or with their precious time."
What advice would you have for other twirlers thinking about going the pageant route?
"Go for it! You have nothing to lose, but rather, everything to gain."
Any fun or interesting stories or sidenotes you would like to add?
"This organization is for everyone! I want people to know that I have maintained two internships and still had time to prepare for the competition. All it takes is consistent hard work, mindful resourcefulness, and determination to be better than you were the day before."
Thank you so much to Erica for talking to us about this amazing new adventure she is about to embark on. We know Erica will have a fantastic first appearance on the Miss Texas stage, and we all wish her the very best of luck. Get it Erica! #TeamTexas loves you!
We hope you have enjoyed this blog post. We are always looking for great new stories about Texas twirlers. Do you have an idea or some information we could use to help highlight our sport? Contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com and we would love to hear more about it.
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