Sunday Interview with Miss America Betty Cantrell
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Robin Trimarchi rtrimarchi@gmail.com
STEPHANIE PEDERSEN
Miss America Betty Cantrell returned to Georgia this weekend for a homecoming celebration fit for a queen.
With receptions and dinners in Columbus and Warner Robins, Cantrell, along with 11 other Miss America competitors, also participated in a motorcade Saturday morning.
Miss America Betty Cantrell visited Midtown Medical Center Friday afternoon to spend time with pediatric patients at the Children's Hospital at Midtown Medical Center. Mike Haskey mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com
Cantrell sat down with the Ledger-Enquirer on Nov. 13 for an interview that covered her childhood, why she became involved in pageants, and what she expects to do after her tenure as Miss America is over.
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
How have the two months been since winning Miss America?
It's been a whirlwind absolutely. I have traveled all over the place. I've been to Canada, I know. I've been to California. I've been back to Georgia for a couple of appearances, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Michigan, everywhere. I've been doing a lot of appearances promoting my platform -- Healthy Children, Strong America.
I was on the CMAs (County Music Awards) the other night. That was so fun. I met a lot of my country music idols that I've looked up to since I was little. I've always loved country music, and I would love to be a country singer. That was really, really cool for me. I've been promoting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals because that's the national platform of the Miss America organization. And I'm the national goodwill ambassador for them. So, I'll be visiting a lot of the children's hospitals and talking with the kids a little bit.
The biggest part of my job really is being a role model for young women. I'll be doing a lot of school visits and talking to kids. It's going to be a busy year.
Who were some of the idols you met at the CMAs?
I met Cole Swindel. I met Lee Brice, Cam (Ochs) that sings "Burning House." Oh, I met Steven Tyler, and I met Steve Martin. They're not really country artists, but they were there and it was really cool. And I met Thomas Rhett. You name them, and I probably met them.
Are you getting a chance to sing at a lot of appearances?
Since I want to do singing and acting for my career, that's really what the Miss America Organization is focusing on for me. They're getting me to sing at as many appearances as possible to help me get recognized and contacts and really kind of discovered through this title. It's so great they're able to help me with that, along with everything else I'm trying to do and be as Miss America. They're really helping me to get noticed for what I love to do and what I want to make a career out of. So, I'll be singing at a lot of appearances.
I've sung a lot of National Anthems, and "God Bless Americas" and a lot of "Let It Gos" ("Frozen") at a lot of elementary schools because they love that song.
Is your passion more for a country music or Broadway future?
I've always wanted to be on Broadway, but I've always wanted to be a country singer, too. So, either one. But I love musical theater, and I love country music the best.
Describe what you know about the next 10 months for you as Miss America. Do you know what that entails?
Every week they kind of go over what the next week is. Every day they just run down the schedule with me to tell me what I need to do again.
Where do you live during this?
I don't really live anywhere. I travel literally the whole year. It's 340 days out of the year and 20,000 miles a month. It's very busy, so I just live in hotels. It's lots of packing and unpacking. I'm on planes four times a week. So it's very busy.
How has social media played a role as Miss America?
Social media is half of my job. Today (Nov. 13), I'm probably going to put up like 50 posts because that's part of the job: social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. I run the Instagram and Twitter, and someone else runs the Facebook page. I have to post every time I do an event so, that's part of the job. You have to be on top of it all the time to show people what you're doing. That's the good part about it.
What's the ugly side of social media for you as Miss America?
There's a big ugly side because there's people out there who create chat boards and message boards and literally just bash celebrities. And there's one for Miss America. And they just rip her to shreds, and it doesn't matter who she is -- she could do the greatest thing in the world -- and they'd rip her apart about it. And it's sad there's people out there like that that have nothing better to do than pick on someone who is trying to represent an amazing organization.
Besides that, there's also people who will comment on your post and say horrible things. I've just learned to block those people and keep moving -- just delete the comment, block them, whatever. Sometimes it's fun for me to message back. Sometimes they'll say things against the organization, and I'll stand up for the organization.
What are the stereotypes you're battling?
Really while I'm Miss America I've kind of taken it upon myself to change people's view of the Miss America organization because people still think beauty pageant when they think Miss America, and that's really not what it's about anymore. It's about beauty -- that's definitely a part of it -- but beauty on the inside more so than the outside. And I'm really trying to get that message across because people still believe in the stereotypes of pageants.
The women I competed with at Miss America are some of the most intelligent young women. They'll be future presidents and future doctors of the coming years. I'm so honored to even be able to say that I was part of that competition and able to hang out with girls like that. They are the future, and people don't really recognize that. Part of being in the Miss America pageant is being a student. You have to be a student or have gone to college in order to compete. It's a scholarship and service pageant, first and foremost. We're trying to get away from the word pageant and really use the word competition instead because that will help people's minds to adjust from a beauty pageant or the stereotype of airheaded girls in bikinis.
Do you see a future for the pageant or competition with the way society is changing?
I really do, and I kind of hope to be the start of that. I don't want people to think of me that way. I don't want people to think that I'm airheaded or that I'm just a symbol of beauty. It's so much more than that. I really want to leave behind a legacy of helping and serving people because that's so much a part of the Miss America title. The four points of the crown are service, style, success and scholarship -- those are the four "S's" on the four points of my crown. A lot of people don't know that. I want to leave behind a legacy of promoting those four things, promoting my platform and really making a difference in society.
A lot of people just think it's about looking good. The swimsuit competition is really about seeing if you're healthy and fit. It's not about who's the skinniest and looks like a Victoria's Secret model. If you're healthy for your body -- and that's something I really promote -- you can absolutely be a size 12 and be perfectly healthy. And that's a huge part of my platform is getting kids to recognize that you don't have to be super little.
How do you stay fit and healthy during this year?
It really is hard. I don't really ever have a chance to work out, so I do have to watch what I eat in order to not gain a bunch of weight during my year as Miss America. It's really just eating things in moderation when you can't work out. I'm a huge candy freak. Anyone who works with Miss America will tell you "Betty loves candy." I cannot pass up any candy. So, you know, I still have all my candy, but I eat it in moderation -- I don't just stuff my face. It is kind of hard being Miss America and staying healthy, but I'm doing what I can.
Do you plan to go back to school after your reign as Miss America?
I do, but not necessarily at Mercer (University). I would like to go to a conservatory for musical theater, and hopefully my scholarship money will help me to do that.
Let's go back to Miss America and the competition. What happens between Miss Georgia and Miss America?
It's a lot of crazy because you're trying to promote your state title of Miss Georgia by doing appearances and all that but still trying to do everything you have to do to get ready for Miss America, like working out for the swimsuit and picking out wardrobe.
I did a lot of mock interviews. I did on-stage question kind of mocks. I would come on and each of my directors or the Miss Georgia board would ask me a question and I would answer it in 15 seconds. Which is kind of funny because all of the questions they asked me were hot-topic political questions or social, pop-culture questions. And then I get a football question. So I did a lot of that and talent rehearsals.
The hardest part was really finding time to work out. I had my sponsor personal trainer when I won Miss Georgia and he lived in Atlanta, and I'm in Warner Robins. So I did a lot of driving back and forth. And it was hard to do all of my Miss Georgia appearances and drive myself to all of my appearances. They were all over the map. I went to Augusta one time and Savannah in two days. It was exhausting, and I didn't get to work out that whole week. It was hard to balance.
So, since you brought it up, do you know what Deflategate is now?
I knew what it was. I knew about it, but obviously it wasn't something I was studying or something that I necessarily care about because I'm not a football person -- I'm a theater person, I'm a singer, and that's not on my radar. And I obviously wasn't in the courtroom when they decided, so I honestly it was just weird that they asked me whether I knew if they cheated. So, I was like, "Well, how do I know that?" So that's kind of how I answered it.
What's going through your head after you answer that question and it's the final 7?
I thought that I blew it because I really didn't know the answer. And I know I fumbled over my words when I was answering it. So, I walked offstage and just balled -- I cried and cried and cried. Miss Mississippi came back there, and she was my first runner-up, and she was like, "Betty, it's OK." And I was like, "I blew it. I blew my chance at being Miss America."
She said I didn't answer it that bad -- it was fine, it was a weird question. But I just cried and cried, and they gave me tissues. And I was trying to get in my evening gown, and I'm trying to change and everything. They gave me a tissue right before I went on stage so I could wipe my makeup, and I walked out on stage with the tissue. And I'm like, "Oh my God! I have this tissue! I don't know what I'm going to do with it!" And sweet Miss Hawaii, who was our Miss Congeniality, she was like, "Betty, give me your tissue." So I gave it to her. She was so sweet. So that was a horrible moment.
I honestly didn't think that I won. When it was the three of us standing up there, that meant that two of us weren't even in the top five and the other was the winner. So, I was thinking this makes sense because I'm one of the ones that didn't make the top five -- so I wasn't surprised. So when they called me as the winner, I was blown away. I could not believe it.
You also had a little trip during evening wear. Which one is the worst nightmare? Tripping or having a football question?
I would definitely say the football question because there's an excuse for tripping. I had never tripped on that gown before. It made me so mad. But when it's a question, you want to show your intelligence, and I felt like this is my opportunity to show people that I'm not an airheaded pageant girl. But I blew it. Tripping in my evening gown didn't really bother me because I was like, if I don't win because I tripped in my evening gown, then why would I want to win anyway?
Who's been your mentor or support system since Miss America?
Sam Haskell is the president of Miss America. He is so inspirational. The whole two weeks we were at Miss America, he was just always coming to appearances and speaking to us. He'd have all 52 of us sit down and he'd talk to us and tell us stories. Two nights before the pageant he would come in and he just always made sure to tell us we're special and that it didn't matter who wins -- we were all there for a reason. He's always been extremely inspirational.
I actually just got back from -- he takes every Miss America out to his house in -- Mississippi, in Oxford. He has them there for a weekend. It's more like a break than it is an appearance because we just get to chill out with Sam. And he's just done so much in his life. And, you know, he's really in the industry that I want to go into -- music and television and theater and all of that. So he really is an inspiration to me. And he's done so much for the organization. He's gotten it back up on its feet. In the last 10 years, it was going to go away -- the pageant was dying -- and he's the one that brought it back and made it what it is now.
In the realm of pageant girls, you're new to this, right?
So, I did five locals my entire time doing pageants.
When did you start?
A year and a half ago. So, I did four the first time because I literally knew nothing about pageants. I was like, "Sure, I'll do it." So, I did four, and I won my fourth and went to Miss Georgia the first time. I was second runner-up and overall talent the first time. Came back and won another local, so that's it for local, and then I came back to Miss Georgia and won. And then I went to Miss America.
So, I've done five locals, two state and Miss America, so I've done eight pageants in all.
Since you just started a year and a half ago, why did you get into it?
A local director -- the Miss Warner Robins director -- she approached my parents about it because she went to their physical therapy center in Warner Robins. And she was like, "Betty should do pageants. There's so much scholarship opportunities. And she could do it. She's got the talent." But I was like, "Nah." Because I believed in the stereotype because I knew nothing about pageants. It literally had never crossed my mind to do a pageant. But after further consideration, I felt like I could do it for the scholarship money and the chance to sing on stage. So, I did it.
And then I was ready to stop because I knew nothing about it and all of the girls were so seasoned and know everything there is to know about it. But one of the field directors told me to do just one more in Historic Southern Plains and that I could win. So, I did it and won Miss Presidential Pathways and went to Miss Georgia and came back and decided I really wanted to win Miss Georgia. It happened really fast. I can't believe that was that long ago now that I did my first pageant. But it really wasn't that long ago at all. It's crazy because some girls have been doing this their whole lives. I'm really, really honored to represent this organization.
I really feel like I can be a good role model because I haven't been doing it my whole life. I have a different view on it, and I really feel like, if you want to be Miss American or Miss state, you can because I did it. I just came out of the blue and decided this was something I wanted to do, and I set my mind on it. I decided I wanted it and I did it. And that really makes me believe if you want something bad enough, you can do it.
Tell me about growing up in Warner Robins.
I grew up on a farm near Fort Valley. Our family has, like, 700 -- 675 to 700 -- acres that's mainly just maintained for wildlife and hunting purposes. It's mostly woods, but my dad takes care of them. We have so many deer stands all over the property. There are a couple fields that my dad actually plants, plows and farms for hunting purposes for the most part, like food plots and stuff like that. I grew up on this land, so away from the city.
So, I had no neighbors. It was amazing growing up out there because I never had to deal with the craziness of city living. I was able to run around as a little kid in my underwear outside playing with animals. I love that, and going hunting with my dad and everything and always hanging out in the woods. And I've had so many pets I can't even tell you. Opossums, and I had a pet deer, and I had a pet fox -- a baby fox that we raised. Squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, snakes -- you name it, I had it -- and cats and dogs obviously. It was crazy growing up out there like that because I realize people never get to live on land like that. I always wanted to live like that even when I get older. I want to live on some land so my kids will get the opportunity to run around and be free to be kids. I've always been a country girl at heart.
And singing pretty much your entire life?
Yes, I started singing at 3, and at 14 I started classical voice lessons.
You've said in the past that you grew up a healthy eater.
Of course we occasionally had fast food, but my family was not into that kind of food. We were very pro venison because we were hunters. We always ate what we killed. My dad went deer hunting all the time, so we would have fresh venison all the time. He'd grind the meet himself. So, instead of using beef for spaghetti and meat sauce or anything like that, we'd use venison. And venison is so much leaner than beef, and it tastes better to me. I just got used to it. But I love deer meat, and it's so much better for you. We'd also eat lots of grilled chicken, a lot of fish, lots of vegetables.
If you don't introduce ice cream to your kids, they're not going to know it exists. They'll always want something else. We really kind of grew up like that. My parents just didn't introduce stuff to us until we were ready. I didn't have my first soda until I was about 15. Of course, my parents weren't just like, "You can never have anything fun." I mean, we always went trick or treating and I had candy. They were just strict on when they'd let us have it.
Bio
Age: 21
Hometown: Fort Valley
Education: Sacred Heart, Mount De Sales Academy, Wesleyan College, Mercer University
Talent: Performed operatic vocal of “Tu tu Piccolo Iddio”
Platform: Healthy Children, Strong America
Best moment so far: Attending the Country Music Awards
Worst moment: An interview that was a little too personal
Plans after Miss America reign: Cantrell hopes to transfer to a music conservatory with future plans to perform on Broadway and begin a country music career.
Random facts: Grew up on nearly 700 acres; loves TV show Law & Order; SVU; hates the beach probably because she’s deathly afraid of sharks; enjoys old TV shows; says her favorite holiday tradition is listening to a CD that has Bonanza characters singing Christmas carols during an episode while her family decorates their real tree.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article45857275.html
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