She wants to be Miss USA

Source: Wade Allen, ShelbyStar.com.

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Visits to Shelby remind Katie Coble of her childhood. She enjoyed time with family there while growing up, especially during holidays.

She recently visited to celebrate the birthday of her grandfather, Dr. Richard Bowles, formerly of Shelby Children’s Clinic. Katie’s grandmother Josie Bowles, uncle and aunt Dennis and Mary Beam, and mother Wendy Coble also live in Shelby.

“It’s a small-town feel and I love that about Shelby so much,” Katie said.

The 27-year-old lives in Charlotte and travels often. She’s a professional model. Last October, she was crowned Miss North Carolina USA during a pageant in High Point. It was her fifth time competing for the crown and her persistence made it happen.

As a state titleholder, she will compete at the Miss USA competition in Las Vegas on May 14, aired live on FOX at 7 p.m. If she wins, she will move to New York City, serving for a year as Miss USA and as a spokesperson for ovarian and breast cancer awareness.

“I feel really relaxed and that’s the same way I felt going into Miss North Carolina this past year. I’m very calm and confident that I could take the Miss USA crown,” she said. “I definitely see myself standing there in the top five and I definitely see myself with a crown on my head.”

To support her, check MissUSA.com for a competition allowing online voters to choose their favorite contestant. Coble said in past years, the results have been mentioned on TV.

Here’s more from Katie Coble as she shares her journey to the Miss USA competition.

She attributes her confidence to pageantry

“You’re really putting yourself out there for other people to judge you but you’re also putting yourself out there to be a role model for others. When you’re preparing for a pageant, you’re doing everything you can to be your best self. You’re always reaching a goal. I’ve always had that mindset of always being my best self. I think that’s what’s helped me throughout the years be really happy with how I am and know exactly who I am as a person.”

Her thoughts on winning the Miss North Carolina USA crown

“I competed five times. I definitely went through a period of time when I thought that it wasn’t meant for me. I placed third runner-up three years in a row. When you don’t advance and stick in the same spot, I’d say that’s the most frustrating. I said ‘Maybe this isn’t meant to be.’ Maybe because I haven’t advanced or moved forward at all is because it wasn’t meant to be.”

She won the pageant in October 2016

“I really pushed myself to try one more time, to put myself out there one more time, knowing that I might progress… or progress just a little… I didn’t let the fear of failing get in my head. I kind of overcame the mindset that it wasn’t for me… and that’s the year that I won.”

She recalls the winning moment

“When they didn’t announce my name for third runner-up, that in itself was an amazing feeling. When it came down to the final time, when it came down to the final moment… to be in that moment that I dreamed of so long, I really can’t put it into words. When you watch, I put my head in my hands. I was in total shock.”

The most interesting thing about life since winning the crown

“Flying by the seat of my pants. That sounds funny. You really have to prepared for anything. I’ve traveled all around my state to places that I have not even heard of before, which I love. I definitely think that’s been the most interesting aspect of it.”

What her life is like on a typical day

“There’s no typical day but I definitely travel a lot, especially for appearances. A lot of my days are spent on the road in other cities. That’s really been the majority of my life that past couple of months. I definitely incorporate physical fitness.”

https://www.pageanttime.com/she-wants-to-be-miss-usa/