I did it!  I won Mrs. Nationwide!

Let me start with this:  I could not have competed and won this pageant without all of the love and support from my community.  You are the reason I do this.  You are the reason I push my own limits and embrace my own vulnerability.  I have heard so many stories from you all - of how my being publicly vulnerable in my Body Independent journey has encouraged you to embrace and chase the things you have always wanted to do in your own lives.  This is my fuel.  You have no idea how you have inspired me to keep going, keep being raw, keep being unabashedly me!  THANK YOU.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being on this journey with me.  I cannot wait to see what the year ahead has for us all!  xo-d

Let's be Body Independent!

Body Independent to me means I can look at photos of myself, see the imperfections, and still love and adore my body. It is completely okay for me to accept my body as it is, with kindness and compassion, while also striving to make improvements to my health and wellness.
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Often times, people confuse self love and body acceptance with complacency. That is not what it means to me. I can both appreciate all of the things my body does for me AND seek to do more, be more in my physical space. It doesn't have to be one or the other.

Curvy Confidence Pool Party!

Why compete in a pageant?

I decided to compete in a pageant because I was tired of hiding in my own body and realized I couldn't be the only one. I was tired of feeling ashamed of the fat around my waist and my thighs that rubbed together and chafed. I was tired of not seeing bodies like mine, on social media, PROUD of the way they looked and shining a light on themselves - regardless of the lumps and bumps.
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So I did this thing. I pushed myself WAY outside my comfort zone. And it was really hard at first. But every time I post a photo of me, showing skin, showing bingo wings, showing my round center, I get incredibly positive feedback. This has made me realize, that I am not the only one that wants to be free from the photo-shopped ideals that magazines and corporations are force feeding us. I am not the only one that wants to live independently - in her body - as it is - doing and wearing whatever it is that her body wants to do.

National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

Chair Yoga students from NAAFA's 50th Anniversary Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

I am excited to announce my support of NAAFA, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance!  Founded in 1968, NAAFA is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms.  NAAFA's goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life.  NAAFA pursues this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.

Today, the movement for body acceptance and body positivity seems second nature.  We have NAAFA for their 50 years of educating the public and advocacy to thank for this.  I'm honored to be able to support NAAFA!