Miss USA 2016 First Runner-up Chelsea Hardin who was recently in Hilo, shared her struggle and passion for pageants with young aspirants, many of whom are planning to compete next month in the Miss Hawaii Island USA 2016 pageant, a newly added official preliminary to the state pageant.

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“I think she’s refreshing in a way, because she shows girls you don’t have to compete in pageants your whole life to do this,” said Alicia Michioka, a former Miss USA contestant and state executive director for the Hawaii USA program. “She’s a total tomboy, she barely wears heels and makeup. So hopefully it inspires girls that they don’t have to fit this beauty queen model that they think they need to compete — just be yourself.”

Chelsea Hardin motivates Big Island pageant contestants

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Chelsea shared that she has always been a tomboy and has always preferred flats over heels. And when the beauty queen heard about the Miss Hawaii USA competition from a friend, she was indecisive.  “I didn’t know much about it, but she told me about it and how it’s more than just what the common person sees on the exterior,” said Hardin during one of her interviews. “She said you should do it. So I said, ‘Why not?’ You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I wanted to better myself.”

After Miss Hawaii USA 2016, there was no looking back for this beauty. She stepped into the Miss USA 2016 pageant and came out winning the first runner-up title. That’s the furthest a Hawaii contestant has made it in the competition, in nearly 20 years.

Hardin shared with the girls that participating in pageants has made her a more confident and secure person that she is today. To gel in with the girls more, Hardin started sharing how she used to be a introvert girl and shied away even from giving short speech in front of family and friends, and now she would be comfortable hosting an entire event.

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