Fitness Goals-Chris Roche & Complete Nutrition

This year I had the incredible opportunity to work with a personal trainer to prepare me for the swimsuit competition at the state pageant. Christopher Roche of Snap Fitness donated his time and talent to help me reach my fitness goals and I am proud to say I am in the best shape of my life!

I have been an athlete my whole life, so I thought I knew all there was to working out. I was a competitive runner starting in youth track and field and throughout high school. I made the decision not to run in college but I still run every day for fun and to stay in shape. Chris taught me that there is more to working out than just running/cardio. When we first started working out in November, he had me doing a lot of lifting and arm exercises. I struggled with those at first but now I see that lifting is just as important as cardio! He pushed me both mentally and physically and taught me fitness and nutrition lessons that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Every workout started with running on the treadmill. After I finished my “warm up” which usually consisted of 10 minutes at a high pace, he would say “ready to work?” My reply was always “let’s go.” I’ve always been someone who is up for a challenge and Chris challenged me every workout. I would leave the gym tired, sore, and sweaty but I knew that in the end it would all pay off. I am now confident in my body and excited to be onstage for the swimsuit competition! So much so, I agreed to be a part of a before and after photo to show everyone the results from my hard work. We took the photos last night at our final on stage run through of modeling and talent at the Empire.

Miss Grand Forks 2012 Kate Wilson has worked with Chris Roche of Snap Fitness since November 2011 on developing strength and fitness for the swimsuit competition at the upcoming Miss North Dakota pageant. She has also used the resources and guidance from pageant sponsor Complete Nutrition of Grand Forks.

Training with Chris was one of my favorite experiences as Miss Grand Forks. He helped mentally and physically prepare me for the Miss North Dakota competition and became a good friend of mine. We joked around a lot but also got a lot of work done! I looked forward to training with him each week and I will miss him;  He is moving to Bismarck with his family so Laura and I attended his going away party at Snap Fitness. He will be in the crowd cheering us on in Williston and I hope to make him proud!

Thank you, Christopher Roche and Kathy at Snap Fitness, for all of your support. Thank you also to Complete Nutrition, our official nutrition sponsor this year, for offering your guidance and product for us to use as I worked toward my fitness goals.

Kate Wilson
Miss Grand Forks 2012

Official Head Shot-Miss North Dakota Pageant

I am thrilled with how my official head shot turned out for this year’s Miss North Dakota Pageant. It was taken by Jennifer at Reeves Photography downtown Grand Forks. Reeves was a 2011 pageant sponsor and I remember working with her for our contestant photos the first year I competed in the Miss America Org. She is so much fun and definitely very talented! www.reevesphotography.com

Daddy Daughter Dance

I was so excited to be invited as a guest at the annual “Knight for a Princess” event held at the Alerus Center Ballroom this weekend. The lovely event was put on by Lynn Roche of the Grand Forks’ Park District. I had heard from the past Grand Forks titleholders that this would be one of the most fun events of the year- and they were certainly right! Miss Eastern Dakota and I got to dress up like princesses in our old prom dresses and crowns and hand out crowns and flowers to each young girl as she arrived with her father. We were then treated to dinner and night full of dancing and hanging out with 100′s of little girls!

I loved seeing how excited everyone was, and it was especially fun for me to see some familiar faces. A few girls who attend the after-school program I work at were in attendance that night. We had been looking forward to the event for a long time and even came prepared with a choreographed dance to show off on the dance floor!

Laura and I probably took about 300 pictures that night. One little girl followed me around all night and grabbed onto my dress-never leaving my side! When it was time for her to go, her father came to get her and she began to cry. She said she did not want to leave the princess! We danced for one more song, took a few more pictures, gave her a hug goodbye and then she was okay to leave. What an incredible and fun honor it was to be look up to by such a special little girl. Receiving admiring looks and hugs from young girls and shaking the hands of fathers and being wished good luck at state was very encouraging. This event was another reminder that I am a role model in the community of Grand Forks, and it feels wonderful to have such an important responsibility.

Thank you to Lynn Roche for inviting us to a memorable night!

Kate Wilson
Miss Grand Forks 2012

Relay For Life-Grand Forks, ND

I had the opportunity to attend one of my favorite events of the year- Relay for Life for the third year in a row this past Friday ! Relay for life is a wonderful event that helps communities across the globe celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and bring community awareness for the disease. All of the money raised at the event was donated to the American Cancer Society.

This event has always been important to me because I know many people close to me that have battled cancer. I lost my Granddaddy to cancer back in high school, and my Grandpa Wilson passed away this past summer to a long battle of cancer. I was very close to both of them and I miss them every day. Every year, I decorate a bag for the luminary ceremony where candles are lit in the lanterns to represent loved ones who have battled cancer.

My Granddaddy was my biggest supporter of my clogging- his favorite thing was to watch me dance! Every time I dance I am reminded of him and the huge smile on his face when he would watch me clog. My Grandpa Wilson was also one of my biggest fans throughout my life and a very proud North Dakotan. Not too long ago he was inducted into the Minot State Coaching Hall of Fame and he certainly deserved it for his great coaching and pride of his state. I know that both of them would be very proud of me for pursuing one of my lifetime goals, competing to represent a state that has been a big part of my family, and performing a talent that I love.

Contestant Forum-Minot, ND

This weekend was the official Miss North Dakota Contestant Orientation. I was very excited for this because not only did it mean that all of the stressful paperwork was finished, but I also got to meet the other 19 girls competing for the title of Miss North Dakota. There is a great group of girls this year and I am excited to spend time with them in June!

Forum was also very encouraging. I enjoyed speaking with Miss North Dakota 2011- Ariana Walker and meeting the state board. They are all such lovely, kind people and I can definitely see myself working well with them should I become Miss North Dakota 2012. Ariana spoke about how being Miss North Dakota is a job, and it reminded me of how much work I’ve already put forward, people I’ve met, and experiences I’ll forever remember as Miss Grand Forks. If it’s in the cards for me to become Miss North Dakota, I am positive that I will work very hard every day at being a role model to children and young adults, an active volunteer throughout my state, and a good representative for the Miss North Dakota Org.

What hit home for me more than anything else Ariana said at Forum was “Let go, and Let God.” I have been doing everything in my power to reach my full potential this year but I know that my hard work is all that I have control over. The future Miss North Dakota is decided by five complete strangers; so I need to let go, do my best, and simply see what God has in store for me during pageant week. One thing is for sure, this is going to be an exciting adventure!

Kate Wilson
Miss Grand Forks 2012

Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan

I recently had the opportunity to meet Miss America 2011- Teresa Scanlan! My Grandma sent me an article from the Fargo Forum announcing that Teresa Scanlan was to speak at the Alumni Center at NDSU-so I cleared my schedule and made the trip down to Fargo! My cousin Madaline is a NDSU student so I met her there and we both attended the event. Teresa spoke about growing up in Nebraska, and the importance of agriculture. She also spoke about the Miss America Org. and some of her experiences as Miss America 2011. She was so beautiful and friendly and I believe she is a perfect representative of who Miss America is-someone who is kind, beautiful, confident, intelligent, and successful. I am so happy I got the opportunity to meet one of my role models, and even more happy to be a part of an organization  full of so many amazing young women.

Miss MN’s Outstanding Teen Pageant

The Miss Grand Forks group had a great time this past weekend as we traveled to cheer on our Miss Grand Cities’ Outstanding Teen pageant sister Mia Pagnac at the Miss MN’s Outstanding Teen Pageant in Eden Prairie! I was excited to go on a road trip with Miss Empire and Miss Eastern Dakota and we had a great time catching up on the trip down there. We spoke mostly about how excited we are for the state pageant and how fast it is approaching. When we arrived we checked into our hotels and got ready for a fun night. After getting lost, making a quick stop at Walgreens, and accidentally walking into a body building competition, we finally got to the pageant held at Eden Prairie High School. Mia did such a wonderful job and made “Team Grand Forks” very proud!

The next day we had the incredible opportunity to participate in a mock interview put on by volunteers and supporters from the twin cities area, all of whom have been involved with the MAO for a long time and most of whom have connections to the Grand Forks area. After a lovely breakfast we jumped right into the interviews. Thank you to all of our judges for hosting us, and for giving us some great pointers! It was both a lovely and productive experience that helped each of us feel more confident in the interview room. I look forward to more mock interviews this Spring as we continue preparing for the Miss ND Pageant!

Kate Wilson
Miss Grand Forks 2012

Spring Break in ND

Over spring break I traveled to the beautiful city of Dickinson, ND to visit my boyfriend’s family.  It was great to visit with the Hovick family; They are always so kind to me, and I always have a great time with them!

The weather was beautiful for the entire week so we were outside for most of our time- Hiking, feeding horses, shooting guns, and even visiting Medora for the day. One of my favorite things to do is go for long hikes and walks. We had the opportunity to do that every day on Derek’s land, and I loved looking around and being outdoors! Also, near the Hovick’s land were some horses. I have been terrified of horses since I was little, and for years I would never go near them. When I was about five I attended a parade in a small town, and some horses got loose and were running away at top speed, running over everything in their path. Since that incident I have never gone near a horse but this week I was able to conquer my fear! I was proud of myself for facing a fear of mine, and my next goal is to ride a horse someday…that step will take some time.

My favorite experience was traveling to Medora for a day. I’ve had a family and personal connection to the beautiful state of ND my entire life; in fact, Medora is where my parents spent their Honeymoon. After seeing how beautiful Medora was, and visiting the little tourist town, I completely understood why someone would love to travel out there- even for a honeymoon! We bought a pass to the roads around Medora and looked at the beautiful land. We also saw many wild animals, including several buffalos and wild horses! We were lucky to get very close to these animals and I got some great pictures! At the end of the road we parked the car and hiked up a trail to “Windy Point.” I could not believe how gorgeous the view was from up there, I couldn’t believe I was still in North Dakota!

I had so much fun in Dickinson and Medora, and traveling out there helped me learn more about the state that I will be competing to represent in the Miss America Organization. So far I have been to all of the main cities in North Dakota and I would be honored to represent not only Grand Forks but all of the amazing communities as well as the great people throughout the state, a state my parents called home for many years.

Photo Shoot with RS Photography-Fargo

St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Fundraiser-Up ’til Dawn

I recently had the opportunity to attend the event “Up ‘til Dawn” at the University of North Dakota memorial union. “Up ‘til Dawn” is an annual fundraiser that raises money for local St. Jude’s Children’s hospitals.  I was asked to hand out awards at the end of the year party to those who had raised the most money for St. Jude’s Children’s hospital. Overall, UND students raised a total of 5,000 dollars! I have learned from events like this that every little bit of money helps and can make huge impact on the lives of many children.

My good friend Gretchen is the president of the University of North Dakota Up ‘til Dawn board. I saw the amount of work she put into planning this event and I am really happy that it turned out to be such a huge success! She has been one of my biggest supporters since I was crowned Miss Grand Forks and I am very thankful for all of the hugs, smiles, and pep talks given. Gretchen has a huge heart and is a wonderful friend, two qualities that were very clear throughout the St. Jude’s event and to anyone who meets her.