Mom of 2 is also a pageant queen

Posted in Mom Stuff
by Lorain County Moms

By Brian Newsome, McClatchy-Tribune

Lisa Collacott won’t have to tap dance, play the piano or juggle fiery batons for her upcoming pageant.

But some might argue she has already faced the toughest challenge in pursuit of a sash and crown: marriage and children.

The 42-year-old “Mrs. Monument” will go up against dozens of other women from around Colorado in the Mrs. Colorado pageant scheduled for May. The winner will go on to compete in the Mrs. America pageant and, if victorious, compete for a shot at the Mrs. World title, a nationally televised event.

Collacott, a freelance writer and substitute teacher, did not dream of the pageant life and its glittery dresses and camera flashes as a kid. She wasn’t a high school cheerleader or aspiring beauty queen.

A mother of two, she was just looking to set a goal and find a new challenge during a trying time in her life.

Her family relocated to Colorado Springs from Las Vegas in February 2008 for her husband’s job. The transition was tough for Collacott, who’d grown up in the Pikes Peak region but spent most of her adult life in Las Vegas. In Nevada she had been head of the Parent Teacher Association and active in her children’s activities.

A year after her family moved here, Collacott’s father, a retired Colorado Springs police officer, died.

Two of Collacott’s friends competed in state pageants for married women, she said, and it sounded like a fun way to focus on something new and showcase what wives do.

The Mrs. Colorado contest is not as competitive as Miss Colorado. Women are assigned to a city, county or region through an application process rather than winning local pageants. There is no height requirement, and contestants range in background from young women without children to grandmothers, said Emily Stark, the state’s pageant director.

The contest includes a personal interview, swimsuit and evening gown competition, but no talent portion.

That’s because, Stark said, being a successful married woman is talent enough.

It also takes money. Collacott expects her final bill will be about $3,000 after entry fees, an evening gown, swimsuit, photographs and other expenses.

This year, Stark said, as many as 65 women will compete on stage in Denver before a crowd of about 2,000. About 85 women applied this year.

Collacott, who has a 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, has been hitting the gym often these days to get ready for the swimsuit competition, and she’s planning some public appearances as Mrs. Monument. Rehearsals on pageantry skills like walking, waving and the group dance number will come in the three days before showtime.

Collacott hopes her public appearances will bring awareness to issues that have touched her life. As a teen she struggled with an eating disorder, and as a young mother she underwent brain surgery to remove a seizure-causing malformation.

Stark said women sign up for the pageant for a variety of reasons. Many, she said, sign up to put a check mark on their “bucket list,” or list of things to do before they die. One woman has competed for four years, losing 150 pounds in the process. Another woman has competed for 15 years.

“Even though you get married, you don’t lose that competitive spirit,” she said. For some women it might be a marathon or skydiving, but for others it’s a chance to be on stage before an audience and feel like a star.