Mrs. Kentucky America
Daup
and Stucker compete
in pageant for married women
2009
competition
opens the door for charity work
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 2009) – Meagan Daup fulfilled
a childhood dream when she competed in the Mrs. Kentucky America 2009
pageant in May. Chosen as a semifinalist, this Oldham County resident
boosted her self-esteem and gained confidence that will stick with her
a lifetime.
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Photo
provided Mrs.
Kentucky |
“I always wanted to be in a pageant,” said Daup,
24. After marrying her husband Jeff, she realized she could no longer
enter the Miss Kentucky pageant and chose to enter the Mrs. Kentucky
pageant instead.
In February 2009, she chose the title Mrs. Oldham County. Duap was born
in Horse Cave, Hart County, Ky. At age 5, her family moved to Bowling
Green, Ky. She then moved to Louisville and has resided in Oldham County
for the past year and a half.
Such events “opens the door for charity work,” said Daup.
Mrs. Kentucky America often aides Dream Works, she said.
Daup is currently a doctorate student at the University of Louisville
in the field of clinical psychology. She works as a full-time, year-round
graduate teaching assistant at the university and is also pursuing a
master’s degree in Christian counseling.
The Mrs. Kentucky America 2009 pageant “was a great weekend of
fun for married women. I made a lot of friends,” said Daup. Later
this year she will complete in the Mrs. My Old Kentucky Home pageant
in Bardstown.
Fellow contestant Christy Stucker sees her road to winning the Mrs.
Kentucky America 2009 pageant as an adventure that has made her a better
person. Capturing this title has provided her with opportunities that
may never have presented themselves had she never challenged herself
to compete.
“I set goals for myself and even though the road may get bumpy
and lengthy the mission is clear,” said Stucker. “These values
serve me well for pageants and general life circumstances as well.”
Stucker, 32, entered her first pageant in 2004 as Mrs. Kentucky for
the Globe pageant system. She was 27 years old and said she needed motivation
to get into shape after the birth of her first daughter.
“Pageants challenge me to be my best both physically and mentally.
This year I felt it was time to test myself and to continue to evolve
in every aspect of my life. Preparing for a pageant is pure fuel to
be the best version of yourself,” said Stucker.
The Mrs. Kentucky America 2009 pageant was held on May 23 in Louisville
at the Bumhard Theater in The Kentucky Center for the Arts. Stucker
currently lives in Lexington, Ky., but has previously lived in Northern
Ken-tucky and Louisville. Stucker “has a very unique look that
stood out from the rest,” said Jo Ann Peterson, director for Mrs.
Kentucky America.
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Photo
provided Oldham
County |
Holding the title Mrs. Kentucky allows the winner to compete
in the Mrs. America Pageant, the only nationally televised Mrs. Pageant
in the country, said Peterson. The winner of Mrs. America will then
travel to Vietnam in November to compete for the title of Mrs. World.
Echoing Daup, Peterson said Mrs. Kentucky “is also given the opportunity
to work with many charitable organizations throughout the year by making
appearances, speaking and raising awareness of the organizations’
cause.” Since the contestants are married and most have families,
the amount of appearances they complete is up to them. They usually
make 40 to 50 appearances a year.
Along with her husband, Cory, Stucker has begun a charitable foundation,
Fitness for the Family, which encourages active lifestyles for families.
“I believe parents are the best possible role models for healthy
habits for their children and should take advantage of putting positive
choices into motion.”
Fitness for the Family encourages exercise opportunities such as signing
up an entire family for a 3K Walk for charity, riding bikes to an outing,
taking the stairs instead of an elevator, and similar activities. “Parents
and families today set the course for future generations’ fitness,”
said Stucker.
She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, monthly columnist for
The Hamburg Journal, owns and operates Woodhill Jazzercise Center in
Lexington, and is a former Mrs. U.USA Globe (2005). Stucker will go
on to compete at the Mrs. America Pageant in Southern California in
fall 2009. She will reign as Mrs. Kentucky America until May 2010, traveling
throughout the state and other venues to support the Mrs. Kentucky pageant.
• For more information, visit: www.MrsKentucky.net.