Amy Brady wins Miss Georgia United States

By Jim Zachary

McDONOUGH —Henry County’s Amy Brady is on her way — on her way to Washington D.C., that is, to represent the state of Georgia in the Miss United States Pageant. The Henry County High School teacher was crowned Miss Georgia United States in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Saturday, and will advance to the national pageant in July.

The popular teacher is already beginning her reign in support of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society as part of a national partnership between Miss United States and the ACS. Brady is assembling a team for the local Relay for Life event to be held at her Alma mater, Union Grove High School, May 2.

In addition to serving as an ambassador for Relay For Life, Brady’s own platform during her reign is “Build Them Strong, Build Them Brave.” She explained, “This program hits home for me as an educator, because it focuses on building healthy relationships and a healthy self-esteem for young girls.” After the fact she won the title finally sank in, Brady took time to reflect on the momentous event.

She told the Henry Daily Herald, “Being Miss Georgia is something I’ve wanted since I was 4 years old. I remember every year, watching the national pageant and being in complete awe of how beautiful they were. At 4 you see the glamour and it’s only later you see how beautiful they are not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.” Brady graduated from Union Grove High in 2006, then went on to Kennesaw State University where she majored in secondary history education. She returned to Henry County in 2011 beginning her career as an educator at HCHS, where she teaches world history, social studies and is the student council advisor. When not teaching, working out, running or preparing for a pageant, Brady said she loves cooking, painting, writing and enjoying time outdoors. She also appears as a recurring guest anchor on the local newscast,Henry Herald Today on SCB-TV Channel 15.

In 2012, Brady went to Albania with Glen Haven Baptist Church where she had the opportunity to mentor teenagers who were orphans. She looks forward to returning to Albania for an extended stay with hopes of building upon the relationships that she fostered last year. She competed in Miss Georgia U.S.A in 2012, 2013, 2014, winning Miss Photogenic twice. Ultimately her childhood dream became a reality, winning the Miss Georgia United States title this past weekend. “Georgia is my home, where I was born, its my first love. I couldn’t imagine going to Miss United States representing any other state,” she said.

5 Tips to Increase Your Pageant Swimsuit Score

by Allison Goodwin (source: The Pageant Planet)

Swimsuit scores are a composite of many things. Swimsuit scores are not only based on your body, but they are based on your beauty and the confidence you have while on the stage. So what can you do to put everything together and have an above average swimsuit score?

5. Hair/ makeup: In swimsuit it is great to have a sexy look, as you are a girl in a swimsuit in a beauty pageant after all. I think that big hair scores best with swimsuit. I know a pony tail is more realistic of how you would have it styled in a swimsuit, but once again this is a beauty pageant. Makeup should be kept as natural looking as possible with your eye color, and make sure your eyes and lips pop.

4. Confidence: They always say confidence is key and that’s definitely the ticket to scoring well in swimsuit. Go out on the stage and show the judges how hard you worked to look as hot as you do in your swimsuit. Believe me, the judges can definitely see the confidence in your face, especially through your smile. Even if you are flexing super hard, don’t let them see it on your face. 

3. Shoes: As many of you may have seen in the Miss America pageant, there were some swimsuit shoes that were not pageant swimsuit shoes. They were unusual colors and had chunky heels. Pageant swimsuit shoes should be nude or have clear heels and on occasion, a gold shoe will work as well. The better the shoes blend in with your legs and skin tone, the longer it will make your legs look, because it does not cut off your leg line. Make sure the heel height is something you can walk in as well. You’re better off going with a three-and-a-half-inch heel and walking perfectly, than a five-inch heel and falling over on stage.

2. Abs: Everyone is striving for those six-pack abs. Well, let me tell you, they are hard to get! With a proper diet and fitness routine, they will take months to develop. Please do not wait until the week before a pageant and think they will magically appear. By having any sort of definition in your stomach, it shows the judges how hard you actually worked. We all know abs aren’t made overnight and it will show dedication and discipline.

1. Pageant swimsuit: Having the perfect swimsuit is essential. Whether you are going to wear a one-piece or two-piece, make sure the cut of the swimsuit is flattering to your body. The string bikinis from Target are great for the beach, but not for a pageant. There are so many pageant swimsuit designers out there that know how to make a swimsuit that is flattering on stage and will make you look amazing. Along with the cut and style of swimsuit, make sure you pick a color that really pops on you. I usually try and go for something that is the opposite color of my hair or skin, that way it can really stand out. Make sure to go with a natural color palette when choosing a color, just because a swimsuit is neon and stands out, doesn’t mean it’s the best choice.

I hope you find these tips helpful for the swimsuit portion of your next pageant. If you have any tips relating to mine, please comment below.

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