Beauties of 5 Continents

To all young girls, women and MEN: love yourself 

1. I am proud and excited to announce that next June 2017 I am a world finalist for Beauties of 5 Continents. I will be competing against women from all over the world, but rather than for just 1 crown-- there's 6. THATS HOW YOU MAKE CHANGE.

WHY HAVE 1 WHEN YOU CAN HAVE 6?!?!?!?!
It's non profit (I LOVE IT!)
It's inclusive to everyone and all contestants.
I can wear what I feel is me on stage in terms of a bathing suit/athletic gear, which I value (I didn't realize how much I did until after MUC)

Full Disclosure: While I'm forever grateful for my experiences and those who helped me along the way this was the reality of my experience.

When I first signed up for Miss Universe Canada it was a dream come true.
It still is! I still cannot believe I walked that stage.
More importantly, I cannot believe I walked that stage after being triggered into a full blown panic attack and feeling completely out of place being told #'s of times how "disgusting" our dance looked-- I'm not a dancer, I never have been I was a soccer player-- sue me. (Be careful what you say, because you really never know when it might come back to bite you in the butt) I remember feeing so out of place, and though the dance wasn't even graded it felt like a whole load full of unnecessary pressure. (Plus, the young gal was hungover with sunglasses on, that told me a lot) 

I work in the mental health field and social and emotional wellbeing is critical to any job, competition, doctors office, tanning salon, moving company.. yet, I remember being told at my first choreographed dance "if I wanted to be told where to lose weight," I could talk to this one fellow and I couldn't believe how sick that made me feel to my stomach. If it was so much about health and fitness, how and why could someone LOOK at me and tell me where to lose weight?

When I look at the photos of my beautiful sisters, I am so proud of them all. Each and every one of them so gracefully took that stage, but as friend who cares and someone who was there for one weekend, I couldn't help but notice how some contestants dropped so much weight the week of and understandably so. It's pure stress and non stop media, training, being on the BALL! BUT that's not the way I want to represent myself or this country.

What is that? Maybe I'm living in a dream world, but I don't think so. I just want to be myself in a world where everyone is trying to make you into someone that already exists. I get to choose where I want to pursue my "reign of change" and that begins in our communities. As much as I love the idea of helping globally, our local communities need us first. (but that's just me)

With the Beauties of 5 Continents I have the opportunity to be on a cruise ship in the Bahamas (Sorry Windsor) and we have already been told each day is 3 hour practice and the rest we get to explore. Thats life. Thats living and that's learning.. similar to MUC, regardless of the outcome: PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE.

Thank you to EVERY single human who has helped not only make me see that I am capable of such experiences, but if you're willing to take a risk you still might get a crown for being the goofy, fun girl (Miss Congeniality 2016 oh ya babay!)
#LifeOfDorothy
#BeautiesOf5

Look out for my Social media pages, because you're going to want to change the world with me and I'll need your help 

http://www.beautiesof5continents.com/#!Colleen R/zoom/cfvg/dataItem-ir7u6j75

My favourite photo in my favourite dress made by my favourite designer Lucian Matis