Training keeps Miss Nevada on her toes

by Sharlene Irete

sirete@recordcourier.com

GARDNERVILLE, Nev.

Tools of the trade in Miss Nevada Christina Keegan's always present "appearance bag" include an autograph book and pens, her sash and crown, a change of clothes, make-up and her dance bag so she's always ready to practice.

"I have resources for people from the Purple Ribbon Coalition and I'm always hungry so I bring something to eat and bring a water bottle," said Keegan, a 2004 Douglas High School graduate and Nevada's candidate for Miss America 2010.

After competing for six years within the Miss America organization, this was her last year of eligibility. Keegan is 23 and reigning Miss Americas may not be 25 years old. Since being crowned Miss Nevada in July, she's been training full-time to be Miss America.

Her schedule includes ballet practice three times a week at All About Dance, strength training at World Gym twice a week and speaking engagements with service clubs and community groups throughout northern Nevada.

"I go to Arizona monthly for Miss America training, my wardrobe sponsor is in Florida, my choreographer is in Los Angeles so I go there for my talent work," she said. "I stay prepared and ready for travel."

It's good practice. Miss America is required to travel 20,000 miles a month.

The Miss America Pageant is Jan. 25-30 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Only the final night of the competition with the 15 finalists is televised, but the 53 total contestants participate in preliminaries all week. Keegan has her private interview on the first day, with her onstage question, swimsuit and talent preliminaries on each day following. The Miss America Pageant is televised on TLC at 8 p.m. Jan. 30.

Keegan's talent for the competition is ballet en pointe to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

"It's a fun and energetic song. No one has ever done anything from Queen in the Miss America Pageant," she said. "It's important to find a way to stand out and having the support of the audience is huge."

Keegan's personal platform is Strength Over Silence: Rape Education and Recovery and she's a national partner with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network victim resource center. She said she's gained speaking skills though her appearances to enlighten people about sexual violence.

"I've learned that you need to cater to your audience," she said. "They're different age groups, men and women. You have to be on your toes and be prepared."

Miss America is an outlet to help Keegan financially as a medical student. She graduated from the Undergraduate Women's College at Rosemont, Pa., with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 2008 and completed her first year of medical school at the University of Utah this year.

She said she's leaning toward the field of neurology with a pediatric specialty, but is taking a year off school to fulfill her duties as Miss Nevada and compete for Miss America.

"I've received $20,000 in scholarships, so for me as a medical student, anything I don't have to pay back is wonderful."

Keegan said she's excited to represent her state as the hometown girl in the Miss America contest in Las Vegas.

"There have only been two Miss Americas who were redheads. This year I hope to change that," she said. "The job of Miss America is 365 days a year. You see that one day at the pageant but the other days of the year we're working in the community.

"I consider myself a public servant for the state of Nevada."

Details:

Miss America Pageant, 8 p.m. Jan. 30 on TLC

www.missamerica.org

www.MissNevadapageant.com for Miss America Pageant tickets and hotel accommodations and links to Miss Nevada's Facebook and blog

twitter.com/missnvpageant

RAINN Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, www.rainn.org 1 (800) 656-HOPE