Meet Sara Burd

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

If asked what comes to mind when you hear pageant beauty queen, preconceived notions and negative stereotypes about the women who participate are often mentioned. However, the easiest way to dispel these misconceptions is to speak to the women behind the crown.

Miss Global USA 2022 winner Sara Burd is a Tampa Bay native born and bred in Clearwater and has regularly dealt with this misunderstanding about pageantry.

“First and foremost, pageant women are making a choice to be on stage. Pageantry is such an empowering industry. When I got into it, I was super low in confidence and self-esteem. I completely transformed my life through it and met the most amazing, accomplished, and supportive women friends for life,” she said. “And people think it’s a women-only industry, but there’s also a lot of male pageant systems too.”

One of Sara’s friends DJ Davids just won Mister Global USA 2021.

With her platform of environmental and ocean conservation, the 5’10, Norwegian, twenty-seven-yearold model is just as comfortable on a surfboard in the water as she is out of it, campaigning to protect the oceans.

“Constantly being at the beach and watching how the environment changed over the years made me very aware of the needs of our aquatic environment.”

A graduate of the College of Charleston in South Carolina with a Masters in Communication, in 2015, she got into competing through a nomination from her college sorority.

“I loved it and had so much fun. I went back the next year and got second place. I started competing in preliminary pageants around the city of Charleston and competed for Miss South Carolina a few times,” she said. “The director of the College of Charleston introduced me to Miss Global, which was a new pageant system. I won Miss South Carolina Global in 2017 and enjoyed working with the national director at the national pageant. I decided to compete a couple more times, and I won this past summer.” Initially, she was first runnerup, then received a surprise call two days later that Miss Global USA had stepped down and Sara would assume the coveted title.

“Initially, I was bummed because I felt like my performance on stage was the best I’d ever done, so I was okay with the results. Then I got the call two days later. I am just thrilled.”

When asked what she most enjoyed about competing, she described the community aspect.

“You get what you put into it, for sure. I love that pageantry - if you want - can make you a super involved community member, and that’s something I really enjoy about pageantry. I love doing volunteer projects and finding platforms to support,” she explained. “As far as beauty goes, you can work out and do all the fitness stuff, which I enjoy because pageantry totally transformed my health both physically and mentally. Living a super balanced and healthfocused lifestyle has been great.”

She’s taken makeup courses and had her stylist show her how to do her hair so that she can be self-sufficient.

“I can be independent and be my own glam team. I like knowing I have control, and I can count on myself in any situation. It’s important skills to know, instead of relying on a team.”

In 2020, she found #alittlealot, a social media environmental campaign.

“A little effort done by a lot of people can change the world,” she said. “I understand that it’s super overwhelming to try to be the perfect environmentalist, recycler, or sustainable liver. Encouraging people to make good choices in little habits throughout their day is an approachable way to do that.”

Sara volunteers with the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots non-profit environmental organization that protects and preserves the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches as part of her platform. She recently discovered Water Warrior Alliance, a water conservation organization she hopes to volunteer.

“I also love small businesses and am excited to use my social media platform to promote small businesses as well.”

When asked what advice she would give to a young woman considering entering pageantry, Sara responded without hesitation.

“You should do pageantry if you genuinely want to better yourself and challenge yourself. But also keep in mind – and this is something I keep in my head every time I compete- more than likely, you will lose, and that’s okay. Enjoy the ride, the experience, and the transformation, make friends with people, and don’t put a bunch of pressure on yourself. Otherwise, you are not going to have fun, and if you’re not having fun, you’re not going to perform well.”

If you see Miss Global USA at a philanthropic appearance or checking off a bucket list box walking in New York Fashion Week, make sure you say hello. You’ll discover a down-to-earth, poised, articulate, and intelligent activist who also just happens to occasionally wear a sash and sparkly headpiece.