SOCIAL DRIVE
Learning to LOVE Yourself
Suzie Sawicki, the current titleholder of Miss Tecumseh, has always been drawn to the pageant world—mainly for the volunteer and scholarship opportunities presented to contestants. After placing first runner-up in 2017, she entered the Western Ontario competition of the Miss Universe Canada circuit, and noticed that it was a very different world from the local pageant scene. “There is a ‘Best Body’ category, which affects your overall score, and I don’t think that award should really exist. Because every body is beautiful in a different way and it’s not something that I found helpful.” Suzie talked about the mental state of competitors and how even 20 seconds of swimsuit time on stage can be incredibly overwhelming and intimidating. Even though she didn’t find herself in this situation at first, there was one moment where her thoughts circled back to the competition photos, making her wonder, had she failed to place because she wasn’t the skinniest girl in the crowd? “It wasn’t healthy, and my mom eventually snapped me out of it. I had to realize that I did everything I could to prepare for this moment, I knew my limits, and I didn’t cross the danger line. Women need to know what works for them in order to look and feel their best—we’re all different,” she adds. How much of how we feel each day is based on our outer appearance? We want to make a good “first impression.” We boast that we’re having a “no-makeup day.” We’re groomed by a society that shows us filtered versions of reality on social media, logging us into a lifetime of self-doubt as we constantly admire others while comparing ourselves to them. Even before the introduction of social media, there has been constant scrutiny of women and their self-image. Most of us have been putting on makeup since the age of 13 and shaving our hair in places we don’t think is attractive. All the while, we continue to apologize for our public appearance.
Suzie Sawicki, Miss Tecumseh
HOW YOUR INNER DIALOGUE DAMAGES YOUR SELFIMAGE, AND HOW WE CAN BREAK THE NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF OUTER BEAUTY By Alley L. Biniarz | Photography: Etam Images 18
How can we survive and thrive in a society that is dominated by self-loathing? In Suzie’s case, she’s a very positive person—about both her body image and self-confidence. Much of this has come from the Miss Tecumseh pageant, which has a very different vibe than the Miss Universe circuit. She has surrounded herself with the other contestants who lift her up, she has grown in her communication skills, and has
