Elizabeth McGhee felt out of place when she arrived to compete in the Mrs. Michigan America Pageant last weekend in East Grand Rapids.
‘When I got there, I was looking at everybody and was wondering, ‘What am I doing here??? recalls McGhee. ‘I was the only one with a butt and I was 20 years older than everyone else, except one other woman.?
The 50-year-old Brandon Township resident, named Mrs. Michigan Oakland County last fall, was up against 14 other contestants for the ultimate title and walked on stage for the opening number in a long red dress with sleeves, red lipstick, high heels, and hair up high.
‘I felt like a hooker,? she laughs. ‘I got up there on stage and couldn’t see anybody. I was like, ‘Where’s my people???
When she introduced herself to the audience and said where she lived with her husband and nine children, screams erupted, and then, knowing where her family was, she was fine.
McGhee won the interview portion of the contest, which counts for 50 percent of the final score for each woman. They asked questions based on what she told about herself in her application. The craziest question she was asked, she notes, was, ‘What is most dangerous? piloting an airplane, being a black belt karate candidate or homeschooling your children??
McGhee responded, ‘Homeschooling,? to laughter from one judge. They also asked how she lost 75 pounds, to which her answer was, ‘Keep your mouth shut, build muscle to burn it and figure out what you’re really hungry for, because it’s not food.?
McGhee was confident enough in her new body that she wore a bikini for the swimsuit competition and whipped off a sarong onstage to more screams from her family. Her youngest son, Merritt, later asked her, ‘Mom, were you really sucking in your gut, or is that the way you are??
‘I had fun,? she said. ‘I was so fired up and right before I left the stage, I gave a bodybuilder pose and the whole place screamed. I double dog dare you at 50 to do that.?
McGhee made it to the final five and won third-runner up to Mrs. Michigan America, Sara Moylan. McGhee also won longest married. She and Charles, a veterinarian, have been married 27 years.
She is pleased with her finish.
‘The others in the top five were half my age,? she said. ‘I coulda birthed those chicks.?
As third runner-up, McGhee received flowers and won gifts including a pearl earrings, bracelet, and necklace set, professional make-up kit, skin care kit, and teeth whitening gift from a dentist. But the best part for her are the offers she is receiving for speaking engagements. McGhee wants to mentor other women.
She is still considering whether to enter Mrs. Michigan America again, and says she might, if the date fits.
‘I gotta wear the dress again,? she said.