Former local student headed to Miss Canada International competition

A former Lab. City student has been named Miss Newfoundland and Labrador International.

Sarah Downey lived in Lab. West for eight years until she moved to Newfoundland to seek medical treatment; when she left Labrador in 2008 Sarah said she never dreamed she would someday be a pageant titleholder.

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder

"I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder," she explained why she left Lab. West in Grade 11. "They did not have the facilities to take care of me in Labrador City, so I had to come to St. John's to be treated. I was at such a low point I didn't think I was going to graduate high school."

Sarah said she didn't go to school for the last two months of Grade 11, she spent her summer in bed, gained 40 pounds and felt defeated by her life.

Opportunities appear

As the year went on, she went back to high school and began to see the opportunities that were available for her.

Her first foray into pageantry came in May 2009 when she decided to compete in the Miss Central Avalon Achievement pageant.

She was involved with the student council at her high school at the time and thought the pageant would be a good experience.

"When I saw the posters up for Miss Central Avalon Achievement, I thought it would be a goal I could set up for myself," she recalled. "Even getting out in public would be a goal for myself. I hadn't done anything like it in a very long time because I was anxious."

Won Central Achievement pageant

Sarah said the two-day event included seven contestants from Arnold's Cove to St. John's, NL and at the end she walked away with the Miss Central Avalon Achievement title and about $17,000 in scholarships.

One $15,000 scholarship is from Keyin College and though the young woman is enrolled at Memorial University, she's taking a year off after this semester to pursue hairstyling at Keyin.

"It would be a shame to waste it," she said of the scholarship. "No one else can use it and it's a good opportunity to have a nice job on the side while I'm in school. When I'm done school, I'll have a half decent job to tie me over until I get where I want to be."

Sarah said after college she plans to go back to MUN to finish her political science and French degree and is considering law school after that, so she can eventually work in human rights, advocacy and policy change field.

Headed to Miss Canada competition

However, before any of that, she will be participating in Miss Canada International pageant in Toronto.

She is taking part in the nine-day competition as a representative for all young women in Newfoundland and Labrador and was given the opportunity after being awarded the Miss NL International title.

"I was given the title on Feb. 16," she explained. "I was approached by the organizer of the competition; she saw the work I was doing in Newfoundland as Miss Central Avalon Achievement and she thought I would be a good candidate since Newfoundland and Labrador hasn't had a representative in a number of years." Sarah, along with several other ladies in the province, were invited to submit an application highlighting their academic achievements, community involvement and leadership potential, and after an evaluation process Sarah was chosen to be Miss Newfoundland and Labrador International.

Title based on achievements

"This pageant is strictly achievement oriented," Sarah noted. "It has nothing to do with your beauty, physical abilities, weight or height. The event in August (Miss Canada International) will be a full-blown nine-day competition. It's the biggest competition in Canada."

That pageant, Sarah explained, will include a series of academic tests encompassing math, English, science, Canadian issues and law; a platform speech where Sarah will talk about the collective responsibility of Canadians to maintain human rights; a panel interview; a talent competition; and a physical fitness test.

Community involvement important

Sarah said she's excited about the competition and thinks her involvement with various community groups in St. John's will help her in the pageant.

"I've had over 60 or 70 appearances since I was crowned Miss Central Avalon Achievement," she noted. "They range from parades from charity walks to an event I organized myself."

Successful in starting

Friendly Blood Drive

Sarah explained she is the chairperson of St. John's Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals, and Trans-gendered or Trans-sexual PRIDE committee and she decided to hold a Friendly Blood Drive last year in hopes of inspiring policy change within Canadian Blood Services.

In Canada, she noted, any man who had sex with any other man since 1976 is not permitted to give blood, so she organized a blood drive, where anyone who was able to give blood, gave it on behalf of someone who couldn't.

"We did one last summer and it was very successful, so we're doing three more this year," she stated. "This year for anyone who gives blood on behalf of someone else, the committee will be painting a rock in one of the rainbow colours to place outside Blood Services in their rock garden. As everyone starts to donate, the rainbow will grow in the garden and Blood Services will be able to see how these people who can't donate want to be involved. It will hopefully spawn the review of the policies."

Committed to Teddy Bear campaign

Sarah said she also recently became involved with the Teddy Bears of Hope campaign, which strives to provide hope to children in war-torn countries by providing them with a toy to call their own.

She said she's joined the national campaign as part of her Newfoundland and Labrador International title and hopes to collect 2,000 stuffed toys and $4,000 (to cover shipping of the toys) in time for the Miss Canada International pageant in August.

"If I collect all these bears and am crowned Miss Canada International, I'll actually be flown to the countries to pass out the bears," she said. "This competition is focused on people who make a difference and who are interested in self-growth and helping the lives of people around them. I'm really excited to be involved with this organization."

Calling on province for help

Sarah won't receive her Newfoundland and Labrador International crown and sash until she gets halfway to her goal and right now she said she's collected about 800 new and used stuffed animals.

She's calling on everyone in the province to help her reach her fundraising goal and residents can go to www.avalonachievement.webs.com to learn more about it.

Sarah said she's always been involved in community events no matter where she lived or what she was doing and though she has a full plate, the 18-year-old said she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I have this drive within me; I can't explain it," she said. "If I'm not involved, I'm not happy. It keeps me going. It reminds me I have it so good and if I have it so good, I have the time and energy to make it better for someone else."

First lesbian titleholder

Sarah said fighting mental illness and coming to terms with her sexuality hasn't been easy - she is the first lesbian pageant titleholder in Newfoundland and Labrador - but she hopes by telling her story and staying involved in the community, she will open doors for others.

"It's been a really empowering experience," she said of the pageants. "Because I'm so comfortable and accepting of myself, I can do these things on behalf of the people who don't feel like they can. I feel I'm really lucky that I was faced with the obstacle of bipolar disorder at such a young age. I've been able to overcome it and I'm able to cope with it. I don't really view my sexuality as an obstacle, because it's just a part of who I am. I'm Sarah Downey who happens to be gay, not the gay who has a title."