Alexandria Badgett’s Headshot for Miss South Carolina by Younique Beauty
Alexandria Badgett Crowned as Miss Columbia on January 28, 2018
Swimsuit Competition
A Miss South Carolina contestant has been gearing up for competition since she was crowned Miss Columbia Jan. 28, but then the competition abruptly changed.
Alexandria Badgett is this year’s ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network, representing the city of Columbia. Since January, Badgett has trained to be physically fit for the swimsuit portion of the competition, but that changed June 5 when Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who is now head of the organization’s board of trustees, announced Miss America’s “byebyebikini” campaign.
“Teen” contestants must be 13 to 17 years old and no more than a high school junior at the time of competition. “Miss” contestants must be between 17 and 25 years old. The changes announced by Carlson are applicable to Miss contestants starting at the Miss America Competition Sept. 9.
“Byebyebikini” calls for the elimination of the traditional swimsuit portion of competition as well as shift from the evening gown competition to “evening wear,” during which contestants will discuss their social initiatives. Badgett will be pushing her platform of N.I.N.E. (no is not enough), which stresses the importance of educating and promoting awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses and across the state.
“Now my question is how can we continue to show the importance of being physically fit and living a healthy lifestyle?” Badgett said. “I think that that is something that is so essential and such a big characteristic to being Miss America.”
Badgett said she will continue to prepare to “be ready… fit…toned and more than confident and prepared to walk out on that stage.”
For more information about attending the Miss South Carolina Pageant on June 26-30, visit miss-sc.org or call (843) 857-9173.
