FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Thea Theobald competed against dozens of young women for the title of Miss Petite Canada and won, but then gave it all up saying it wasn't for her.
The five-foot-five-inch, Fort St. John, B.C., resident beat 150 delegates to take the title of Miss Petite Northern British Columbia earlier this year and then went on to win the three-day competition in Toronto.
But the day after her victory, Theobald, 19, handed the crown over to the pageant's first runner up, Ziba Salari.
"I still won but it's not for me," she said about the competition that ended Sunday. "It was just because after going through the whole pageant process it's something that if I wouldn't have been given an opportunity, I don't think I'd pursue."
But she sure endured a lot for someone who didn't want the title.
Theobald took part in the bathing suit competition, an evening-wear event, performed in the pageant's opening number and the solo talent show.
On the second night of the competition she preformed the merengue.
On the third evening the top 10 contestants were announced and had to do the swimsuit and evening-gown walk again, before the five women were named.
The final five competitors each had to answer two questions in front of judges and the crowd.
The top three women were then chosen and had to answer this question: "If you had to choose between the title or the prizes that came with it, what would you choose and why?"
Theobald responded that you can do more with the title than the material objects.
"I learned a lot about myself, and I learned a lot about meeting people and gaining that confidence," she said of the experience, adding one of the greatest benefits was improving her public speaking skills.
But Theobald said had she kept the title, this year would have been hectic.
"I would have been travelling between Ontario and B.C. all year, and I would have been going to things like the Vancouver Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival and I would have been promoting my organizations as well as doing things like the cancer walk and things like that and public speaking."
.jpg){kind=small}
