"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

One week, I am officially one week away from competing at Miss Austin Texas Teen USA. The road leading up to now has been quit a journey. I have fought everyday. I fought to get out of bed every morning and stay motivated, I fought to stay strong in who I was and the journey I was on, I fought to overcome fear and obstacles... but most importantly, I fought mentally. I had to learn what it was to be truly strong mentally, to push through the doubt and fear of failure. Leaving Miss Texas Teen USA last year, I wasn't sure about pageants and if I wanted to continue. I went through moments of self doubt and questioning if I was good enough. It wasn't until I realized what I stood for and that the excuses I was making were exactly that, excuses. I had to start practicing what I preached. I had to love myself enough to get what I deserve, a second chance. A chance to fight harder than I have ever fought before. To prove to MYSELF, that I am worthy. I made the decision to compete. This time, not for a title or crown but for the journey I was already on. I worked so hard last year and knew that it wasn't for nothing. It was for this very moment. For the moment I decided to compete at Miss Austin Texas Teen USA, for the moment of officially losing 25 pounds, for all the times I felt or was told that I wasn't good enough. My journey is MY JOURNEY and it deserves more than to be pushed aside, it deserves another chance and another fight.

Since Miss Texas Teen USA, I have continued my weight loss and the improvement of my well being. I started by understanding that I am beautiful in my own way and that I need to stop comparing myself to others. I will always have insecurities and believe that I am not good enough but that does not make me less than anyone else. That makes me human. So, I stopped. Rather than looking at social media and wishing I was this or that. I looked at myself and made the improvements I felt I needed to make in order to be my most confident self. I started with my health, although I was in a totally different place compared to last year, I still was not as healthy as I wanted to be. I stopped focusing on a number on a scale and started focusing on my confidence and how I felt about myself. Everyday I made sacrifices and worked at it. I had moments of weakness and doubt, but I listened to my body and gave it what it needed. I didn't dwell on decisions I made but praised myself for the improvement of my mental strength and acceptance. I became the person I always wanted to be. Not only did I begin to feel confident, I began to feel strong both physically and mentally. I accepted who I was and loved myself for it. I also worked at being uniquely myself and encouraging other to do the same. Everyday I strive to be a better me.

When looking back at how far I have come, I never can fully put into words exactly how I feel. I turn to God and understand that his plan is greater than any plan I could ever have for myself. Going into this week, all I can say is that I AM PROUD. I am proud of my dedication and progress. I am proud of my passion and perseverance. But most importantly, I am proud that I can stand on that stage in one week and be ME. I will go into this week with my head held high, not because I think I am better than anyone. But, because I know I am better than who I used to be.

I want to give a huge thank you to everyone and anyone who has given me any kind of words of encouragement or love. Anyone of us contestants will represent Austin and females with nothing but poise, elegance, kindness, and grace. It is His Plan and we are here to make it happen. If you are reading this, please pray for each of us. Pray that we can be the best version of ourselves and walk away with peace and acceptance. To all the other contestants, I am so honored to be on this journey with you and can't wait to see you all shine. Let's do this!

XOXO,

Sam