Final Competition Day: Monday April 28th, 2008

As I sit awake tonight reflecting on this past week a sense of peace comes over me.  Over the past week I have had the opportunity to work with a great hosting team, Beauties of Canada, excellent choreographers, fascinating runway coaches, and 58 beautiful inspiring women.  

We all have a dream, and mine is to make the world a better place for all people.  Wow, I know that sounds extreme, how can one woman from a small town in northern Manitoba "change the world"?  That is a very interesting question, one which I still don't know the answer to; however, I do know that I am getting closer every day, and I do know that if I make a difference in at least one person's life every day, that I am getting closer and closer to my goal.  I remember sitting in front of the tv with my sister as a little girl with a pad of paper and a pen.  We would write down the contestants and then judge them accordingly, picking our favorites and then cheering for them along the way.  We waited for that day every year!  It seems almost surreal that I am now the one being judged.  

No matter what happens tomorrow (Monday), I am proud to say that I've done everything that I could have done to prepare for the pageant.  I can't even start to describe what it feels like to be standing on stage in the bright lights smiling from ear to ear.   This past week has been an experience of a lifetime, a dream come true, and a great opportunity to make some life long friendships.  All 59 of us have worked so hard this past week and every single one is deserving of the honor to represent our country in the Miss Universe Pageant.  

I want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way, everyone who has sponsored or donated, and every little girl who sits in front of her TV watching the pageant hoping that someday she too can represent her country and use the Miss Universe Canada title to change the lives of others in a positive way.

Tomorrow I will be on stage for all of you, for everyone who has ever had a dream, for the girl who will wear my evening gown to her graduation, for the little girl sitting in front of the TV, for the children in Africa that I am going to help build a school for, for everyone from the small town of Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon Manitoba, for my family who have always supported me in everything that I've wanted to do, and for all of the young women out there who are concerned with body image (you are beautiful for who you are on the inside and that will reflect on the outside, the most important thing is staying true to yourself and realizing that our external features are just a shell that en-capsules the beautiful souls that we hold within).  I will be smiling from ear to ear and holding my head high with confidence knowing that I have done my best.

Thank you everyone, Peace and Love.

Shannon

Update!

The preliminary competition was amazing!  Here are a couple of pictures.  We will find out who is in the top 15 on Monday at the Final Show!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, the Sun will come out Tomorrow!

As I ice my sore feet and pack my evening gown for my big day tomorrow, I think about what an excellent journey this has been!  I want to especially thank all of my sponsors and friends and family who have donated, and of course everyone in Toronto here (Beauties of Canada, sponsors, chaperones, etc.) that have made this stay extraordinary!  Tomorrow is the preliminary competition and from there the final 20 will be picked to preform in the final show on Monday!  

Remember: one day left to vote in the People's Choice Award category!  Thanks again for all of the support!

Make sure and check out the new website for Miss Universe Canada 2008 at www.beautiesofcanada.com!

Peace and Love,

Shannon

Two days to go!

I can't believe that it is already Friday and I have been in Toronto for a week!  Throughout the week we have been to many beautiful attractions like the CN tower, City Hall, and Niagra Falls just to name a few.  We have dined at many exquisite restaurants and have been transported in limousines all over the city!  Even though our feet are aching and swelled from hours upon hours of rehearsal and our bodies tired from minimal sleep and rest, we still march (dance) on with a twinkle in our eyes and a burning desire in our hearts.  As I walk down our make believe catwalk and do my pose to the audience I have a tear in my eye, not for sadness but for Joy.  Joy in the fact that this has been such a great experience and I have been given a great gift to have had the opportunity to meet so many great women, and I know in my heart that every woman here deserves to represent our country and the universe and ultimately make a difference in this world and I am proud of every single one of them!

I am having trouble uploading some pictures so I should have some on when we return home tonight!  Thanks again everyone for voting (the award for people's choice is given tomorrow at the Preliminary Show!)  

 

Earth Day: April 22nd

As many of you know I am very passionate about environmental issues.  Since starting my Kids for Saving the Earth group at the age of 10 I've been interested in making our Earth a better place to live, so it was a great pleasure to be given the opportunity to help plant a tree with the Deputy mayor of Toronto and a Miss Universe Canada delegate from each of our beautiful provinces on Earth Day!  Please check out www.earthday.ca for ways that you can help!

New Photos

Hello Everyone!

The experience so far has been wonderful!  This has been a great opportunity and I have met so many wonderful and influential women!   The preliminary competition is 2 days away, which means that you have 2 days left to vote.  Make sure and email and phone everyone you know!  Thanks again for all of your support!  

I will try to add some photos tonight!  Make sure and check out www.beautiesofcanada.com for the latest!

Peace and Love!

GREETINGS from Toronto!

Hello Everyone!  The schedule here is very full, hence my lack of entries lately...  I will try to keep everyone updated!  I'll try to fill you in on the past few days:

Day 1: Registration, hair/makeup, fittings and photo-shoot.

Day 2: Rehearsal, photo-shoot, welcome gala and SOS fundraiser dinner.

Day 3: Rehearsal, Blue Jays game, press conference, shopping, and dinner.

Day 4 (tomorrow): Rehearsal, Soccer practice and meet the team - ET Canada will be doing some coverage, CN tower tour, City Hall, dinner and bowling!

And then more to come!!!

So as you can see we are pretty busy (5am - 12am most days)!

Here are a few pics to tide you over!  Thanks to everyone who has been voting, keep up the great work.  Thanks again to all of my sponsors!

S.O.S. VILLAGES CANADA AND THE MISS UNIVERSE CANADA ORGANIZATION (Day 1)

Officially at the MISS UNIVERSE CANADA PAGEANT!

I have arrived! Today was spent mostly in registration, fittings, hair/make up, and photo shoots. Our photos were done by Miss Universe pageant photographer and renowned celebrity photographer Fadil Berisha (http://www.fadilberisha.com).

Thanks again to everyone who has donated, sponsored, and voted! Keep up the great voting for the People's Choice Award!

S.O.S. Villages Organization

For the past 5 years, the Miss Universe Canada organization has been supporting different projects the S.O.S. Villages Organization sponsors around the world, particularly the projects in Nicaragua, Central America. Tomorrow night the contestants are attending a Gala Fundraiser and I will be presenting a donation. If anyone would like to contribute to that donation for S.O.S. please let me know and I can add your donation to the total!

Enjoying a great breakfast on Day 2:

Thank you CRANBERRY PORTAGE & FLIN FLON Manitoba!

A very special thank you to the following for their generous donations:

Grenier Builders Ltd. - Cranberry Portage, MB
Sandy Smale - Cranberry Portage, MB
Royal Hotel - Flin Flon, MB
Pat & Rick Petryk - Cranberry Portage, MB

And a very big hug goes out to my Aunt Pat Petryk, thank you so much for your help! I officially give you the title of "Fundraising Captain!" You are wonderful and I appreciate everything that you are doing!

Hi George from Cranberry, thanks for voting!

Thank you NEW WAVE BODY CONTOURING

Thanks to Krista, Kendra and Wendy I am officially "swimsuit" ready!  My experience with New Wave Body Contouring has been great and the "Eurowave" has been amazing!  The infrared heating table is incredible and soothes my sore muscles!  Make sure and check out their website for more info, and keep an eye out for their latest products!

Kendra, Wendy, Krista and I 

Thank you ANGLES SALONSPA AND LA BIOSTHETIQUE

Thank you Tammy for supplying this great make up and skin care line by LA BIOSTHETIQUE!  The hair products are marvelous!  Through my experience with Angles I've had the privilege of attending a LA BIOSTHETIQUE make up training session at Angles on the latest make up trends.  I've been using the products for a few days so far and they are amazing!  In my experience in the industry I have had the opportunity to use numerous high quality products and LA BIOSTHETIQUE is among the best!

Thanks Tammy and LA BIOSTHETIQUE for supplying this wonderful make up, skin care and hair care!  My hair for all of my photos and coloring for the pageant has been done by the staff at Angles Salonspa!

Rhinos Fitness: One on one personal training

5 more reps! I’ve learned that even if I squint my eyes and crunch up my face 5 reps into a set Ryan still makes me do 5 more than the usual 12 or 15. My experience at Rhinos Fitness has been amazing and Ryan has done an excellent job in making sure that I’m in the best shape of my life and fully ready for the Pageant. 1/3 of the final mark is based on the Swimsuit portion, so having a physically fit and healthy body is crucial. My program consists of 2 hours of cardio (one in the morning and one in the evening), one hour of personal training at Rhinos Fitness which has the best equipment in town, and then one hour of Yoga a day. Along with healthy nutritious meals, and the right program, I’ve been able to get into excellent shape for the competition!

Rhinos Fitness is a one on one personal training complex and that’s what I love about it. I can laugh half way through my set or make a grunting sound and scrunch my face up when I can barely make it through the last few reps, and not worry about anyone watching!

Thanks Ryan for your expertise and personal training sponsorship, I highly recommend your gym and personal training to everyone, I would not have been able to get in the best shape of my life without your support and training!







Working on my biceps...


Chins!

Thank you FRAKAS!

Thanks to Frakas I will be one of the most fashionable contestants at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant this year! Frakas has the latest looks for spring from Jessica Simpson handbags to the perfect little spring dress. My full wardrobe for the Pageant (10 days in Toronto) has been supplied by Colleen and Kim and styled by Yardley! My experience at Frakas has been wonderful and they have been excellent in getting me ready for the pageant!

Thanks Ladies for all of your support and preparation for this exciting event, and for supplying the most fashionable accessories, clothing, handbags and shoes for me to wear at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant!

Trying on outfits with Kim, Colleen, and Yardley at Frakas!

Right, left, pivot, right, left, pivot!

Thank you very much to Paula and Masala Model and Talent Inc for the great modeling, photo-movement, and voice coaching! I know that I will be more than ready to “take on” the stage at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant. It was great to brush up on my runway walk, and add to my education in photo movement! Confidence and poise is what Masala is all about and Paula has been wonderful in supporting me though this amazing journey!

Thanks girls for letting me join your Runway and Photo-movement class! I wish you all the best in your modeling endeavours!

GOOD MORNING!

“Good Morning”........”Good Morning”.......”Good Morning”...... a common phrase heard along the Saskatchewan River and Mewasin Trail at 7AM in the morning! Living just a few blocks (22 to be exact), from the river makes it easy for me to get down to the trail for an amazing run, especially on a sunny Sunday morning! Since cardio has been a large part of my training program, I find peacefulness in soaking up the sunshine and breathing in the fresh morning air along the beautiful sparkling river!

A special THANK YOU to all who have donated!

I would like to thank all of my friends and family who have helped me in this journey to become Miss Universe Canada 2008! Although it has been a very exciting journey, it has also been a very expensive journey! From the pageant entry fee, to evening gowns, to miscellaneous expenses the journey for Miss Universe Canada has cost thousands of dollars, so every donation makes a difference! I am still a ways away from covering the investment of the pageant in it's entirety so I am still accepting donations, and all are greatly appreciated!

Thank you to the following for your recent donations:

Pauline & Frank Shpiruk – Cranberry Portage, MB
Lorraine & Michael Petryk – Cranberry Portage, MB
Lois Burke - Flin Flon, MB
Marlene & Ernie Poirier - Flin Flon, MB
Linda & Larry Smerch - Cranberry Portage, MB
Collette Fournier – Saskatoon, SK
Shane McGregor – Saskatoon, SK
Amanda Deitz – Saskatoon, SK
Geri Greening & Family – Dauphin, MB
The Victoria Inn – Flin Flon, MB (Flight Sponsor)

Donation of my Miss Universe Canada evening gown to THE PRINCESS SHOP

www.theprincessshop.ca

The Princess Shop is a non-profit organization based in Saskatoon SK and established in 2007. The project's mission is to provide less-fortunate female students with a beautiful gown for their Grade 12 graduation. The founders of the The Princess Shop hope to build confidence in Saskatoon's female youth and create a memorable graduation experience for all girls.

To date, there have been over 350 dresses collected, however we are still accepting donations!!! We are looking for graduation dresses, bridesmaid dresses, wedding dresses, other evening gowns, purses/handbags, shoes, costume jewellery, makeup, garment racks, garment covers, large mirrors, display racks for jewellery and much more!

Donations are accepted at any Pizza Hut location in Saskatoon from 1:30-4:30pm and after 7:30pm, 7 days/week until June 1, 2008:

11-3110 8th Street East
8-202 Primrose Drive
2115 22nd Street West
701 Central Avenue

It is preferred if dresses have been dry-cleaned, and please be sure that your donations are tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, as this is a pizza restaurant, and we want to be sure the donations remain in good condition. Also, please fill out a donation form when you drop off your donations – this is to ensure we can track where the dresses are coming from, and so we can email you a photo if a girl selects your dress.

I am very pleased to announce that I will be donating one of my evening gowns worn at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant in Toronto to The Princess Shop. My sponsors have given me the opportunity to be a princess for one night at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant and I want to give that same opportunity to a wonderful young woman, so that she may know what it feels like to be a Princess for a night!

So if you have any old grad dresses or evening gowns taking up space in your closet, I urge you to please donate them to this wonderful cause. Every little bit counts and every dress will make a huge difference in someone’s life. Let’s give them that Dream Grad and make them a Princess at The Princess Shop!

One little snowflake can start an avalanche! Donate your dress today to The Princess Shop!

306.222.3311

...more information will be posted soon!

More to Come!

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to put up a quick post to let you know that more blog entries will be coming soon! I've been documenting my whole journey (in part for my book), and will have some exciting experiences to share with you soon!

Look forward to seeing entries on my experiences at:

Official Clothing Sponsor - Frakas
Hair and Makeup Sponsor - Angles Salonspa and LA BIOSTHETIQUE.
Personal Trainer - Ryan Godfrey - Rhinos Fitness
Body Contouring - New Wave Body Contouring
Modeling and Photo-Movement Coaching - Masala Model and Talent
Saskatoon Smiles - Zoom Whitening
Celestial Photography - Official Photographer
Victoria Inn - Flight Sponsor
Saskatoon Web Design - Website Design Sponsor

......and more entries on my journey to become the next Miss Universe Canada 2008!

Welcome Everyone!

What an adventure it has been so far on this amazing journey to Miss Universe Canada 2008!  I want to first of all thank all of my wonderful sponsors and all of the amazing support they have given me, all of this would not have been possible without them!  I also want to thank everyone who has taken the time to vote each day for the YAK's People's Choice award, your support is appreciated!  Now that we are getting closer to the event and my departure for Toronto, I will be giving updates so that you can follow behind the scenes on my journey and quest for Miss Canada.  Thanks again for all of your support, make sure and check back daily for new updates and remember to vote!

New blog for Shannonsmadella.com!

As most of you know, Shannon will be traveling to Toronto soon to compete in the 2008 Miss Universe Canada competition. To help keep in touch with Shannon on her journey, this blog has been set up so that she can keep all of us up to date with the behind the scenes activities in Toronto.

Be sure to check back often, and in the meantime don't forget to vote for Shannon online at Miss Universe Canada's website. She's currently in the top 20! You can vote up to four times a day.