As the reign comes to an end for Miss Georgia USA 2009, Kimberly Gittings and I chat about the past year and life after the crown. She speaks openly about her platform and how it was a very personal battle.
fashionado: What’s been going on? Tell me what the last few months have been like.
KG: I’ve been in Asia, specifically Korea, for the past three months with the prospects of doing commercials, modeling and a soap opera. My challenge has been the language barrier because I don’t speak Korean that well, though I am taking classes at the University of Georgia.
Kimberly’s plan is to return to Korea to pursue business opportunities, but at the moment, needs to continue her college studies at UGA. She explains that the Koreans love multicultural personalities, in her case its the Korean/Caucasian mix, an advantage to breaking into the film/modeling/tv industry. If she returns to Korea, it could be for nearly a year, an adjustment for her and her family.
Kimberly’s major is Biology, Pre-Med and Speech Communications and she is taking Korean as her foreign language. In addition, she is also a Cadet in the Air Force ROTC program.
fashionado: Have you always wanted to be on tv?
KG: I really got into it after the fact (during my reign). Friends always tell me I should be on tv, maybe host a show, so I am looking into it now. There may be a real market for me in Korea, so we’ll see.
fashionado: Lets take some time and talk about your platform as Miss Georgia.
KG: My platform is about eating disorders and its called A Hunger for the Right Weigh: Eating Disorder Awareness and Prevention. Yeah, it’s a long title! The focus is about awareness and prevention through education.
Its because of a personal experience that I battled an eating disorder when I was younger. I was taller than most girls and kids were mean. If you are taller, smarter, different, kids can be very mean and the messages about self image can be very confusing. I didn’t know where I fit in and I had low self-esteem. The straw that broke the camel’s back was during middle school when a school “crush” found out I liked him. He didn’t like me, so one day in between classes he came up to me and said, “Kimberly, I think you’re ugly and fat.” I was devastated. In my mind, I believed that if he thought I was ugly and fat, so must everybody else. From there started a downward spiral of bad body image and I stopped eating. I would lie to my parents about eating, and though I always thought about food, I couldn’t eat. Eventually, I got extremely sick. I was having heart and liver problems. I went through a lot of therapy and tears. My family was initially in denial, “how could this happen to our daughter,” but they got me the help I needed and through their love and support, I overcame. I can honestly say that I have been to the lowest of lows and now I am at my highest and happiest.
Self-worth is very important and my message to all girls is that they are worth much more than words. You are unique and beautiful as you are and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I have spent much of my year as Miss Georgia speaking to middle school boys and girls about positive self image, building self-esteem and the importance of going after your goals.
fashionado: Thank you for sharing Kimberly. Your story and message are very significant on all levels.
Now, lets lighten up our talk a bit. Is it true that you can never where your crown in public after your year reign as Miss Georgia?
KG: No! Obviously its in respect to the new queen. She won her crown and it’s her year. Its her time to shine.
fashionado: You get to keep the crown? And is it on display?
KG: Oh yes, I get to keep it! Its in its box and there is a process to how I open the box. It is on display in my home. My room is very interesting to walk into, though it seems a bit narcissistic because all my accomplishments, trophies and crowns are on display. My parents tell me I’ve earned them and should be out for all to see.
fashionado: When did you start doing pageants?
KG: I was 15 years old and though the pageant and modeling worlds are a little taboo with eating disorders, pageants actually became a part of my healing process. I was in recovery at 15 and immediately made eating disorders my platform which required me to talk about it.
fashionado: Are you finished with doing pageants?
KG: Yes, I’m hanging up my high heels.
fashionado: How do you feel placing in the top 15 in Miss USA?
KG: The top 15 is a complete honor. I’m representing the state of Georgia and I know I went into that competition and did my best. I had an outstanding team with great people behind me who supported me and helped me get to where I was. It was a great experience which opened up so many doors. I am very proud and very thankful to all the people who helped me get this far.
fashionado: Have you met Donald Trump? 
KG: I did. I did meet him, twice. Of course he’s very busy. When we first met him, he came into the auditorium with his own theme music. But you know, that’s him, that’s his style, a little over the top. He walks in with all these security guards and says’ “helloooo girls”. I shook his hand and said “Hello Mr. Trump.”
Another time I met him was after the pageant, I was a little incognito with family and friends. As he walked near me along with this entourage, he stops, comes over and says, ” You’re Miss Georgia, right?” I didn’t even look like Miss Georgia at the time. He and his wife are a very nice couple.
fashionado: So what’s on your agenda now as the time has come to crown a new queen?
KG: I need to finish up my semester at UGA this fall and then plan to go back overseas in 2010. I’m not sure where that will take me, but I also have L.A. and New York in mind. I want to pursue all avenues and keep my options open.
fashionado
