After competing against about 20 contestants, Alexandria Fairall was crowned Miss Northwest.
For one of the first times in history, two Lewis County residents will compete at the Miss Washington pageant, giving the county more representation and doubling the chances of a local woman taking the title.
After she was named the runner-up in the Miss Lewis County pageant, Alexandria Fairall decided to forfeit that title and compete in a sweeper pageant for another shot at a crown. Typically, a sweeper pageant is the last opportunity to earn a title and move on to the next phase of competition.
Competing against about 20 contestants and stiff competition, she was crowned Miss Northwest. Now, with her new title, she will be able to compete at the Miss Washington pageant in July, along with Miss Lewis County Bailey Peters.
Amanda Berg, marketing director for the pageant, said it is an exciting time for Lewis County with two women moving to the next phase.
“It was so amazing, “ Fairall said. “I competed with girls from all across the state and feel so blessed to have won. The competition was pretty fierce.”
Fairall, who is new to pageants, said many of the ladies she was competing against were first runner-ups from other pageants, and some have held crowns before.
Now, as she prepares for the Miss Washington pageant, she’s happy to have a colleague by her side.
“Bailey Peters is Miss Lewis County currently and I don’t think she is going anywhere; she’s phenomenal,” Fairall said. “We are really close still and I’m really excited to go to Miss Washington together. It’s nice to have a friend there.”
Fairall, 18, of Centralia, is a student at Centralia College and A Beka Academy. Growing up in a military family, she said she’s lived all around the world. She’s had 10 major moves in her life and has been to 40 out of the 50 states.
Her family moved to Lewis County a few years ago, and Fairall said the location captured her heart.
“It’s so quiet and relaxing and the people are so nice. It’s an amazing place,” she said. “That’s why my family and I chose to live here, so having that representation and being the first two girls to double-represent is so exciting.”
Although the girls will technically be competing against one another for the shot at a bigger crown, Fairall said the competition is against themselves, and not their competitors.
“It’s about pushing ourselves to do the best,” she said.
Since being crowned Miss Northwest, Fairall has been busy attending events and speaking about her platform.
She’s passionate about raising awareness issues related to disabilities.
“The most important thing for me is really my platform,” she said. “It’s something really close to me personally and something I dealt with throughout my life.”
Her father returned from Afghanistan with severe injuries, showing Fairall the need to raise awareness for disabilities and to help connect people with resources.
She is also passionate about guide dogs for the blind. She helps train the service animals.
Her pageant experiences thus far have improved her confidence, taught her to think more positively and have bettered her interview skills. As she continues through her journey, she knows she’ll continue learning and growing.
“I think it’s one of the things you definitely take away from this organization,” she said.
