Lorie Thompson Interview
Miss Oregon Teen USA 2004
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Oregon Teen USA pageant?
I heard about the pageant through a family friend and decided on a whim to give it a shot in 2003. I placed in the Top 10 and the title went to a very deserving Tami Farrell who continued on to Miss Teen USA to take the title! In 2004, I decided to compete again two weeks before the pageant in order to gain more life experience/memories, to reconnect with friends I met at the 2003 pageant and to meet more wonderful girls. I grabbed the swimsuit I competed in the year before, an old prom dress, and just went for it! It was great to see a lot of the girls who competed in 2003 again due to the fact that they were a promising group of individuals who I know are doing great things to this day.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the winner of the Miss Oregon Teen USA pageant?
Due to my last minute decision to compete again, I wasn’t expecting to win at all. Since I had made Top 10 the year before, I was hoping to crack the Top 5. I said to myself that Top 5 would be the goal, and that anything beyond that would be a true honor. When I made Top 10, I was happy to have placed equally to the year before. When I made Top 5, I was filled with joy and I’m sure the judges detected that joy as I continued to compete for the title. The girls I competed with voted me as Miss Congeniality and that announcement was made just before they announced the final placements. Upon hearing I was awarded Miss Congeniality, I was on cloud nine. Then it came time for the award of fourth runner-up and I could feel myself getting ready to take a step forward because the other girls I was competing against were absolutely amazing. But when it wasn’t me, I was in shock. That shock was held until it was just me and a girl named Taylor Hinds holding hands. When she was announced first runner-up, my mouth dropped and I was like a deer-in-the-headlights and shaking my head in disbelief. My humility is something I hold dear to my heart, so I don’t want people to assume that I didn’t want the title just because I wasn’t expecting it. I knew in my heart that given the opportunity I would make a great Miss Oregon Teen USA, and at that moment I couldn’t believe that I would get the chance to show the world what I am made of. My life definitely changed in that moment.
Did Tami Farrell winning Miss Teen USA in the previous year pressure you?
Tami Farrell is a true and genuine sweetheart and I knew going into it that whoever she crowned as Miss OregonTeen USA 2004 would have some extremely big shoes to fill. So when I was crowned, I did feel a little bit of pressure based on Tami’s amazing job as Miss Oregon Teen along with her success as Miss Teen USA. However, going into Miss Teen USA, I expected the chances of Oregon winning the title back-to-back to be extremely small. I went to Miss Teen USA 2004 with the mindset of making amazing and positive memories while competing to the best of my abilities. I competed my heart out because I wanted to give Oregon the first back-to-back title in Miss Teen USA history, but when I didn’t make Top 15 I was not disappointed due to the fact that I had made some amazing friends along the way. After all, once in a lifetime memories are what life is all about.
What would be your most memorable moment during your reign?
My most memorable moment about my whole Miss Oregon Teen experience would have to be before my reign when I competed in the 2004 pageant. Anyone who is a hardcore pageant fan probably knows about participants using “butt glue” during the swimsuit competition to keep their swimsuit in place. When I was applying my butt glue, I added too much and it ended up seeping through my swimsuit and making an obvious stain on both sides of my swimsuit. I was going to be called on stage in a couple of minutes so there was no way to fix the “butt glue” stains, so I just said to myself, “Well, if they are going to dock me points because my swimsuit has stains then they have their priorities mixed up and they have way bigger problems than stains!” So I went and competed with stains on the bottoms of my swimsuit and the biggest smile because I thought it was hilarious! J During my reign, I made many amazing memories, but my most memorable moment would be participating in a live radio telethon for the Children’s Miracle Network. I was interviewed live on the radio about my teenage struggle with kidney failure and about how dealing with health issues as a child really takes a toll on a child’s sense of self worth. It was great to get my message out there while supporting Children’s Miracle Network and it was an honor to help raise thousands of dollars for the organization. The most amazing part was that I was contacted by a couple of ailing teenagers who told me that I was an inspiration to them. That was an amazing feeling.
What would a typical day as Miss Oregon Teen USA be like for you?
Let’s see here. A typical day as Miss Oregon Teen USA was completing my high school career and volunteering around my community. However, throughout my high school days I would travel to numerous middle schools around Oregon to speak about the importance of self-esteem. On weekends I would volunteer for community organizations and participate in official functions scheduled by my state directors. But in general, a typical day was finding the perfect balance between school and my title.
What do you usually do in your spare time?
In my spare time I love to travel. I grew up in Savannah, Georgia so I really enjoy traveling back to the east coast to spend time with childhood friends. When I’m not traveling, I spend time with my 6 pound long-hairedChihuahua named Pepper who is a definite character. I love reading novels. My favorite book of all time is Gone With The Wind which I read this summer. The follow-up book, Rhett Butler’s People, is also amazing! Spending time with my family and playing cards with my mother is another past-time which I thoroughly enjoy.
I heard about the pageant through a family friend and decided on a whim to give it a shot in 2003. I placed in the Top 10 and the title went to a very deserving Tami Farrell who continued on to Miss Teen USA to take the title! In 2004, I decided to compete again two weeks before the pageant in order to gain more life experience/memories, to reconnect with friends I met at the 2003 pageant and to meet more wonderful girls. I grabbed the swimsuit I competed in the year before, an old prom dress, and just went for it! It was great to see a lot of the girls who competed in 2003 again due to the fact that they were a promising group of individuals who I know are doing great things to this day.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the winner of the Miss Oregon Teen USA pageant?
Due to my last minute decision to compete again, I wasn’t expecting to win at all. Since I had made Top 10 the year before, I was hoping to crack the Top 5. I said to myself that Top 5 would be the goal, and that anything beyond that would be a true honor. When I made Top 10, I was happy to have placed equally to the year before. When I made Top 5, I was filled with joy and I’m sure the judges detected that joy as I continued to compete for the title. The girls I competed with voted me as Miss Congeniality and that announcement was made just before they announced the final placements. Upon hearing I was awarded Miss Congeniality, I was on cloud nine. Then it came time for the award of fourth runner-up and I could feel myself getting ready to take a step forward because the other girls I was competing against were absolutely amazing. But when it wasn’t me, I was in shock. That shock was held until it was just me and a girl named Taylor Hinds holding hands. When she was announced first runner-up, my mouth dropped and I was like a deer-in-the-headlights and shaking my head in disbelief. My humility is something I hold dear to my heart, so I don’t want people to assume that I didn’t want the title just because I wasn’t expecting it. I knew in my heart that given the opportunity I would make a great Miss Oregon Teen USA, and at that moment I couldn’t believe that I would get the chance to show the world what I am made of. My life definitely changed in that moment.
Did Tami Farrell winning Miss Teen USA in the previous year pressure you?
Tami Farrell is a true and genuine sweetheart and I knew going into it that whoever she crowned as Miss OregonTeen USA 2004 would have some extremely big shoes to fill. So when I was crowned, I did feel a little bit of pressure based on Tami’s amazing job as Miss Oregon Teen along with her success as Miss Teen USA. However, going into Miss Teen USA, I expected the chances of Oregon winning the title back-to-back to be extremely small. I went to Miss Teen USA 2004 with the mindset of making amazing and positive memories while competing to the best of my abilities. I competed my heart out because I wanted to give Oregon the first back-to-back title in Miss Teen USA history, but when I didn’t make Top 15 I was not disappointed due to the fact that I had made some amazing friends along the way. After all, once in a lifetime memories are what life is all about.
What would be your most memorable moment during your reign?
My most memorable moment about my whole Miss Oregon Teen experience would have to be before my reign when I competed in the 2004 pageant. Anyone who is a hardcore pageant fan probably knows about participants using “butt glue” during the swimsuit competition to keep their swimsuit in place. When I was applying my butt glue, I added too much and it ended up seeping through my swimsuit and making an obvious stain on both sides of my swimsuit. I was going to be called on stage in a couple of minutes so there was no way to fix the “butt glue” stains, so I just said to myself, “Well, if they are going to dock me points because my swimsuit has stains then they have their priorities mixed up and they have way bigger problems than stains!” So I went and competed with stains on the bottoms of my swimsuit and the biggest smile because I thought it was hilarious! J During my reign, I made many amazing memories, but my most memorable moment would be participating in a live radio telethon for the Children’s Miracle Network. I was interviewed live on the radio about my teenage struggle with kidney failure and about how dealing with health issues as a child really takes a toll on a child’s sense of self worth. It was great to get my message out there while supporting Children’s Miracle Network and it was an honor to help raise thousands of dollars for the organization. The most amazing part was that I was contacted by a couple of ailing teenagers who told me that I was an inspiration to them. That was an amazing feeling.
What would a typical day as Miss Oregon Teen USA be like for you?
Let’s see here. A typical day as Miss Oregon Teen USA was completing my high school career and volunteering around my community. However, throughout my high school days I would travel to numerous middle schools around Oregon to speak about the importance of self-esteem. On weekends I would volunteer for community organizations and participate in official functions scheduled by my state directors. But in general, a typical day was finding the perfect balance between school and my title.
What do you usually do in your spare time?
In my spare time I love to travel. I grew up in Savannah, Georgia so I really enjoy traveling back to the east coast to spend time with childhood friends. When I’m not traveling, I spend time with my 6 pound long-hairedChihuahua named Pepper who is a definite character. I love reading novels. My favorite book of all time is Gone With The Wind which I read this summer. The follow-up book, Rhett Butler’s People, is also amazing! Spending time with my family and playing cards with my mother is another past-time which I thoroughly enjoy.