MacKenzie Green Interview
Miss District of Columbia USA 2010
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss District of Columbia USA pageant?
I had always dreamed of competing in Miss USA. I watched the pageant as a little girl and dreamed what it would be like to stand on that stage, and to represent the District as a born and raised Washingtonian. However the option to compete was not an option because I was involved in swimming and horseback riding. I was a 12 time Junior Olympian and a nationally recognized equestrian…so taking time out to do a pageant was not an option at all.
Once I got to college I stopped swimming and riding competitively, but I wanted to pursue my other passions. I got in to sports reporting as an on-air TV anchor as well as a host of other activities. But when I turned 20 I made the decision that I wanted my twenties to be a decade filled with adventure and pursuit of my dreams. So I wrote out a list of things I wanted to do each year. The first was to run a marathon, and I did in 2009. Next was to compete in a beauty pageant…and there I was on stage in November being crowned Miss DC USA.
I’ve waited all my life to have an opportunity to create my own brand and to be my own woman, and that is ultimately what spurred me to compete. I saw an opportunity to do something great, and be introduced to a global audience – and I took that opportunity when it presented itself.
What was going through your head when you realized you were the new Miss District of Columbia USA?
I honestly don’t remember much from that night. It was such a blur, and honestly I still don’t think its sunk in that I’mMiss DC (haha). Its surreal to think that I was blessed with being able to live out a dream, touch peoples’ lives, and leave an indelible mark with my reign.
I remember when they said my name all I wanted to do was collapse, because I’m pretty sure I had stopped breathing once it got down to the final two. It was an overwhelming and exhilarating thing to hear my name. And I’m pretty sure I cried more than any rational person should – I was beyond ecstatic. The second thought that went through my mind after disbelief that it was really happening was “thank you god and thank you mom and dad.”
I’ve won countless athletic competitions…but I’ve never felt that overcome with emotions after winning anything.
Why and when did you become a vegetarian?
I’ve always flirted with the idea of being a vegan. I was such a little hippie child growing up when it came to eating. I hated sweets but I could go to town on a bowl of broccoli. I had the kind of parents that shopped at Whole Foods before it was cool (haha). Even when I was an athlete, I ate sweet seaweed cakes while my friends munched on candy bars.
When I was a freshman in college I ate primarily raw vegan out of the sheer fact that I couldn’t stomach the dinning hall food. I had such a flirtatious relationship with veganism that I’m not surprised I’m vegan now.
The turn to vegan happened for me when my uncle got sick with cancer. His doctor suggested a raw vegan diet for him. Because I knew a little bit on the subject I spent a lot of time reading up on going vegan and eating raw.
At the same time I was preparing for my state pageant (Miss DC USA). The insane dieting and exercise took a serious toll on me mentally and physically. With all the reading on veganism I was doing I got more and more interested in the idea of feeding my body whole, clean foods rather than constantly counting calories and obsessing about every morsel I ate. I am a huge Alicia Silverstone fan (I’ve seen Clueless more times than I can count), so when I ran across her book – that was it I went vegan cold turkey. I went from a steak-aholic to finally being able to eat without obsession and feed myself. Because from all the reading I did for my uncle’s condition I learned that how we feed ourselves is very important, and we have to take care of ourselves better for the future.
On the biography of your twitter, you wrote that you are an aspiring sports reporter. What sport would you be the most interested in reporting for?
I’m a huge basketball fan. I fell in love with basketball when I was 15 from friends of mine that played for theUniversity of Maryland. And my dad and I went to games when I was a little girl (we’ve always had daddy/daughter dates to the Super Bowl or NBA All-Star Weekend, and so many other sports events). I love every nuance of the sport. I like to compare it to jazz. There is music in place and a general idea, but once they start playing its about improvisation and changing up the tempo, rhythms and in some cases the entire original plan. It’s an amazing game, and I’d be honored to be a part of it.
I started going to games alone when I was 16. Other girls went on dates; I sat courtside at Wizards games near the reporters and watched what they did. Ultimately I’d love to have a show similar to Brian Gumbel’s “Real Sports.” And really get to tell athletes stories and the social commentary that exists within all athletics. Having to have been an athlete I love all sports and have a great appreciation for what goes in to that kind of dedication and the story that every athlete has.
What would you be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
My most memorable moment was when the pageant was over and I came in to the audience to meet my family. To see them all there looking so proud and beaming was the greatest feeling. I could care less what anyone else thinks about my reign or me but the people that I saw after the pageant are the most important people in the world to me, and knowing I made them proud meant so much. Especially seeing my grandmother (who has Alzheimer’s Disease) tell me that she was so proud and that I was a dream realized for her meant everything. Having all that love to greet me after ending such an incredible and surreal experience was the greatest moment I had at MissUSA.
Lastly, what will you be up to after your reign as Miss District of Columbia USA is over?
After my reign in November I will be graduating college on December 16th with a double major. Then in January I’ll be running my second marathon, but this time I want to raise money for cancer research in honor of my beloved uncle who passed a week after I was crowned. Then after that I will be continuing my charity work and hopefully moving on to an on-air anchor position in a news room.
I had always dreamed of competing in Miss USA. I watched the pageant as a little girl and dreamed what it would be like to stand on that stage, and to represent the District as a born and raised Washingtonian. However the option to compete was not an option because I was involved in swimming and horseback riding. I was a 12 time Junior Olympian and a nationally recognized equestrian…so taking time out to do a pageant was not an option at all.
Once I got to college I stopped swimming and riding competitively, but I wanted to pursue my other passions. I got in to sports reporting as an on-air TV anchor as well as a host of other activities. But when I turned 20 I made the decision that I wanted my twenties to be a decade filled with adventure and pursuit of my dreams. So I wrote out a list of things I wanted to do each year. The first was to run a marathon, and I did in 2009. Next was to compete in a beauty pageant…and there I was on stage in November being crowned Miss DC USA.
I’ve waited all my life to have an opportunity to create my own brand and to be my own woman, and that is ultimately what spurred me to compete. I saw an opportunity to do something great, and be introduced to a global audience – and I took that opportunity when it presented itself.
What was going through your head when you realized you were the new Miss District of Columbia USA?
I honestly don’t remember much from that night. It was such a blur, and honestly I still don’t think its sunk in that I’mMiss DC (haha). Its surreal to think that I was blessed with being able to live out a dream, touch peoples’ lives, and leave an indelible mark with my reign.
I remember when they said my name all I wanted to do was collapse, because I’m pretty sure I had stopped breathing once it got down to the final two. It was an overwhelming and exhilarating thing to hear my name. And I’m pretty sure I cried more than any rational person should – I was beyond ecstatic. The second thought that went through my mind after disbelief that it was really happening was “thank you god and thank you mom and dad.”
I’ve won countless athletic competitions…but I’ve never felt that overcome with emotions after winning anything.
Why and when did you become a vegetarian?
I’ve always flirted with the idea of being a vegan. I was such a little hippie child growing up when it came to eating. I hated sweets but I could go to town on a bowl of broccoli. I had the kind of parents that shopped at Whole Foods before it was cool (haha). Even when I was an athlete, I ate sweet seaweed cakes while my friends munched on candy bars.
When I was a freshman in college I ate primarily raw vegan out of the sheer fact that I couldn’t stomach the dinning hall food. I had such a flirtatious relationship with veganism that I’m not surprised I’m vegan now.
The turn to vegan happened for me when my uncle got sick with cancer. His doctor suggested a raw vegan diet for him. Because I knew a little bit on the subject I spent a lot of time reading up on going vegan and eating raw.
At the same time I was preparing for my state pageant (Miss DC USA). The insane dieting and exercise took a serious toll on me mentally and physically. With all the reading on veganism I was doing I got more and more interested in the idea of feeding my body whole, clean foods rather than constantly counting calories and obsessing about every morsel I ate. I am a huge Alicia Silverstone fan (I’ve seen Clueless more times than I can count), so when I ran across her book – that was it I went vegan cold turkey. I went from a steak-aholic to finally being able to eat without obsession and feed myself. Because from all the reading I did for my uncle’s condition I learned that how we feed ourselves is very important, and we have to take care of ourselves better for the future.
On the biography of your twitter, you wrote that you are an aspiring sports reporter. What sport would you be the most interested in reporting for?
I’m a huge basketball fan. I fell in love with basketball when I was 15 from friends of mine that played for theUniversity of Maryland. And my dad and I went to games when I was a little girl (we’ve always had daddy/daughter dates to the Super Bowl or NBA All-Star Weekend, and so many other sports events). I love every nuance of the sport. I like to compare it to jazz. There is music in place and a general idea, but once they start playing its about improvisation and changing up the tempo, rhythms and in some cases the entire original plan. It’s an amazing game, and I’d be honored to be a part of it.
I started going to games alone when I was 16. Other girls went on dates; I sat courtside at Wizards games near the reporters and watched what they did. Ultimately I’d love to have a show similar to Brian Gumbel’s “Real Sports.” And really get to tell athletes stories and the social commentary that exists within all athletics. Having to have been an athlete I love all sports and have a great appreciation for what goes in to that kind of dedication and the story that every athlete has.
What would you be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
My most memorable moment was when the pageant was over and I came in to the audience to meet my family. To see them all there looking so proud and beaming was the greatest feeling. I could care less what anyone else thinks about my reign or me but the people that I saw after the pageant are the most important people in the world to me, and knowing I made them proud meant so much. Especially seeing my grandmother (who has Alzheimer’s Disease) tell me that she was so proud and that I was a dream realized for her meant everything. Having all that love to greet me after ending such an incredible and surreal experience was the greatest moment I had at MissUSA.
Lastly, what will you be up to after your reign as Miss District of Columbia USA is over?
After my reign in November I will be graduating college on December 16th with a double major. Then in January I’ll be running my second marathon, but this time I want to raise money for cancer research in honor of my beloved uncle who passed a week after I was crowned. Then after that I will be continuing my charity work and hopefully moving on to an on-air anchor position in a news room.