Tori Carter InterviewMiss Colorado Teen USA 2004
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Colorado Teen USA pageant?
I had a friend compete for a different pageant system and she loved the experience. It piqued my interest. Growing up with three brothers, I had always been very athletic and wanted to do something outside my comfort zone, something “girly”.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Colorado Teen USA?
Rumor had it that the winner was always positioned in the middle of the remaining five finalists (at the time, Colorado announced 2nd Runner-Up, 1st-Runner-Up, and the winner only). The announcer called 2nd Runner-Up, then 1st Runner-up, but that left me on the end, not in the middle.
When my name was called as the winner, I thought it was a mistake.
I experienced a split second of confusion, then disbelief, and then an overwhelming sense of happiness and triumph. I had worked very hard to be the best I could possibly be, both mentally and physically. It was not the prettiest reaction, with my eyes bulging wide and my jaw seemingly unhinged (yikes!), but a very honest one. I’m still amused at the look on my face in some of those pictures – absolutely, embarrassingly priceless.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Teen USA?
I was told the pageant administrators changed the age rule just before production, so a couple of us with late summer birthdays were ineligible for judging. This was disappointing to hear after all the preparation, but it actually made things a lot more relaxed. I could enjoy the experience, make friends, and represent my state, yet notice a lot of details of the filming process. I had just begun my freshman year as a film major at USC, and returned from the summer at Cinecitta Film Studios in Rome. Experiencing the enormous scale of a major network primetime production, first-hand, was impressive and exhilarating. Watching the staff and crew was fascinating; I knew I had made the correct career decision!
As an inline speed skater, how did you get into inline speed skating and what would be your most memorable moment as an inline speed skater?
I grew up in a small town where THE thing was to have skating birthday parties. Occasionally, the staff would let you race and I loved it. One day after a party I watched the competitive speed skaters practice; I thought they were so cool. They had these sleek helmets and their hands touched the floor to keep their balance as they flew around the pylons. I started competing, and I was hooked.
Probably most memorable was my experience representing the USA in France. My whole family went and we toured cities between the competitions. It was beautiful and a wonderful experience. Serendipitously, it toughened me up quite a bit and taught me some skating tactics that enabled me to win Nationals when I returned to the US.
Tell us about your experience at Miss Teen America.
Miss Teen America was my first pageant, before Miss Teen USA. That was such a fun pageant- Nashville was a blast! It was all so new and the girls were great, I made some long-lasting friendships. I also got a lot closer with my Mom. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing but we loved learning about pageantry together. I also remember trying to sneak in some runs to keep up my training. I was surprised that there was essentially NO down time with all the rehearsals and appearances, so I only managed a few 20 minute efforts. Oh, the horror! J
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Colorado Teen USA?
There are so many! Meeting so many great people during the year comes to mind. Also, Carol Hirata and her husband George were a lot of fun and we had some special times. But I would have to say that working at the ESPN Winter X-Games was as good as it gets. I presented medals, did some charity work, did TV and radio interviews, did a photo shoot (yes, in Aspen!), made some appearances at exclusive VIP celebrity events, went snowboarding with the media, learned how to take a jump on a snow mobile, met famous athletes, and watched some incredible competitions. It was beyond awesome.
What emotions were you going through when you had to give away your title?
Giving away my title was bittersweet; sad that this wonderful experience was coming to a close yet I was grateful to have held the title. I felt much older and more knowledgeable, reflecting on my education during the year, essentially as an intern in “life experience”. I learned a lot about myself and my beliefs, how to present myself well, and how to be more diplomatic in communication. I grew as a person in political and social awareness, became more extensively involved in my community service, and recognized that most people are good if you give them a chance. In my Farewell Speech I gave I talked about what it was like being a “pageant girl”. I thought it was much more than sparkly dresses and “world peace”. I loved being a pageant girl and a part of the pageant community.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Colorado Teen USA ended?
I kept up with my competitive athletics, running for USC and ending up as a Junior All-American in Track and Field, which was great. I tragically lost my speed skating coach, though still skate leisurely from time to time. I reside in Los Angeles where I work for a company that produces events for the major movie studios. We are involved in a myriad of activities from red carpet events to charity fundraisers; it is an exciting and rewarding job which I love! Still active in my community service with cancer patients, I was able to travel to Australia last month to work with breast cancer survivors. Next up: back to school for a MBA and becoming a junior partner in my company. And we’ll see from there!
I had a friend compete for a different pageant system and she loved the experience. It piqued my interest. Growing up with three brothers, I had always been very athletic and wanted to do something outside my comfort zone, something “girly”.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Colorado Teen USA?
Rumor had it that the winner was always positioned in the middle of the remaining five finalists (at the time, Colorado announced 2nd Runner-Up, 1st-Runner-Up, and the winner only). The announcer called 2nd Runner-Up, then 1st Runner-up, but that left me on the end, not in the middle.
When my name was called as the winner, I thought it was a mistake.
I experienced a split second of confusion, then disbelief, and then an overwhelming sense of happiness and triumph. I had worked very hard to be the best I could possibly be, both mentally and physically. It was not the prettiest reaction, with my eyes bulging wide and my jaw seemingly unhinged (yikes!), but a very honest one. I’m still amused at the look on my face in some of those pictures – absolutely, embarrassingly priceless.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Teen USA?
I was told the pageant administrators changed the age rule just before production, so a couple of us with late summer birthdays were ineligible for judging. This was disappointing to hear after all the preparation, but it actually made things a lot more relaxed. I could enjoy the experience, make friends, and represent my state, yet notice a lot of details of the filming process. I had just begun my freshman year as a film major at USC, and returned from the summer at Cinecitta Film Studios in Rome. Experiencing the enormous scale of a major network primetime production, first-hand, was impressive and exhilarating. Watching the staff and crew was fascinating; I knew I had made the correct career decision!
As an inline speed skater, how did you get into inline speed skating and what would be your most memorable moment as an inline speed skater?
I grew up in a small town where THE thing was to have skating birthday parties. Occasionally, the staff would let you race and I loved it. One day after a party I watched the competitive speed skaters practice; I thought they were so cool. They had these sleek helmets and their hands touched the floor to keep their balance as they flew around the pylons. I started competing, and I was hooked.
Probably most memorable was my experience representing the USA in France. My whole family went and we toured cities between the competitions. It was beautiful and a wonderful experience. Serendipitously, it toughened me up quite a bit and taught me some skating tactics that enabled me to win Nationals when I returned to the US.
Tell us about your experience at Miss Teen America.
Miss Teen America was my first pageant, before Miss Teen USA. That was such a fun pageant- Nashville was a blast! It was all so new and the girls were great, I made some long-lasting friendships. I also got a lot closer with my Mom. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing but we loved learning about pageantry together. I also remember trying to sneak in some runs to keep up my training. I was surprised that there was essentially NO down time with all the rehearsals and appearances, so I only managed a few 20 minute efforts. Oh, the horror! J
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Colorado Teen USA?
There are so many! Meeting so many great people during the year comes to mind. Also, Carol Hirata and her husband George were a lot of fun and we had some special times. But I would have to say that working at the ESPN Winter X-Games was as good as it gets. I presented medals, did some charity work, did TV and radio interviews, did a photo shoot (yes, in Aspen!), made some appearances at exclusive VIP celebrity events, went snowboarding with the media, learned how to take a jump on a snow mobile, met famous athletes, and watched some incredible competitions. It was beyond awesome.
What emotions were you going through when you had to give away your title?
Giving away my title was bittersweet; sad that this wonderful experience was coming to a close yet I was grateful to have held the title. I felt much older and more knowledgeable, reflecting on my education during the year, essentially as an intern in “life experience”. I learned a lot about myself and my beliefs, how to present myself well, and how to be more diplomatic in communication. I grew as a person in political and social awareness, became more extensively involved in my community service, and recognized that most people are good if you give them a chance. In my Farewell Speech I gave I talked about what it was like being a “pageant girl”. I thought it was much more than sparkly dresses and “world peace”. I loved being a pageant girl and a part of the pageant community.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Colorado Teen USA ended?
I kept up with my competitive athletics, running for USC and ending up as a Junior All-American in Track and Field, which was great. I tragically lost my speed skating coach, though still skate leisurely from time to time. I reside in Los Angeles where I work for a company that produces events for the major movie studios. We are involved in a myriad of activities from red carpet events to charity fundraisers; it is an exciting and rewarding job which I love! Still active in my community service with cancer patients, I was able to travel to Australia last month to work with breast cancer survivors. Next up: back to school for a MBA and becoming a junior partner in my company. And we’ll see from there!