Meet Mrs. Colorado

Hi I’m Janell Ames, Mrs. Colorado 2011.  I love telling my story because, those who know me know that it doesn’t take a “Pageant Girl” to win a pageant.

I grew up in Colorado; I earned my BA in Business Marketing and married my high school sweetheart, Billy.  We’ve now been married for over ten years and have three amazing children, Braiden, 9, Griffin, 6, and Miale, 4.  I work as an “on-the-go” mom and a print model for Donna Baldwin Talent of Denver.  Family is very important to me and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by my extended family including siblings and both sets of grandparents, because this journey would not be possible without the unconditional love, support and encouragement of my “village.”

My quest for the Mrs. Colorado Crown began four years ago.  I had just given birth to my third and final child and found myself pondering the fact that in one year I would be turning thirty.  I was concerned that my busy life as a mother and wife might sideline my natural sense of adventure.  It was then that I decided to challenge myself to try something new, exciting or maybe even uncomfortable at least once a year.   In effect I was creating my own “Bucket List.”

It wasn’t long after I had shared this “new vision” with my neighbor that she showed up on my doorstep with an ad in the local Parker newspaper.   The ad read, “The search is on for the next Mrs. Parker to represent our community in the 2007 Mrs. Colorado Pageant.”  I laughed at the idea; I had never competed in a pageant before.  I thought of “those women” as stunning and glamorous; not necessarily words I would use to describe Janell.  I thought of myself as the tomboy, the athlete, the girl next door; not a “beauty queen.”

At the time I had started preparing for my first challenge—a triathlon.  I’ve always been competitive and this was definitely the fuel I needed to feed my ambitious spirit.  Not to mention that there was the extra incentive to lose the lingering ten pounds I had gained during my pregnancy.

What an amazing feeling of accomplishment it was to set a goal, train hard, and enjoy the rush of crossing the finish line.  I was hooked.  I competed in a second triathlon only two weeks later and shaved fifteen minutes off of my original time.

Shortly after completing the race my neighbor dropped by yet again with another Mrs. Colorado promotion; this time a postcard announcing the date for the upcoming Mrs. Colorado competition. And for some reason, I didn’t dismiss the idea—why not?  I was in great shape, I felt comfortable in my own skin, I knew who I was, and I thought, well this just might be my next challenge and one that would definitely stretch me outside my comfort zone.

And so my journey began… I competed and placed fourth runner-up.  I was proud of my placement and couldn’t wait to try again the following year.  Once again I placed fourth runner-up and as disheartening as it felt I wasn’t discouraged yet; so I signed up to compete again the following year.  In the 2010 pageant I advanced all the way to first runner-up and I’ve got to be honest, for the first time, I thought this might be the end of the road for this particular challenge on my “Bucket List.”

But I eventually came to the conclusion that I couldn’t get that close and not try again.  With each passing year I had learned new things about competing and more importantly new things about myself.  I’m living proof that a positive spirit and a lot of perseverance pays off.  I’m proud to say—I’m Janell Ames and it’s my honor to represent the married women of our state as Mrs. Colorado 2011.

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
– Harriet Beecher Stowe