The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
TEEN WITH A DREAM
‘Strong is thenew skinny’: 17-year-old sets sights on Miss Teen USA Pageant
Sandy Giammarco said her daughter used to be shy when speaking about body image.
MIDDLETOWN >> Savannah Giammarco, a 2015 Mercy High School graduate and teen pageant hopeful, speaks passionately about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and having a positive body image.
During the week leading up to the 17-year-old’s flight to the Bahamas on Aug. 16 for the contest, she simply hasn’t had much time to do so.
Giammarco and her mother, Sandy Giammarco, have been booked solid attending fittings and other venues, ensuring that everything is perfect in advance of the teen’s appearance at the 2015 Miss Teen USA Pageant on Aug. 22.
The daughter will be representing the state in nationals after winning the title of Miss Teen Connecticut in November.
The teen said balancing school with her travel schedule is difficult, although she views the chance to win the title as a path to her eventual career.
“It’s weird to think I’m a 17-year-old going to high school, and then I’m a public figure,” she said.
Sandy Giammarco said her daughter’s victory was
like “jumping into the unknown,” and it’s been a whirlwind chaperoning her during many of her public appearances.
Although the women say they were unsure what to expect, success in pageantry is not brand new for Savannah Giammarco, who has been participating in pageants since the age of 7. She won titles including Miss Connecticut Preteen 2008 and the national All-American Miss Jr. Teen 2013.
The family is obligated to keep Savannah Giammarco’s various outfits underwraps until the pageant, but she is fully prepared to talk about her interests and her top causes.
“Strong is the new skinny,” says Savannah Giammarco, a platform she arrived at after realizing that her accomplishments in horseback riding and other sports created her athletic build. It’s a body type she says is more common in women than what’s considered traditional images of female beauty.
“When I’m on that stage, I have to push my confidence out there,” she said.
Many women, she says, will never have a thin body type, but their figures are just as acceptable at any size.
Sandy Giammarco said her daughter used to be shy when speaking about body image, but she eventually realized that if she didn’t bring her beliefs to the table, there was no guarantee anyone else would.
Mom characterizes her daughter as self-motivated.
“As a parent, it’s kind of nice to not always have to be behind her asking if she practiced,” mom said.
After giving up horseback riding since winning the state title as a means of preventing injury, Savannah Giammarco applied herself in school, earning a dean’s scholarship to Quinnipiac University in Hamden.
The potential of a national title for the teen excites the Giammarcos, but Savannah Giammarco knows in the future she’d like to pursue a singing career. Musically, her talent tends toward alternative or rock genres, but she also draws inspiration from heavy metal.
“It’s very passionate music, despite the scary tactics,” she said.
The teen is seeking to be the second winner of the Miss Teen USA pageant from Connecticut. Logan West of Southington took the title in 2012.