A Story About Body Image

By Angelique Cauterucci

For as long as I can remember, gymnastics was my entire world. The crisp scent of chalk in the air, the metallic clink of bars, the powerful spring of the vault, and the mesmerizing dance of the floor routines weren’t just details — they were part of me. The countless hours spent perfecting my balance on the beam, the adrenaline rush before a dismount, and the satisfaction of nailing a skill I once thought impossible fueled my passion. I was a little girl with big dreams, pouring every ounce of my heart and soul into the sport I adored.

But when I was nine years old, my world was shaken. I still remember the day my instructor looked me dead in the eye and said, “You will never be a competitive gymnast. You don’t have the right body type. It just isn’t going to happen for you.” Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I was devastated.

I had a choice: let her words crush me or use them as fuel. I chose the latter. Instead of giving up, I pushed harder. I trained longer. I drowned out the negativity with pure determination. And slowly, I found something more powerful than talent—I found confidence and beauty within myself. That inner strength carried me through the rough days, and eventually, I proved my instructor wrong.

I became a Junior Olympic regional qualifier on the USA team. And now? I’m a proud NCAA collegiate athlete.

But my journey didn’t end there. Experiencing the pressures of negative body image at such a young age inspired me to do something bigger—to help others struggling with the same challenges. That’s why I created my nonprofit organization "You Define Beauty".

Through You Define Beauty, I have been a guest speaker in over 45 classrooms, 20 dance classes, 12 Girl Scout meetings, and 8 gymnastics teams throughout New Jersey. I’ve partnered with numerous non-profit organizations to help provide mental health resources to my community. Since starting my program, I have spoken to over 5,600 students between the ages of 7 and 22 about the importance of body positivity and confidence.

Every presentation begins with my personal story of overcoming negative body image and low self-esteem. Then, I share practical tools to help improve self-confidence. My favorite tool is teaching the importance of morning affirmations. I challenge each student to start their day by looking in the mirror and complimenting themselves. I even bring out a small mirror and say to myself, “You are beautiful, you are strong, you define your own beauty!” It feels silly at first, but doing it consistently leads to massive changes in confidence and body image.

After every assembly, I make myself available to any student who wants to share their story with me. To my surprise, so many of them step out of their comfort zones to open up. Speaking to kids one-on-one is a reminder of the real impact I’m making.

When I transformed You Define Beauty into a non-profit organization, I started bringing affirmation boxes to each school I visited. These boxes contain over 300 cards filled with positive messages written by high school and college students. The boxes are placed in school counselor offices, where students can grab encouragement whenever they need it. So far, I have 12 affirmation boxes in different schools and we’ve made over 3,500 cards!

Most recently, I founded the You Define Beauty Club at Saint Leo University. We host monthly meetings to organize fundraisers and events aimed at spreading awareness and educating others about body dysmorphia. Our efforts are gaining momentum, and we’re planning a 3K walk with a fundraising goal of $3,000 to support mental health initiatives and promote self-acceptance.

I also started an Instagram reel and TikTok series where I share my morning affirmations and monthly goals for students to use as inspiration. So far, my videos have generated over 65,000 views across all platforms. I even built a website to reach people who may not be on social media.

And it doesn’t stop there. I launched a podcast called You Define Beauty, where I interview guests about body positivity, self-esteem, and confidence. It’s available on all streaming platforms, and it’s another way I’m trying to make a difference.

Everything I do—whether it’s speaking to students, creating affirmation boxes, making videos, or hosting a podcast—is aimed at helping people overcome body dysmorphia and build self-confidence. Because at the end of the day, true beauty comes from within. And you define your own beauty."

---------

Angelique Cauterucci is the current Miss Cape Shores' Teen (NJ). You can find her at her title's Instagram or her personal Instagram. You can also check out the "You Define Beauty" website, Instagram, TikTok, and Podcast.

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Sportsmanship in Pageantry and Scholarship Competitions - a Guest Blog by Francesca D’Alessandro

Photo: Jessielyn Palumbo

Ever heard the quote, “Winning is first place, everything else is losing”? Recently at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Alexandra Trusova, who is one of the greatest Russian Olympic figure skaters, earned second place in the world games. For most people, this would be an accomplishment of a lifetime but instead, she rampaged in a tantrum of frustration stating she would never skate again. Maybe our moments of rejection or failure aren’t so public nor far-reaching but we all have found ourselves in the depths of disappointment. I don’t actively tell myself that winning is everything but I find myself subconsciously thinking this from time to time when preparing for competitions. Below I will share some steps that have helped me when I’ve flopped and provided me with the strength to keep going.

First, to see the whole picture a little better, it might help to understand my background in competing. I never started out in pageants and never thought of myself as “that girl” but I’m glad I was wrong. Ever since childhood, I played in a variety of sports, jumped into local writing and talent contests, participated in statewide singing conferences, as well as auditioned for numerous theaters. That being said, I’ve had more rejections than acceptances. Eventually more and more of my days were viciously consumed by overthinking my flaws, comparing myself to the unrealistic expectations I held and fixated on the perfection I saw in others. I overlooked my own greatness, accomplishments, and my own potential. However, I took notice of these hindering beliefs I held and started to push back. Slowly, I started changing the way I talked to myself, how I spent my time, and how I perceived my life. With these steady and subtle changes, my life transformed in every aspect. Eventually, I enjoyed the challenges I faced and it helped set up a healthy mindset for each goal I set. Not only did objective goals like my run times or the repetitions of weights I could lift improved, but so did other goals such as my thoughts and feelings about others. I became joyful and proud of my peers for winning and wanted to support them the same way I would support myself. 

Here are some things to practice and keep in mind when competing in sports or otherwise:
 
Time to Reflect:
This aspect of the preparation process can be the less glamorous part and it is difficult to see the hard truths we have to face. First, look at what needs improvement and what you aren’t happy with. It could even be something as straightforward as noticing that every time you see pictures from a certain person you follow on social media, you get overwhelmed. This could be related to feelings of comparison even if it’s not intentional. If you get teary-eyed or anxious thinking about your mock interviews, this could mean you’re feeling unprepared or had previously bad experiences that are spilling into your current situation. 

Take Action Steps:
Some believe in the power of goal lists but having a fear list is just as powerful. Next to each fear you are experiencing (and get specific) write the reason why you feel that way and one or more action steps that will help ease your fear. For example, if you are afraid of speaking on a podcast, ask yourself why, and then write an action step of practicing your introduction then practicing the major talking points you’d like to speak upon. Additionally, organize and prioritize your schedule as needed. Find which tasks are the ones that are urgent and place them at the top of the list. Follow that up with tasks that you can slowly work or ones that are less urgent but need to get done that day. This organization and flow will help maintain an inner peace as you are preparing for your competition.

Mind Your Thoughts:
Feelings and thoughts become words and actions that make or break your competition experiences. This is true for top athletes across the world. Take notice of the limiting self beliefs and address them immediately. Do not let them sit and steep in your mind. Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you, books and podcasts that add to your growth, and tell yourself mantras or beliefs that focus on your strengths and give you hope. Do not allow more than a moment for self-doubt and thoughts of self-comparison. Realize that you are enough as you are, you will get better over time, and you are worthy of love and respect throughout the entire journey.

Hopefully these tips will help you find the inner strength to keep going as well as find a sense of camaraderie as you prepare for your local or state competitions. We are stronger together and your only competition is within yourself. In the words of Simone Biles, one of the distinguished gymnasts of all time, “A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I'm doing. It's not always winning….but for me, it's hitting the best sets I can, gaining confidence, and having a good time and having fun.”

-Francesca D’Alessandro Miss Metropolitan New York 2022

I can't thank Francesca enough for sharing this with us. I hope you enjoyed it!

The Gastonia Honey Hunters Opening Night - a Guest Blog by Julia DeSerio

This guest blog from Julia DeSerio chronicles her appearance as Miss Gastonia at the inaugural opening day for the independent baseball team the Gastonia Honey Hunters. I hope you enjoy it.

I can’t even begin to describe the sense of energy, excitement and community our very first Gastonia Honey Hunters game brought to the City of Gastonia. The culmination of nearly a decade's worth of diligent and intentional work from our community leaders finally came to fruition as we gathered and celebrated the opening game for our brand new professional baseball team.

Affiliated with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, The Gastonia Honey Hunters are owned by Brandon Bellamy, the only Black majority owner in baseball. The name pays homage to a famous figure in Gaston County’s past: Ransom Hunter. Mr. Hunter is believed to be the county’s first freed slave and the first to own property there. “Honey Hunters was chosen to reflect the shared traits between the City of Gastonia and those of the world’s most fearless animal: fearless, determined, and resilient,” Bellamy said in a statement.

The FUSE Stadium, now named Caromont Health Park,

proved to be a wonderful place to make memories and mingle, all while enjoying America's greatest pastime. This was the most “normal” event I’ve attended in my year and a half of serving as Miss Gastonia, and it felt SO GOOD to interact with community members safely with my COVID vaccine. I ran into Andrea Jasper, who serves as the executive director of the Miss Taste of Charlotte Organization. It was so good to see her and briefly catch up, sharing our excitement for the upcoming Miss North Carolina Competition.

Mayor Walker Reid, Councilwoman Jennifer Stepp, and Councilman Robert Kellogg were among several community leaders in attendance that I also got to celebrate with. Even my family got to join in on the fun and drove from South Carolina to attend the event. This was their first time tagging along with me as Miss Gastonia, and it was a blast to show them a small part of my job and the wonderful people I get to represent.

These moments were made all the more special by the phenomenal Honey Hunters staff, many of whom are Gastonia community members.

This is Reginald, who is now a retiredGaston County Schools teacher and active musician, working at the park for fun this season. 

Stacey Malker is a force within the Gastonia community, and I am so thankful to know her and have seen her adorned in Honey Hunters gear and serving during the game. We are so thankful for your service and appreciate your hospitable spirits.

Now for the most star-studded moment of the evening…Ervin "Magic" Johnson of the LA Lakers flew in to throw the opening pitch for the game! I was bound and determined to say hello, and I got even better…I GOT A PICTURE! It was at this moment I understood a whole new level of “the power of the crown…” What a priceless memory and privilege! 
I am often asked what my favorite thing about Gastonia is, and I always answer with pride and confidence:

“C O M M U N I T Y.”

These photos represent just a handful of the kind, enthusiastic, friendly and accepting community members I got to interact with on opening day, and I am so grateful for how lovingly they have welcomed me as their representative. Serving this city and its people during such a tumultuous, triumphant and historic year has truly been the greatest honor of my lifetime, and the people of Gastonia never cease to amaze me.

Gastonia: I carry your huge heart with me every single day, and I cannot wait to wear our city’s name across my sash at the 83rd Miss North Carolina Competition!

I want to thank Julia for sharing this story.