Q&A With Sayville's Liz Record: Contestant for Miss Full Figure USA

Former Sayville resident Liz Record spoke to Patch about her upcoming participation in the Miss Full Figure USA Competition, which will be held March 6 at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, N.J. We asked the contestant a little about herself and how she got involved in the pageant.

Tell the readers a little about yourself.

I'm 25 and I was born in Queens and raised in Northport and then Sayville. I have five siblings, three brothers and two sisters -- the youngest, my sister Vanessa, is autistic. My parents and my youngest sister still reside in Sayville. I currently live in Bohemia. I went to Connetquot until seventh grade, and then I spent three years at LaSalle Academy. After its demise, I finished out high school at St. John the Baptist in West Islip. I went to College at Marymount College of Fordham University, and graduated in 2007. I've been in a local folk band with my brother since I was 20, it was first called “nothing plural” and we are now “Fortune and Spirits.” I sing in the band and my brother is the drummer. I am the mother of an 18-month-old amazing and beautiful little girl named Eliza, and I have a domestic partnership with a wonderful man named Rich.

When did you get started in pageants?

 This is actually my very first pageant.

How did you get involved with this one?

I'm the client of a Model Management agency called ACT Management, and I do plus size modeling print work in addition to my career at Blinds To Go. I am currently in training to be a sales and development manager, and eventually, (or hopefully) in corporate merchandising.

What made you decide to enter?

Anivia, my manager, booked it for me, and then gave me the option to back out. But a room full of woman celebrating beauty at any size...I couldn't pass that up. The business opportunities that would come from it will also be lucrative, but it sounded like an amazing ride. I wanted in as soon as Niv told me about it.

I am sure many people have not heard of this competition. Can you tell readers a little bit about it?

The pageant is Miss Full Figure USA with about 20 girls sizes 12 and up competing for the title. There is a sub section called Miss Full Figure Exquisite which are plus size women 40 and older. There are three categories to be graded on -- Daywear, Evening wear, and the Q & A portion. There's a choreographed dance in the beginning, and then of course, the catwalk. More than 400 people will be in attendance including representatives from BET Entertainment, Lane Bryant, and lots of other movers and shakers in the plus-size industry. If nothing else, it should prove to be a tremendously fun night.

You are using social networking sites to generate some support for your competition. How is that going?

I got an immediate response on my status updates from nearly 20 people. My invite on Facebook was also nearly immediate of attendance from almost 10 people. I have quite a few friends who find the trip to Newark and the $30 ticket charge a bit difficult, but are trying to scrounge up the money to go, so those are about 20 maybe's. Mostly on Facebook though, everyone has just been posting tons of support and really moving comments, cheering me on. That part of the social networking is awesome, and it reminds me that it's a great tool for this kind of thing.

How do you prepare for the competition? What's involved?

I've been doing a lot of traveling to Newark and the NYC for dance rehearsals, and the Q&A. I've also been doing mini fashion shows for my friends so we can pick looks and such. Mostly, I've been trying to keep calm and collected!