Kendyl Mustard was recently awarded the title of 2019 Miss Alberta National Canadian and she’s spreading positivity to others in the region who want to get into pageants.
Mustard got into pageants from her friend Kali-Ann Ropchan. The two competed together in another pageant system and a couple of years later Ropchan opened this current one, encouraging Mustard to join it.
Mustard then competed back in September and officially got her title in January in Red Deer.
And it’s a different sort of pageant than the ones that involve a lot of makeup.
“Since this is an all natural pageant, they encourage no overdone makeup or fake eyelashes or hair extensions or the amount of beauty that girls think is involved in a pageant, so that’s basically their mission,” said Mustard.
And she stresses that when she is volunteering in her community.
“People always ask, ‘Oh wow, you’re in a pageant, why do you think you’re in that?’ I get that question so many times. I am a plus size model and I love it.”
Every chance she can encourage pageants, she does.
“I try to volunteer as much as I can within anywhere in Alberta because that’s my area that I represent.”
Mustard has been doing pageants since 2015 and was recently in a different system of Miss Teenage Canada. The last title she held was Miss Teenage Red Deer for 2016 and 2017. She took a break for about two years to focus on her education and then was back in action.
Currently, Mustard is a waitress and bartender at Giezy’s Kitchen, one of her main sponsors for the national pageant she’s competing in in Toronto in July.
This pageant is completely the opposite of normal pageants, said Mustard.
“She (Ropchan) really encourages for your inner beauty to come out and I know to some people that might sound corny but it’s absolutely wonderful. I loved not spending two hours on my makeup and not putting fake eyelashes on and wearing six inch heels.
“This pageant is amazing. They do all age groups. Usually the more beauty-centred pageants have age restrictions and you can’t be married or you can’t have a baby – there’s so many restrictions.”
Mustard’s past pageant platforms have always been to stop beauty censoring the beauty pageant world.
“Everyone should just love their bodies and if they want to compete they should compete,” she said.
And she continues to spread this positivity through her volunteering.
She’s been volunteering most of her life. When she was just 12 years old she was on the Penhold Council Committee. She’s currently volunteering at the local SPCA and hopes to volunteer at Penhold’s Winter Fest or make what they call a ‘celebrity appearance’ at their benefit concert coming up. She also hopes to reach out to Potter’s Hands in Red Deer along with the Boys and Girls Club to volunteer where she can.
The 20-year-old currently resides in Penhold.
