Natalie Forbes Neal, 55, of Lansdale.
While she was grieving the death of her husband of 32 years, Natalie Forbes Neal decided to enter a beauty pageant to discover a new side of herself outside of being a wife.
A friend had reached out to her on Facebook in November 2022 suggesting that she should enter the Ms. Full-Figured USA beauty pageant, but the Lansdale resident initially thought she was too old to participate.
“I just never thought of such a thing, but when I talked to the director, Crystal Pegram, she told me this would be the first time that Pennsylvania is competing, and it was an opportunity and that I wasn't too old,” Neal, 55, said. “Then I said, ‘you know what, I'm gonna do it.’”
Eventually, on June 18 at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ, Neal was crowned Ms. Exquisite Full-Figured USA for Pennsylvania and received a $500 prize. She was the oldest contestant to compete in the over 40 category, and will now reign the title for one year and while making appearances at community events and preparing to compete for the national title in November.
Founded in 1989 by Theresa Randolph and Jackie Epps and headquartered in Newark, NJ, Ms. Full-Figured USA is a beauty pageant dedicated to promoting the empowerment of full-figured women. The organization showcases a diverse group of women of all races, shapes, and sizes located throughout the country, with efforts to provide women an opportunity to build a platform, enhance their career ambitions, foster meaningful relationships, and to demonstrate that "size has no barrier on beauty," according to its website.
Participants are expected to have an established platform for topics that are personal to them. Neal has been a widow for nearly three years after her husband died in a motorcycle accident in October 2020 and decided to make her platform gratitude through grief.
“It's a lifestyle that I've embraced for myself,” Neal said. “I had to learn how to grieve in a way that could also be positive, and I know that that's not an idea that many people can embrace. But for me, I found gratitude after I started really thinking about my life without him.”
After she lost her husband, she said she was grateful that she had a wonderful marriage and was with someone who loved her at her heaviest weight. She added that he was a great father and that she was grateful for the support she had from the motorcycle association that they both belonged to.
Up until the pageant, the contestants are encouraged to go out into the community to speak about their platform and to make community service-based appearances. Neal reached out to widow’s support groups and grief support groups.
Contestants are required to undergo an interview process and attend 13 workshops for walking, speaking, dancing and makeup to prepare them for the pageant.
Ms. Full-Figured USA is split into three divisions: Full-figured (Sizes 12 to 16), Plus (Sizes 16 to 22) and Exquisite (40 and older regardless of your size). Participants must be over 18 to compete in the full-figured and plus divisions. The pageant has several categories, including fashionista where contestants can show off their personal style, swimsuit, evening gown, and a Q&A session.
Ms. Full-Figured USA has chapters in nearly 30 states, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia. The pageant allows women to step outside their comfort zones to not only do something they wouldn’t normally participate in but also be a part of something that hasn’t been celebrated until recently, Neal said.
“It was only to my benefit that I worked hard with my sister delegates to provide a very good representation of what the full-figured community looks like,” Neal said. “We're here. We're not going anywhere, and we are beautiful people that just need the opportunity to show how much we can shine.”
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