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Mine is because one is too many. And my little slogan is keep our kids swimming with three Ms for my name. I know it's confusing, but it's all about drowning prevention. 945 children lose their lives to drowning each year. So just to stop one from falling in the water or Being too tired to keep on swimming and just to save their lives has been my goal with my CSI.

And I've actually been able to achieve that as a lifeguard saving a few children's lives at my own work or teaching free swim lessons in Four Oaks to really make sure that Johnston County is not having any more drowning since we did this past summer.

Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another edition of the Best of Johnson County Podcast.

I'm your host, Jonathan Breeden. And on today's episode, we have Miss Johnson County's teen, Mary Michael McLamb. I said it correctly. All those M's, I've been practicing before I started y'all. So anyway, and she's here to talk a little bit about the Johnson County pageant. That she's been in sort of the pageant scene, how you can get involved, a little bit of the schedule of it, her talent, some of the community service she's been involved with, and why she loves Johnson County.

In particular, she's from Four Oaks, why she loves Four Oaks. So we haven't had a ton of people on this podcast from Four Oaks. But she's folks are going to talk about things she likes to do in and around for folks. I like forks myself. So anyway, it's gonna be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to this.

Miss Johnson County team, along with Patrick Harris, Johnson County Commissioner, Chad Stewart, Johnson County ABC Chairman, or I guess he runs that, he runs the ABC stores for them. Also, former County Commissioner, a lot of great guests that we've had on here. I think you'd find it fascinating. If you love Johnson County as much as I do, this podcast is the one for you.

Welcome Mary.

Mary Michael McLamb: Hi, how are you?

Jonathan Breeden: Good.

Mary Michael McLamb: I'm

Mary Michael McLamb: get it. It's a lot. It's

Jonathan Breeden: a lot. It's a lot. A good Southern name though.

Mary Michael McLamb: Double names are my favorite. Right.

Jonathan Breeden: Double names in Southern. So anyway, so tell the people who you are, where you're from.

I've grown up in Foro. Johnston County has always been my home. I'm a competitive dancer, artistry and motion. I'm involved in my church community. I love serving with Miracle League. Let's see, I go to school in Wilson, but Johnston County, my favorite, has always been my home.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome.

Well, cool. So, let's talk a little bit about When you got into the pageant world, you know, when we had Hanley House on who I know, you know, a few months ago, you know, she had only been in two or three pageants in her life and she ended up winning Miss Teen America. I know you started earlier, took some time off, got back in it.

Talk about your sort of pageant history.

As I got older, dance started consuming more of my time, and I absolutely loved it. So, about the age of six, I took a step back. And then at 14, I saw everyone in my studio competing in the Miss North Carolina organization. I saw Carly Sandiford, Miss North Carolina's teen, outstanding teen at the time, and Katherine White.

who went on to compete at Miss America, which was amazing. So I decided to step back in the pageant scene. I competed at Teen Miss Benson and got to be Benson's queen for a year, which was fabulous. And then I competed at Miss Johnson County's team.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. So when was that?

Yeah, a little over six months to prepare for the title of Miss North Carolina's team and to get to compete at Miss North Carolina's team.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, cool. And so you will be this Johnson County's team till when?

Mary Michael McLamb: January 25th. So I'm super lucky. I always say to celebrate my 16th and my 17th birthday with the Johnson County family.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome. So, and you actually got to compete in Miss North Carolina's team's pageant. back in June of 24. Is that correct?

Mary Michael McLamb: Yes, it was a week I wouldn't trade for anything. I tell my parents I had more fun at Miss North Carolina's Teen Week than I did at Disney. I loved the week.

It was completely exhausting. We never stopped, but I loved every minute of it. I would go back a million times if I could compete with those girls because I truly met so many new friends.

Mary Michael McLamb: my CSI, which every girl has our community service initiative.

Mine is because one is too many. And my little slogan is keep our kids swimming with three Ms for my name. I know it's confusing, but it's all about drowning prevention. 945 children lose their lives to drowning each year. So just to stop one from falling in the water or Being too tired to keep on swimming and just to save their lives has been my goal with my CSI.

And I've actually been able to achieve that as a lifeguard saving a few children's lives at my own work or teaching free swim lessons in Four Oaks to really make sure that Johnston County is not having any more drowning since we did this past summer.

Jonathan Breeden: Right, right. Well, I know you said to me that you.

Help teach 70 kids in the summer of 24 to swim in Four Oaks. Is that right?

The forks pool actually granted me access for free to their pool. So I could give these children lessons. I did not get to all 70 of the students, unfortunately, but it's my goal as the pool opens for the next summer to be able to come back even stronger with more people, more funding. to get even more kids in the water and get them swimming.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that's great. That's great. So the Forks pool, who is that done by? Forks have parks and rec. I don't have any idea.

I

Jonathan Breeden: got you. All right. So it's a privately owned pool. So I, I didn't, I didn't know that. Okay. All right. Well, that's cool. So, so your platform was trying to help more kids learn to swim. And your I guess you said your talent was dance and you said you've been dancing since you basically could walk.

Yes. So is there any particular kind of dance that you prefer of other jazz tap? Clogging. I mean, what all kinds of dances do you do?

Mary Michael McLamb: So yes, I've been dancing since I was 17 months old. So super young. I have always loved it, and I miss North Carolina past summer and when I competed for Ms. Johnson County's team, I competed a jazz dance.

I do love jazz. I love to say I'm an entertainer. Love to get the crowd involved in what I'm doing. So that has to be my favorite.

Jonathan Breeden: All right, jazz. Well, that's cool. That's cool. so what are some of the things other than the helping with the swimming? What are some of the projects you've been participating in this year as part of this.

Being Ms. Johnson County's team.

As West Johnson County's team have also been involved in unto many ministries and we've given out. So many meals to our community. We give out around 250 meals every single Friday to people in Johnston County who truly need it. And then also Miracle League. I love being able to help out. My whole dance team was able to participate and help out there.

And then since then I've fallen in love and keep on going back.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, the Miracle League is. is great. And Monty McLamb, who, who runs that here in Johnson County. And for people that don't know, the Miracle League is, is a baseball league for disabled children and adults that is in Smithfield Community Park.

Mary Michael McLamb: Oh, f started volunteering with They're older than me. So help out. But I always beg games to get up and help. you could see the smiles that get to join in and p they get left out of sport This is a time for them to come together and have a sense of normalcy, which is just amazing,

I mean, they're all playing the game of baseball. I love baseball. Sure. You love baseball. And it's, it's a tremendous thing and, and you know, we had Chris key on this podcast, who was 1 of the chairman of the foundation that raised the money to build that field there at Smithfield community park.

Several years ago. You want to learn more about that? You can go back and listen to the podcast with Chris key, where he talked about where the ideal came from and how they raised the money was. really, really fascinating. A lot of great people in Johnson County got behind that. and it's been tremendous.

And, and Monica lamb and all the people and volunteers like you that go out there and make it happen. Every single every single weekend for the, for those young people and adults to, I mean, it's not just kids. Right. I think it's got some adults.

Mary Michael McLamb: I think the oldest we have right now is 18 or maybe a little bit older, but we have two separate ball games from nine to 10 in the morning.

Jonathan Breeden: So they get up to adult age. That's okay. Cool. Well, that's, that's great.

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Jonathan Breeden: So anyway, so let's talk a little bit about. Okay. We haven't had a lot of guests with four oaks on here. We had Chad Stewart on a few weeks ago.

And he was the, he's now, it was county commissioner. Now he's the head of the ABC commission. They're building the ABC stores around the County and he's excited about that. I think you say you're kin to him.

Mary Michael McLamb: Yes, we are. So four

Jonathan Breeden: oaks is always so big. So tell me some things that you like to do around four oaks and other people that are listening.

Could go to Four Oaks and participate in,

Please pay him a visit just because he's the coolest person around. And then I also love. Carly Fogelman photography. She does beautiful work. There's a fabulous bakery in Four Oaks and then McDonald's is my favorite. You know, McDonald's is everywhere, but it's different in four.

Jonathan Breeden: So where's the, what's the name of the bakery?

Mary Michael McLamb: It's right there on Main Street. I don't know the name of it. It's not coming to mind right now. Okay. It's not coming to mind right now, but I love it. It's on Main Street. Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. what are other things? What are other activities you like to do around for us?

Mary Michael McLamb: I love to just walk through downtown.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, well, really? Yeah, that's great. Pharmacy has been there for a long time and service and citizens of four oaks as well. Yeah. You know, unfortunately, I've not been to four oaks. All that many times I used to go there more when Forks Bank was there and I was banking with Forks Bank, but you know, they're redoing the whole area down there and putting in a new workforce development center for the county.

I don't know if you're aware of that and they're going to be doing some specialized training there. With some machines and stuff like that. And so that's going to be a big deal in for us as well.

Mary Michael McLamb: Right.

Jonathan Breeden: And they're also developing, they're still continuing to develop the industrial park at four oaks on the other side of I 95 and Where they've already got, they've already got several buildings there and some more buildings are coming uh, in the near future.

So that's going to be exciting. 4 Oaks is going to become more of a happening. We're growing. Right. Well, I mean, if you're in Johnston County, you're going to grow.

Jonathan Breeden: No, there's no doubt about that. So if somebody listening has a child that might want to get involved, in pageants in Johnston County, what should they do?

Mary Michael McLamb: Well, it's always important. Most pageants or local pageants around the area require some sort of talent. So, you know, looking at yourself and seeing what that talent is within you, if it's dancing, if it's singing. I've seen someone skateboard or even juggle. So, Do whatever you love to do, and then also you need to look at your personal style.

A lot of the judges and pageants always want to see that, so you know, who are you, what do you want to represent on stage? And then beyond that, looking for a pageant in Johnston County is pretty simple depending on where you live. We have Four Oaks Queens. We have Benson, Queens, I think. Now we even have some in Dunn now outside of the area a little bit, but we're growing and I love that about the pageant industry.

Jonathan Breeden: Well what is the main, I guess, the Johnson County pageants website?

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. I got you. And then these pageants, do they take place at the same time every year? I know, I know you said Miss Johnson County is going to be in January because of your birthday. We know the Miss North Carolina pageant is in June. So these, I guess the local ones that would qualify you for the county one are usually in the fall.

Mary Michael McLamb: Yeah. So they start in the fall. Johnson County is one of the later ones at the end where January 25th after we get back from Miss America because our Miss Johnson County is actually competing at Miss America. She won this North Carolina. So I am super excited to watch her at Miss America and then we'll come home and we'll all give up our crowns.

Mary Michael McLamb: new season is, Miss North Carolina is right around the corner from that.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. so this'll be, so Miss Johnson County will be in January of 25 and then Miss North Carolina will be in June of 25. And I guess Miss America is, I guess later in the summer.

When's Miss America? I don't even know.

Mary Michael McLamb: Miss America is right at the beginning of January this year. Oh, okay. Those. Celebrate New Year's in Florida, which is where Miss America will be. It's been in January the past two years, but before that it's kind of been throughout the year. It means just depending on when they want to have it.

When they

Jonathan Breeden: want to have it. I got you. Well, that's cool. That's cool. So if anybody wants to reach out to you or the Miss North Carolina, I mean, I guess Miss North Carolina pageant has its own website or get involved in the Johnson County pageants. How could they do that?

Mary Michael McLamb: So if you look up the Miss North Carolina website, you'll find a list of the local preliminary competitions.

So I, I might be biased, but I think they are the best and you should definitely come join their family.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and most of the pageants do not have a residency requirement, correct?

Mary Michael McLamb: It depends on where you're competing. I know that Miss Johnston County, it does for the surrounding areas. It is, you know, kind of closed off, but whenever we get into Cleveland and Smithfield, they aren't.

So it depends on the local organization, the title, whatever they want to do, but every teen local preliminary is open to anyone in the state. So, you know, if I wanted to go compete in Charlotte, I could. Right. That's what I thought. That's what I was.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. So, yeah. So you can enter. And there's no limit as to how many of these you can enter, correct?

Jonathan Breeden: All right. That sounds like a plan. So the last question we'll ask everybody on this podcast is what do you love most about Johnson County?

Mary Michael McLamb: The people. I know you get that answer probably all the time.

Jonathan Breeden: That's what I say.

Mary Michael McLamb: It's the people. It truly is. They are a village. They are a community. That, you know, we're rapidly growing, but we're still so connected. And they always have supported me throughout my journey to Miss North Carolina's teen. You know, they've rallied around me, helped me with my mock interviews, helped me raise money for American Heart Association, been giving in my wanting to prevent drownings and helping me do that.

They've honestly just been so great to me. And I've seen that be so evident throughout my title.

Tell us what you like about what you heard from Mary Michael today. And that'll help with our visibility as well. Also. Feel free to like, follow, subscribe to this podcast, wherever you're seeing it, so that you'll be aware of future episodes of the Best of Johnson County Podcast. It would also be helpful if you would tag us in your Instagram stories, Best of Johnson County Podcast, so that will also raise our visibility as well.

Until next time, I'm your host, Jonathan Breeden.

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