Miss Alabama with Miss Leeds Area Scholarship

Equipped with her best accessory —confidence — Chandler Champion clenched the crown over the weekend making a lifetime goal a reality by becoming Miss Alabama 2013.

Faring well in previous competitions as second and third runner up at Miss Alabama, Chandler said this year she went about pageant week in a different way.

“I don’t know why, I just had such an incredible peace,” she said. “I didn’t stress out. I went about this year with a different kind of confidence.”

Securing awards in swimwear and talent during the week helped Chandler continue on, perfectly poised to fulfill her vision of claiming the crown.

“Friday was an interesting day for me. As I was walking into rehearsals at Samford I slipped, fell and landed on my good knee,” said Chandler. “We iced it, and I ended up winning talent. It was a whirlwind night.”

Saturday night, a quiet hush fell over the crowd at the Leslie Wright Center at Samford University as the five finalists held hands and eagerly awaited the results.

Once Chandler heard her name she said she was in a state of shock.

“I was speechless. My heart skipped a beat in the best possible way. In that moment I realized everything I’d worked for had just come to fruition,” she said. “My life changed in that one instant. I still can’t believe it. It’s so crazy.”

Recalling the first person she saw after flashes from cameras dissipated was her sister, 10-year-old Zoe Champion.

“We just stood there and cried. It was a special moment.”

Chandler went on to say another of her favorite moments from this year’s pageant was being on stage with Zoe.

Participating in a mentor program, Alabama’s Rising Stars, allowed Zoe to share this experience with Chandler, further providing these sisters a unique way to strengthen their bond.

Taking a break from studies at the University of Alabama where she is majoring in dance and broadcast journalism, Chandler said she quickly realized Miss Alabama is a full-time job.

“The doors that have opened for me are amazing.”

Taking surreal moments in stride, such as previous Miss Alabamas welcoming her to the sisterhood and telling her to contact them with any questions, Chandler is looking forward to sharing her platform of literacy with the state.

As Miss Leeds Area 2013, Chandler read to almost every class at Leeds Elementary School (LES), helping them achieve a reading record of 1,053 hours and 25 minutes for a school wide reading challenge.

One of her greatest accomplishments as Miss Leeds Area was building a library book by book for the Rushton School in Birmingham, which is now called the Chandler Champion Rushton School library.

“The school went from having a set of 1968 encyclopedias to 1,500 books,” Chandler said. “This was something that a lot of hard work was put into and is very rewarding for me. It was such a successful year.”

Excited for the biggest competition of her life, Miss America, Chandler looks forward to taking the pageant back to Atlantic City where the tradition began in 1921.

Competing Sunday, September 15, alongside 52 other contestants, Chandler will vie for the title of Miss America.

As for her home state and the group of women she competed with at Miss Alabama she’s honored to be among such a supportive group.

“It’s amazing to see girls in this pageant system,” she said. “They don’t live up to the stereotype and aren’t caddy. We’re all happy for each other’s success.”

Honored to be Miss Alabama 2013, Chandler looks forward to connecting with communities.

“The opportunities of who I get to reach out to and being in different communities are some things I’m really looking forward to,” said Chandler. “What I look forward to the most is getting to know the people of this wonderful state.”