LINDEN Town Week (LTW) is not the same without its signature pageants.

Patrons flocking to the mining town for LTW 2022 will not be disappointed as they can rest assured that this year’s hosting will see both the “Miss Linden Young Ambassador” and “Miss Linden Big, Bold and Beautiful” (BBB) pageants.

The Miss Linden Young Ambassador, which is a rebranding of the “Miss Linden Teen” pageant, is set for this Saturday, April 23, while the Miss Linden BBB pageant will be on April 27.

Both pageants will see five delegates each participating, and will be held at the Mackenzie Sports Club on their respective dates.

The delegates for the Miss Young Ambassador are 20-year-old Makayla Forde from Industrial Area, 17-year-old Moneisha Trotman from Block 22, 19-year-old Zalika Samuels from Amelia’s Ward, 18-year-old Elisheba Wilson from Wisroc, and 16-year-old Celina Lorrimer from Wismar Housing Scheme.

In the BBB Pageant, where contestants have to weigh-in at 280lbs or over to participate, the delegates are Shuronica Willie of One Mile, Mitchelle Hughes of Silver town, Madijah Bess of Green Valley, Jenel Pollydore of Spikeland, and Jenel Sertimer of Christianburg.

The delegates of both pageants will open with dance performances which will be followed by a talent segment, public speaking on a community-related topic, and an evening-wear segment.

Additionally, contenders in the Young Ambassadors pageant will also compete in a category showcasing a sports discipline, while the delegates in the BBB pageant will compete in a “Summer Wear” category.

Organiser of the pageants, Mayfield Taylor, noted that, notwithstanding a lack of sufficient sponsorship, the public’s anticipation is building for the pageants.

“I feel good because normally, there’s a hype and persons look forward for (sic) it. After the pandemic, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But persons have not been going anywhere for the [last] two years, so they’re really anticipating the pageant,” Taylor commented in a recent interview.

The delegates are also excited to see the pageants’ return, particularly given their use as a means of building the women’s confidence.

In a recent interview, Miss Young Ambassador contestant, Elisheba Wilson, shared that it was not her first time trying her hand at a pageant. She said it was her past experience that motivated her to want to get involved in more pageants.

Wilson was a first runner-up in the 2020 Miss New Silvercity Secondary School pageant.

“It helps me with talking to others and building my boldness to speak to the public and in the community. And I’m really looking forward to making new friends and helping to motivate other persons to have a high self-esteem, and not be afraid to get involved in pageantry,” Wilson, an aspiring teacher shared.

In the BBB pageant, candidate, Jenel Pollydore, shared how proud and excited she was that there is a pageant for plus-sized women, since they are not usually catered for in conventional pageants.

A teacher at the Watooka Day Nursery School, Jenel said she entered the pageant as a way of coming out of her comfort zone, and wanting to set an example to other “thick” women that being big does not mean that you are not beautiful.

“I just said let me try something different. I feel great at representing the bigger girls so that the others who don’t have the confidence will hopefully see me showcasing myself and it would help them to get that confidence as well,” she expressed.

“We have no limitations and I just want to show everyone that we can showcase ourselves too and have that confidence.”

Her confidence level is one of the primary skills she depends on when she takes to the stage to compete against her pageant opponents.