Crown Plus Tami Mahelona says she could hear the giggles and feel the puzzled gazes as she rolled through the crowd-lined streets during this year's Kamehameha Day Parade. But throughout the entire program, the dazzling crown that rested proudly on her head stood straight and tall. After all, as Ms. Hawaii Woman Plus, she represented nearly 65 million women nationwide. Besides, for every snicker, she received far more whoops of encouragement from admiring onlookers. She shrugged off the scattered jeers and continued on her way, buoyed by the cheers of her supporters.
This year's All American
Ms. Hawaii Woman Plus
is proud of herself and her lifeBy Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.com"The parade really taught me a lot," Mahelona recently confided. "Some people just weren't ready for the idea of a Ms. Hawaii Plus. I saw some looking at me funny going, 'Plus?'" At the same time, there were also people shouting, 'Yeah, you go, girl!' But when I see the sneers and hear the jokes, I think they don't know me, they're having a bad day and I say a prayer for them. They can't accept others as real people with real feelings, and they may not even realize it."
Born Tami Davis some 30-odd years ago in California, this year's Ms. Hawaii Woman Plus met her future husband, Raymond Jr. Mahelona, at age 18 while he was working as an electronics assembler in Huntington Beach.
"He was running wires under my table, and all I heard was a whistle and someone saying, 'Nice ankle,'" she says, chuckling. A bond between the two developed, and over the years their friendship turned to courtship, courtship to marriage, and marriage into a family of four. The Mahelonas now have two sons: Christopher, 15, and Anthony, who is 9.
It was after Anthony's birth that Tami says her battle with weight began. "I was one of those ladies who used the excuse of being pregnant to eat, but instead of dropping the weight afterward, I continued to gain weight. Part of it was age and also not getting into some kind of physical routine. I also quit smoking and went from being a two-pack-a-day smoker to being someone who used food as a substitute."
"At first, I told myself the dryer was drying my clothes too much," she says, stifling a giggle. "Then, if you can believe it, it became, 'Well, they must just be making clothes smaller!'" Mahelona cackles at the thought.
"Finally, I stepped on a scale, and it was like, 'Oh my God ...' Normally I'm between 145 and 150 pounds -- I'm 5'9" -- but my top weight when I finally got around to acknowledging it was 266."
"I'd done the diets that promised you'd lose 20 quick pounds. I'd done the diet roller coaster," Mahelona says. "Eventually I withdrew from life, I withdrew from parties, I withdrew from people. I remember I was even afraid to go to Disneyland because I thought if I couldn't fit into one of the seats, I'd be so embarrassed."
As her self-consciousness approached debilitation, Mahelona decided to confront her weight head on. "Before the depression could take control, I forced myself to accept the person I really was inside and finally realized that the people in my life who loved me loved me."
Now with occasional exercise, she's reduced her weight to a manageable 235. "I can still hold my own," she says proudly. "I'm still the girl that will do a handstand and everyone's like, 'Whoa, what's she doing?'"
Several months ago, while sitting at the kitchen table with her husband, Mahelona came across a newspaper ad announcing the All American Pageant's first appearance in Hawaii. "I said, 'Honey, look -- there's even a plus-size category.' He just looked back at me and said, 'Do it.' And although I'd never planned to be involved in something like that, I did it thinking maybe I'd have something interesting to tell the grandkids someday."
On May 12, Mahelona was selected from a pool of 60 applicants and contestants to represent Hawaii in the national finals of the sixth annual All American Pageant in Tampa, Fla.
Although traditional in many ways, there are a number of factors that separate the All American Pageant from others of its kind. Rather than being made to compete against fellow entrants, contestants are judged individually in several categories. Prizes are also distributed more evenly among participants. Adding to its appeal as an alternative to beauty contests, the All American Pageant also states that it is the only pageant that involves the active participation of its delegates in a number of charitable children's causes.
As others continue to benefit from her involvement in the pageant and its programs, Mahelona says her past tribulations were endured for a greater purpose. "In the end it's about accepting who you are as a person and learning to love yourself," she reveals. "If I can show a large woman how to smile, put on an outfit and believe in who she is, then I can say my time's been well spent."
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