Mrs. Missouri America Pageant--Chillicothe, MO

Meet Mrs. Missouri 2008, Rhonda Randolph

Rhonda is a vivacious 5'3" blonde with captivating amber eyes. She has a charming sense of humor and an infectious smile. One thing you can definitely say about Rhonda is that "big things come in small packages."

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Rhonda met and fell in love with her high school sweetheart, Reggie. They have been married for 20 years and have two beautiful children. Their daughter, Faith, is 18 years old and their son, Nathaniel, is 13 years old. Raising two teenagers not only keeps Rhonda young, but also makes her daily life full of laughter and what Rhonda likes to call, "adventurous parenting."

After being a full-time caregiver to her family for 10 years, in 1998 Rhonda attended Realty South Real Estate Institute and graduated top of her class. Rhonda received her commercial and residential real estate license. Rhonda moved with her family to Branson, Missouri, in 2005. Her husband works in the entertainment industry, and Rhonda accepted a job with World Mark by Wyndham Vacation Resorts, the largest hospitality company in the world. As a developer representative and sales consultant, she was named Rookie of the Year with Wyndham.

Rhonda has chosen as her platform "Overcoming Obesity." It is her mission to inspire women to fight and overcome obesity one day at a time. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States today. Rhonda is passionate about helping women empower themselves with the tools of proper nutrition and physical fitness. By becoming healthy, women can change the quality of their lives. Rhonda's motivation and passion to help others fight this deadly disease comes from the fact that she, herself, is an obesity survivor.

Rhonda's platform is based on her personal story. Rhonda did not grow up obese; she was your average size child and teenager. When she married her husband in 1988 she thought anything was possible and all of her dreams were coming true. In 1990 she gained 120 pounds with the birth of her first child. One year later she found herself excited to be expecting again, but this time it was not to be. She had her first of two miscarriages with that pregnancy. In 1995 she became pregnant again and gave birth to her second child. Even though she loved being a mom, she looked in the mirror one morning and began to realize that she did not know herself anymore. That was the day she stepped on the scales and was shocked to see the number climb up to more than 265 lbs. She felt as if she was trapped in a body that did not belong to her.

This is where her journey began. Rhonda started trying every diet known to man and yet nothing seemed to work. She became more and more unhealthy. Her physical body began to hurt as well as the emotional toll her weight took on her self-esteem. She started to feel as if all of the dreams she had for her life were lost. Rhonda spent the next 14 years of her life in hopeless despair. She watched day after day as other people lived the life she longed for. How could she enjoy any physical activities with her children if she could not even tie her own shoes? How could she drive her children safely if she could not buckle a car seatbelt? How could she enjoy going out to eat if she could not fit into the chairs at the restaurant?

Rhonda started giving up on herself. It was hard for her to care for herself when she faced a world every day that laughed at her, and a world that made her feel like she did not belong. She was overlooked for job opportunities. The worst thing was when she was simply treated like she was invisible.

Rhonda's motivation for change came with the devastating news that her beloved father had terminal cancer and had been given 6 months to live. Rhonda ran to her dad's side. He looked at her with courage in his eyes and a smile on his face, and said, "This is not the end, but the beginning of a fight." Rhonda felt something stir in her that had not been there for years. She looked her dad right in his eyes and made this promise: "If you will get well, I will get healthy."

Rhonda felt a courage, motivation, and passion that she had never felt before. She immediately went to her doctor and for the first time as not embarrassed to say, "Help me!" She started working daily with a nutritionist and found out that she was diabetic, had developed a heart murmur, and arthritis from the years of being 150 pounds overweight. Rhonda started living a healthy lifestyle--not a diet program. She learned to eat 6 small meals a day and to enjoy any form of physical activity she was able to do.

After three long years she reached her goal. It was with the love and encouragement from her family that she found the strength just to keep trying everyday. It is the strength and courage that she saw in her father that has helped her keep the weight off.

In July of 2007, Rhonda's dad lost his battle to cancer and passed away in Rhonda's arms. She now carries him in her heart to encourage other people. Rhonda feels her dad gave her a gift to look at people with her heart, and to not prejudge them with her eyes. Rhonda wants to use the title of Mrs. Missouri to inspire women of all ages that they can change the quality of their own lives if they will just believe in themselves and take each day one day at a time.

Rhonda hopes her story will remind women of the power of a positive attitude. Rhonda asks: Why settle for a life in which you just exist, when you can life a life where dreams can come true? Through her own battle with obesity, Rhonda has learned to never compare herself with anyone else, because in life we are all on a different journey. Everyone has greatness inside of herself if they won't let rejections and criticism build up resentment, but will instead allow for unconditional forgiveness.

2008 Mrs. Missouri America Rhonda Randolph

Meet Mrs. Missouri 2008, Rhonda Randolph

2008 Mrs. Missouri America
Rhonda Randolph