Debut Miss Longboat Key shares experience competing for state title

This year marked a first for the Miss Florida USA pageant. Among those competing was Madison VandenBrekel, who is the inaugural representative for Longboat Key. 

If she couldn't take the top spot, she said the next best thing would be cheering on a former Orlando First Academy schoolmate to victory, which she did.

VandenBrekel spent her summers in Longboat Key and winters in Orlando. That Orlando connection put her in a unique position of rooting for winner Lou Shieffelin, who attended her same high school.

"I called that this would be her year, especially when she made Top 5," she said.

This was VandenBrekel's first time competing in a pageant of this scale, and she found the experience to be encouraging and enlightening.

"I went into pageantry thinking it would be a chance and an honor to be considered a role model for younger girls to look up to in the state of Florida," she said. "I hoped to inspire them to not only chase after their dreams, but really believe in them."

The pageant, which took place during Memorial Day weekend, scored contestants on their evening gown and swimsuit ensembles, and the remaining half of their total score was based on an interview.

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This competition dates back to 1952, yet this was the first year it included a representative from Longboat Key.

"I went through pageantry training when I graduated high school in 2018, but I never went on to compete because that's when I got accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy College of Performing Arts in Los Angeles," she said. "I hoped to revisit it in the future."

With her parents' encouragement, she did just that.

VandenBrekel spent three days participating in the pageant, and she said she enjoyed rising to the challenges of learning lengthy choreographed group dances on a quick turnaround, preparing for call times in the early morning hours, and voicing everything she wanted to share in on-the-spot interviews.

"The other girls with more experience said this was the longest dance they ever did," she added.

Even though it was a competition, she said the women did a lot to help one another learn the routine in only 24 hours.

Answering questions from the panel of judges — who included former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield — in only 2.5 minutes was an intimidating task, she said. They sought answers to questions about what motivated the contestants to be there, and how they hoped to uplift the state of Florida as a representative. However, she said it was a great opportunity to step up and develop her confidence. 

She did have some frame of reference for the dance, given her musical background. As a singer, she enjoys creating cross-genre music, country and EDM, or electronic dance music.

Every competitor needs a support team, and she was glad to have her mother's keen eye when it came to helping her select her outfits. Among a multitude of options, she picked a pink dress at Prom Pageant Couture, which she knew was the right choice when some youngsters in the store told her she looked like a princess.

"There were two little girls in the store with their mom, and they said, 'Oh my gosh, you look like Sleeping Beauty.' Another called me Galinda, and I knew that was it," she said. "After growing up in Orlando, you can't feel more confident than when you get called a Disney princess."

The competition also provided her an opportunity to highlight some of her other passions. She works with Orion Sky Charters as vice president in executive concierge, and the company provides transportation assistance to veterans.

VandenBrekel, who now resides in Nashville part time, hopes to do more in combining her interests, aiming to one day start her own organization to offer music therapy services to veterans.

Motivated by her volunteer work with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium-organized cleanups, VandenBrekel also shared her interest in work protecting Florida's environment.

But her talent doesn't end there. She shared with judges her enthusiasm for golfing, evidenced by her state championship. As she pointed out, the state has no shortage of avid golfers.

"I spent my whole life growing up golfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and doing anything that has to do with water," she said, which she added is one of the best parts of living in Longboat Key.

VandenBrekel didn't quite make it among the 16 semifinalists out of the 72 contestants, so she shifted focus to cheering on her former schoolmate.

"[Shieffelin] was one grade below me, with my sister," she said. "At the time, in 2017, she won Miss Teen Florida USA. That's actually what got me into coaching in the first place."

Shieffelin continued to compete for the full Miss Florida USA title, and VandenBrekel said it was inspiring to see her win this year. She most appreciated the camaraderie this year, especially when all the contestants and their family members got to enjoy a Hawaiian luau after the first round of competition.

This may have been her first larger pageant, but she doesn't anticipate it will be her last. The training she underwent was helpful, but she said nothing compares to actually getting experience on stage.

She offered her congratulations to Shieffelin and all the other competitors this year.

"I loved having the chance to meet all these beautifully talented, powerful women and expand my public speaking skills and confidence," she said.