What Platteville is for the Chicago Bears, west suburban Inverness is for Illinois` Miss America contender.
After winning the Miss Illinois title this June, Chicagoan Kathleen Farrell, a 23-year-old Northwestern University graduate student, was relocated to Inverness by the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant Board. There, an assemblage of coaches and trainers formulates a strategy for her touchdown on the runway at the Miss America Pageant, which concludes Sept. 19 in Atlantic City. Here`s a typical day in the life of a Miss America contestant in training:
5 a.m.:
Rise and shine at the Illinois Miss America training facility, the Inverness home of Chicago philanthropist and Illinois pageant board member Nancy Franks. 5:30 a.m.:
On the road, in a Chevy Corsica donated by a Chevrolet dealer, to the School of Music at Northwestern University for five hours of piano practice. Under the watchful eye of professor Sylvia Wang, she perfects Alberto Ginastera`s
”Da Danza Criolles” for its Atlantic City debut.
Noon:
Lunch at the Blind Faith Cafe in Evanston. A satisfying macrobiotic melange of brown rice with shiitake mushroom gravy, lentils, hijiki and miso soup.
12:30 p.m.:
To the Evanston Athletic Club for 1 1/2 hours of strengthening, sculpting and sweating with the help of personal trainer and Chicago bodybuilder Cynthia Barker. Despite the changing emphasis of the pageant, the swimsuit stroll still counts for 15 percent.
2 p.m.:
A trip to the Northwestern University Library to cultivate a knowledge of social and political issues. What steps will the UN Security Council take next? What are the values behind the Republican Party platform? Will pollution destroy the beaches of the Mediterranean?
5 p.m.:
Back to Inverness for the Cynthia Barker-designed low-fat high-protein evening meal of skinless, boneless chicken, legumes, more rice and lots of water.
7 p.m.:
From Inverness to Kildeer for the daily mock interview session with emcee and judges, who are played by the Illinois pageant president, executive director and head coach. She endures 3 1/2 hours of rapid-fire questioning and critique to prove that she has done her homework. ”Why are you searching for innovative means to educate homeless children?” ”How do you propose to lessen the plight of unemployed Americans?”
11 p.m.:
Time to retire back at Inverness, in hopes of accumulating enough beauty sleep for the next day`s schedule. It may include a visit with Chicago designer Nina Madincea to come up with an outfit for the pageant week; a facial at the Mayfair Salon; an onstage interview rehearsal at a local auditorium; or an evening gown fitting at Robin Elliott`s boutique in Morton Grove.
”I can`t waste any energy complaining about how hard they are,” says Farrell of her long days. ”At the end of each one, I can only think about the fact that I`m one day closer to reaching my goal.”
And in September, after 75 days of this routine, she will ride the Miss America Express with the other contestants to Atlantic City.
”I`m really, really lucky,” Farrell says, ”and by the time I board that train, I`ll be really ready to win.”
There she is . . .
