Local teen finding success in pageants

Alison Cable recently crowned in two organizations

Being crowned royalty is usually a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but for Scandia 13-year-old Alison Cable, it’s old hat. The seventh grader at Forest Lake Area Middle School now has more than 70 titles to her name from various pageant organizations and was most recently crowned “Junior Teen Midwest” with America’s Little Miss Pageants. She will be competing for the national title of Junior Teen in August at the Wisconsin Dells.

It was watching “Toddlers and Tiaras” with her mom, Jolene, when she was 3 that sparked her interest.

“She came to me and said ‘Mom, can I do that?’” Jolene recalled. So Jolene, who had competed in a few pageants as a child herself, signed her daughter up for a pageant, just thinking it’d be a fun activity for them to do together with no expectations. She tried to coach her daughter on how to walk across the stage, lightly and sweet, but Ali would clomp her way during practices. Then, as it was her turn, wearing a yellow dress with a ballet-like tutu, she turned to her mom and said, “I know what to do.”

“Lo and behold, it was her turn, and she went out there like a poised little ballerina. She was soft, graceful, and she beamed. She just had a glow to her, a positive energy,” Jolene recalled. She won the highest title that day, winning the Tiny Miss Midwest at the age of 3.

That day began a decade-long endeavor, trying out various pageant organizations and competing for titles.

The Cables say they focus their pageant efforts on ones that focus on community service and kindness, rather than solely on physical appearance.

“We have done the ones where it’s all glitz and you’re dressed to the nines, and, honestly, those have left me feeling void — it’s who has the best outfit. These ones we do now, we’ve whittled it down … because they are focused on helping others and being a kind individual,” Jolene said.

Right now, Ali’s focus is on brightening the days of those who are ill, especially those with cancer or suffering from ALS — a particularly close topic as Jolene’s brother died from the illness — through her recent title with another pageant organization Global United.

“I feel a sense of accomplishment in helping others,” Ali said, giving the example of her recent endeavor to make blankets for those suffering with cancer, later adding, “I just want to make them smile.”

She also raised money for ALS research by biking after seeing how donations poured in to help her uncle buy special equipment because of his ALS. It’s those pageants that she says matter the most to her, and why she chooses to not just do pageants that focus solely on physical appearance.

“That’s why I do that kind of pageant, because I know how it feels to have someone with that disease,” she said.

Traveling to competitions is also a family bonding experience, they say. Most often, it’s Ali, Jolene, and Jolene’s mother who travel together, but there are frequently times when it’s the whole family, as well.

“It’s a road trip, and it’s family fun,” Jolene said.

But the glitz and the glam is also a draw for Ali, who loves dressing up. Getting her hair and makeup done is part of the fun, as is wearing dresses that sparkle. Jolene will design dresses for her, as well.

“I feel like [that] shows me as a person, also,” she said. When she gets a crown, she said she loves being an ambassador, promoting kindness, and being in parades and taking pictures with others.

“I like to meet new people,” she said.

She’s also found a home on the stage. Outside of competing with Forest Lake dance studio The Dance Factory, she has built a speaking presence on stage, as well, finding a talent in being able to deliver a speech, but also answer questions given to her.

“[When] you give your speech, you show who you are as a person,” she said.

Outside of her pageant life, Ali is your typical teenager. She hangs out with her brother – “He does Lego sets with me,” she said – and spends time with her friends. She currently is taking private lessons in dance and gymnastics, and was on the B-squad and JV teams of the Forest Lake Area High School dance team this year. She likes doing crafts, making bracelets and decorations.

She aims to be approachable to others, saying, “I just want them to think I’m nice, and they can talk to me and I won’t be rude to them.”

Alison will compete for a national title in America’s Little Miss Pageants in the Wisconsin Dells in August, and will compete for an international title in July with Global United pageants in Minneapolis.