Mrs. Algonquin uses pageant to share her recipe for a good life
Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take better care of others.
Such is the mantra of Mrs. Algonquin International Karen Bloom, and she wants everyone to hear and heed her message as she gets ready to compete for the title of Mrs. Illinois International in May.
"Just because I'm a mom, I don't have to give up everything for my family," says the 34-year-old wife and mother of two boys.
"If we stop for a minute and try to be more in control, not only will we change the outside, but we will be healthier overall."
And that healthy attitude will trickle down to spouses, children and others in our lives, she said.
It all started for Bloom about four years ago when she decided she wanted to lose about 30 pounds she still was carrying after two pregnancies.
A lifelong dancer who had always exercised consistently, she dedicated herself to learning more about healthy eating and what kinds of workouts would make her body and mind more healthy.
Small changes eventually paid off in a big way. Bloom lost the weight -- and gained a sense of empowerment.
She was happier and healthier, and so was her family.
Now she wants to help others do the same.
In addition to her part-time job as a medical sales representative, Bloom teaches hip-hop classes at Lifetime Fitness in Algonquin.
She choreographs full-scale dance routines and teaches them to capacity crowds during what she calls "the wildest class in the club."
"I really look at my classes as, you can smile and have fun and burn calories at the same time," she said. "They are getting their groove on."
In her free time, she helps women she meets learn how to eat and exercise better, right down to helping them decipher food labels and hone a fitness routine.
"She's just a really electric personality," said friend Diane Magerko. "She's really into fitness and helping women."
Which is sort of where the pageant thing comes in.
It is Bloom's first pageant. She began the competition process a little more than a year ago after her sons, now 7 and 9, saw a Mrs. World event on television and suggested she "could do that."
It began as a way to show them that maybe she could. But it quickly took on a life of its own and became another avenue to help women learn what she had discovered about becoming a role model of health to others.
She now has taken the title of Mrs. Algonquin International and is one of 15 finalists in the state. The group will compete for the title of Mrs. Illinois International May 3 at the Woodstock Opera House. The winner of that competition will be in the running for the Mrs. International contest, an event dedicated to "showcasing the accomplishments of today's married women," in Chicago this July.
You can meet Bloom and learn more about her platform and her bid for Mrs. Illinois International during several upcoming fundraisers.
During lunch and dinner hours March 25-26 at Woodfire Gourmet Pizzeria in Algonquin, you can mingle with Bloom while sampling some of the new restaurant's pizzas, salads and more. A portion of sales between 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on those days will help defray pageant costs and further Bloom's efforts to inspire women toward better health.
Bloom also will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5 at Funky Things Inc. in downtown Algonquin. A portion of the day's receipts also will go toward her cause.
Whatever happens at the pageant, Bloom hopes to continue working with women to help them make simple changes to become healthier and happier.
"I think in the whole process, women can find out who they are," she said. "It's very exciting…you can do anything you want to do."
duffyjen@comcast.net