Q&A with Gwen Baldwin Ms. Senior Shelby County contestant

Gwen Baldwin had never been a pageant participant before she entered the Ms. Senior Shelby County Pageant last year. 

Crowned Ms. Senior Heart of Dixie, she was runner-up to Ms. Senior Alabama. She will be coming back for her second year of competing at this year’s Ms. Senior Shelby County Pageant on May 7. 

Contestants older than 60 from inside and outside the county are encouraged to be a part, according to pageant organizer Edwina Chappell, who says participants like Baldwin who take that step to be involved end up loving the experience of “making a memory.” 

Two past winners from the Shelby County pageant have gone on to win state and place in the national competition.

280 Living recently sat down with Gwen to discuss her pageant experience.

Q: 280 Living: What was your experience like competing in your first-ever pageant last year?

A: Baldwin: I’ll be honest — going into it, I felt much like Sandra Bullock in “Miss Congeniality.” I had no idea what I was doing. My mother asked me, “Why are you doing this? This is not you.” But when I got there, they were the most incredible, sweet people. They were so nice. Overall I’m just a down-home, genuine person, and I loved meeting them and being a part of it.

Q: 280 Living: I hear participants have a variety of talents for the talent portion of the competition, from sewing to reading poetry. What is your talent, and how did you choose it?

A: Baldwin: Choosing it was a funny experience. I took piano for seven years, and I would always freeze in front of people, so I knew I couldn’t do that. I also sang with a gospel group, New Creation, for five and a half years, but that whole time I never sang a solo, so I knew I couldn’t do that either. So I ended up dancing. I did the evolution of dance, and they really seemed to like it.

Q: 280 Living: Do you dance for a hobby?

A: Baldwin: No, but I was a cheerleader, and I always loved to dance. That was a prerequisite when I was finding a husband — to find someone who liked to dance. 

And I think at the pageant just having a contestant who could still kick their leg up over their head was something that made an impression.

Q: 280 Living: Why did you decide to participate?

A: Baldwin: It’s a really long story. Four years ago, my dad passed away, and I spoke at his funeral, and afterward two people asked me why I wasn’t a motivational speaker. I decided to try to figure out how to get there, and usually you have to have a title to get you in places. That’s how I got started. 

It’s an interesting road. I felt led by the Lord to get there, and since then I’ve gotten to speak for a number of meetings. I’ve spoken on a variety of topics, but my main message always comes back to the reality that you cannot do anything if God is not first in your life. 

I encourage people to enjoy their life, love, play and smile.