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WATCH: Meet the latest Miss Kelowna Lady of the Lake

Program geared towards leadership, mentorship, empowerment.

  • Twins contest title of Lady of the Lake
  • Competition open to young ladies 15 to 18

Sophie Gramiak and her twin sister Isabel have done nearly everything in life together.

So, when it came to competing for the title of Miss Kelowna Lady of the Lake, it came as no surprise they would both vie for the crown.

“I think it would have been weirder not to do it with her,” Sophie told Kelowna10.

Both took high honours at the event, with Sophie narrowly edging Isabel to take the coveted title. Isabel was crowned Kelowna’s Princess.

“It was nice to go through the program with Isabel, because we did get to share it all. We got to laugh together, and when we were nervous, we could hype each other up and help each other out,” Sophie said.

The victory came as a shock to the young competitor, who simply described it as surreal.

“I always saw the Lady of the Lakes winning and so it is unreal [for that to be me.] It’s odd but it makes me happy,” Sophie said.

She and her sister were introduced to the competition at a very young age, as their father was an auditor in the program. They would attend the gala each year and were inspired to run as candidates when they could.

While there are aspects of traditional pageantry, the Lady of the Lake program is geared towards leadership excellence, focusing on mentorship and empowerment. It helps develop and promote life skills in young women over the course of six months.

The girls, who age from 15 to 18, are enrolled in public speaking and self defense training, learn mechanical skills, as well as hone networking, confidence, and hair and makeup skills. Throughout the program, there are five judged events where the candidates showcase what they’ve learned.

“[Organizers] want the young women to know that they can do anything,” she said.

Over the course of the program, Gramiak said she and the other girls all grew and matured exponentially. She said her public speaking and interviews skills expanded the most, noting a boost in confidence, a drop in the number of filler words, and more professional flow to her conversations.

And while Sophie welcomed the bounty of new skills acquired, she said the friendships made over the endeavour will stick with her for life.

“It was never like you are trying to beat the other person or undermine them. You are friends with everybody. You support them. You encourage them. You help out,” she said. “It was never about winning; it was more about learning and meeting people.”

Sophie, who grew up in Kelowna, plans to apply to the University of British Columbia Okanagan and study biomedical engineering. Failing that, she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in science and apply for medical school at UBC.

Published 2022-07-19 by Tyler Marr and David Hanson

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