Michelle Banham
AGE: 25 | HEIGHT: 5'5" | HOMETOWN: CALGARY, AB
Michelle grew up in the NWT and Nunavut where she got to experience the Dene and Inuit cultures. This gave her an appreciation for how diverse Canada is and what it means to be part of a multicultural country. Her family befriended many Inuit artists, which contributed to her passion for art and creativity.
Michelle's extensive training as a competitive and professional figure skater taught her many life skills; focusing on self discipline, perseverance and that with hard work dreams really can become a reality. In the past five years she has traveled a considerable amount and in distinctively different forms. Michelle was invited to professionally figure skate through South East Asia at the age of 18. This trip was very unique because they were the first company to ever tour Thailand figure skating. This gave her a special opportunity to experience another new culture. All her traveling experience has been an outstanding time to draw from these diversities to build her individual character through immersing herself into remarkable cultures, religions and ethnicities.
Michelle believes that life is an infinite realm of possibilities but in the future hopes to be traveling around the world as a philanthropist and inspirational speaker, helping to empower women all over the world from all different backgrounds teaching them self confidence and sending the message that true beauty comes from within. She plans to bring her camera with her, she will showcase the images she accumulates to help educate and expand people's views of other cultures and ways of life. Michelle also dreams of founding a sports facility for less fortunate children believing that participating in extra curricular activities can vastly influence how they value life.
In her down time she rides her horses, decorates cakes and continues to be creative in a variety of different expressions. She leads an active lifestyle and with her education she wants to teach people about nutrition and taking care of their mind body and soul as a whole. Michelle makes a positive difference in the lives of those she touches. She conveys positive energy and is constantly curious and interested in learning so all of her interactions are filled with quality and depth. Michelle encourages supportive behavior and believes dreams really do come true with rigorous discipline and boundless optimism.
Questionnaire
Are you currently a student? No
If yes, where?
Area of study:
Are you currently employed? Yes
If yes, what is your occupation? Self Employed Performer/Professional Figure Skater
Have you completed secondary school?
If yes, where? Yes, Cochrane High School, Cochrane Alberta
Have you completed university/college? No
If yes, where?
Have you completed any technical/professional school? No
If yes, where?
What subject?
Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language) English
List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
Figure Skating. Photography. Horseback Riding Lessons - Western, English, and Jumping. Dance - Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop. Yoga. Cake Decorating. Gymnastics. Fitness training, Nutrition. Sewing. Level one Figure Skating Coaching.
In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?
Figure Skating- started formal lessons at age 8, have skated for 17years, competitively and professionally, Alberta Winter Games gold medallist, achieved triple gold levels, N.W.T territorial competition won most artistic skater over all.
Horseback riding- training and competition for 3 years, currently ride my own horses for pleasure.
Downhill skiing- 15 years
Snow boarding- 11 years
Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received. Mount Royal University- Business 2003/2004, Philosophy/Anthropology studies 2004, Did not complete degree. Photography SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) 2006/2007
What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years? Volunteered for Project Homeless, Supported “Run for the Cure” Breast Cancer, Supported Women’s shelter, contributions to goodwill seasonally, food bank donations.
What would be your "dream job" in life?
My dream job in life would be to travel the world as a philanthropist and inspirational speaker and have my camera along side me to capture every experience and moment I share with the people of the world. Meeting and speaking to people who are so different than I am in every way and respecting them for the joy they find in their lives. I will spend time learning how they think and feel so I am able to portray that in my photos. Showcasing these images in a gallery and having my work published will give me an opportunity to expand people’s view of other cultures, religions, and ways of life.
Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?
Mike Slipchuk, my former figure skating coach and men’s national champion, currently the high performance director of Skate Canada, influenced how I looked at life from very early on and most importantly taught me that it’s not all about winning a gold medal when participating in a sport or after school activity. It is about the life skills you will receive from your hard work and dedication to your passion. Mike encouraged me to set goals which in return taught me the most important lesson I have learned, self discipline and how perseverance and dedication can lead to success. Mike was beside me, teaching me how to persevere through failure, which may be falling down at practice and getting right up and trying again or it may be at a competition when you really didn't’t have the best performance you were hoping for. He also was beside me through successes, and together we practiced the highest form of sportsmanship and honor, at that point I really learned how to treat others as I wish to have others treat me.
What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)
My proudest accomplishment was leaving home at 18 and being invited to professionally figure skate on tour through South East Asia. I was rewarded this opportunity because of all the hard work and countless hours I devoted to my passion. One of the reasons I am so proud of this accomplishment is because it felt like I was able to thank my parents for all the hours they spent driving me to the rink, they were so proud that all their effort and time had also led to this reward. They knew that the life experience I would gain from this tour was well worth every moment they spent supporting me at the rink. I had never left North America or traveled alone. It took courage for me to leave and if I hadn’t taken the risk I would not have had that experience. I’m so proud I did, it showed me how courageous I really am.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
My career ambition is to make enough financially through performing and photography to be able to travel the world as a philanthropist and inspirational speaker, taking my camera with me to continue taking photos, capturing all of my experiences, to be able to eventually showcase those images in a gallery and publish them. These photos will give people the opportunity to expand their views of different cultures and ways of life. To accomplish this goal I will continue to save financially, and continue to expand and experiment with my knowledge of photography. Participating in Miss Universe Canada is allowing me an opportunity to perfect my public speaking skills, also to network and make connections with other people who have similar passions to change the way people see the world, and learn more about what can be done to make changes in our global community.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like. I spent seven years as a child living in the N.W.T. and Nunavut where my father was an R.C.M.P. officer. This time gave me an opportunity to experience the Inuit and Dene cultures, where I learned things like how to cook caribou stew, and make bannock, we had to make everything from scratch. It was in the north that my father and I made our first ginger bread house for Christmas, a family tradition we continue today.
I learned how to jig which is their form of dancing. I lived through severe Northern weather conditions. Our only method of transportation through town was walking or snowmobiling. I learned what it was like living in isolation where our only means of travel in and out of the area was by plane. My family became friends with the local people, many of whom were artists, which contributed to my love of art and creativity. All of this gave me an appreciation for how diverse Canada is. I believe that I am so open minded today because of my experiences as a child living in the north.
At the age of nine my family and I moved to Banff Alberta. What a contrast. I was quickly immersed into this new culture. Skiing everyday after school, grocery stores fully stocked and close by. The ability to drive where we wanted to go. This was my introduction to horseback riding and cowboy culture. I was able to share my northern experiences with my new friends.
List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
-I worked full time for two years as an Ambassador and Special Events Coordinator for a not for profit health care organization in Calgary, supporting family physicians.
-I traveled through Thailand skating professionally, this was very unique because we actually had to bring our own ice compressor and build our own ice in each location we traveled to. We were also the first production company to bring a Figure Skating show to South East Asia, this was interesting because of the people’s reactions to the performances and also because of the life experiences I had from traveling to a new and exciting part of the world.
-I had the opportunity to work with two small children as a full time nanny for five years.
List any volunteering you have done.
-Volunteer for four Project Homeless Connection events
-R.C.M.P food drives and hamper preparation
-Worked closely with the athletes as a volunteer coordinator of the 2006 world -figure skating championships in Calgary
-Various figure skating competitions and ice shows – working with athletes and the logistics team.
-Did all the photography for my high school’s year books.
Where is the most interesting place you have been?
The most interesting place I have ever been was to Bangkok, Thailand.
It was my first time in Bangkok, it was also my first time out of North America.
The moment the doors slid open at the airport and I took my first breath I could feel the humidity and this strange smell like nothing I had ever smelt, which I soon realized was the smog, garbage and air pollution of the large city.
The initial ride to the hotel was quite interesting, they do not have the same traffic laws that we do and to my standards seemed quite dangerous. I remember arriving at the hotel and seeing a rat that was the size of my pet cat back home. There was this overwhelming presence of extreme wealth and extreme poverty and not much in between. This is where I learned how different people value life differently. It was all quite a shock for me and perhaps why I choose this as the most interesting place I have ever been.
What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
What makes me such a unique contestant is my extraordinary childhood,
growing up in the North and learning so much about diversity at such a young age and what it means to be part of a multicultural country. My extensive training as a competitive and professional athlete also sets me apart from the other delegates. It has taught me many life skills, focusing on self discipline and perseverance, and that with hard work your dreams really can become a reality, and I have proven that time and again with my continuous successes in achieving life goals, not just in figure skating. In the past three years I have traveled a considerable amount, and in distinctively different forms of travel.
I have traveled off the beaten track, backpacking through Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia for months at a time, and in some cases on my own. This was an outstanding time to draw from these diversities to build my individual character through immersing myself into remarkable cultures, religions and ethnicities. I have also experienced what it is like to travel by staying in hotels and spending more on accommodation and food but not traveling for such a long period of time at once. I have visited Hawaii, Bali, New York, and Australia this way.
I have also driven the entire east cost of Australia in a van with six fellow travelers, all from Britain. Last year I lived in Australia and even though it is an English speaking Commonwealth country like Canada it is very different. I make a positive difference in the lives of those I touch, I can find good in all situations and I believe you can find blessings in disguise. I am always curious and interested in learning and so my interactions are filled with quality and depth. People around me are intrigued by the joy I find in my life. I encourage supportive behavior and teach everyone to pursue positive thinking. Success to me doesn’t come in a dollar amount, it is the joy I feel in being true to myself. I believe all these attributes help me to standout from my fellow contestants.
What is your philosophy of/in life?
My philosophy in life is to dream big and that with positive thinking anything can happen, so to pursue your dreams, and never ever give up. To maintain success in life, it requires rigorous discipline and boundless optimism. I believe I convey this positive energy and that I can truly be what ever I can dream. You have to want it so much. It’s a question of moving forward and believing in your true feelings. Let nobody tell you what you should be or what you should do.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
Life is an infinite realm of possibilities, but in ten years I hope to have a place to call home and hardly ever be there. I will be traveling around the world visiting new places, taking photographs and playing an important role in helping women all over the world empower themselves. Leading by example I will be teaching them self confidence and send the message to women that true beauty comes from within.
In my down time I will be enjoying my acreage where I can ride my horses, decorate cakes and continue to always be creative in a variety of expressions.
I hope that by the time I am 35 I will have or will be working on founding and building a sport’s facility for children less privileged to be able to participate in sports. Giving them a safe place to come thanks to donations and sponsors . It is very important for me to give back to a culture that vastly influenced how I value life.
Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
Something that I haven’t been able to mention earlier is how much I enjoy leading a healthy active lifestyle. I visit my gym on a daily basis and I have spent much time researching nutrition. I enjoy doing yoga and spend much of my down time reading. I am passionate about taking care of my body, mind and soul. Through this training I am now able to support others to maximize their quality of life, by educating on healthy diet, exercise and encouraging positive thinking. I also have a great passion for the arts.
I spend time drawing, taking photographs, reading interior design magazines, watching movies and independent films and finding inspiration in many different genres of music. I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Design in New York City. My favourite exhibit was the Ancient Greece and Roman wing, where they had ancient artifacts on display along with write-ups explaining exactly where the piece had been found and how many years ago. I have always been fascinated by many different cultures; this experience just gave me an insight into the Ancient Greek and Roman culture. Visiting Buddhist temples in The Kings Palace in Bangkok was another chance to learn about a culture, this one being a religion and place of worship.
I strongly support the enrolment of children in afterschool activities whether it be skating or any other activity, being able to offer them a safe place where they can set goals, will, I believe give them an important sense of purpose in their lives. This is why I spend much of my time volunteering with in my sport, helping coordinate and facilitate figure skating competitions, ice shows and coaching young children.
Miss Universe Canada should be a leader and I believe I am up for the challenge. I am an effective role model to women and young women all over the world. Representing my country will allow me an opportunity to share with the world how we as a nation represent every heritage and religion and what it means to be a part of a multicultural community, and what a diverse group of people we have living here in Canada. I represent a healthy and happy lifestyle, full of joy. I am intriguing but still relatable and will represent my country honourably and gracefully.
source: (Thank you and credits to
http://www.beautiesofcanada.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)
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