By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
managing editor
SHORT GAP — Mineral Countians have a special reason to watch the Miss America Pageant tonight on The Learning Channel (TLC).
Miss West Virginia, Kayla Lynam, is a resident of Short Gap, the daughter of Laura and Eric Lynam.
Originally West Virginia’s Junior Miss in 2005 and crowned Miss Eastern Panhandle in early 2008, Lynam earned the title of Miss West Virginia in the statewide pageant held in June 2008 in Morgantown.
A graduate of Frankfort High School, where she served as valedictorian for her class, Lynam has been participating in “Miss America Reality Check,” a reality show chronicling the lives of the pageant competitors through the various activities leading up to tonight’s pageant.
The pageant itself, held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. tonight on TLC.
In between pageants, Lynam has been spending her year traveling from school to school across the state, speaking to students about a program she developed titled FITT Habits — Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type of Exercise.
Designed to combat childhood obesity, the program aims to help students incorporate a regimen of fitness into their daily routines.
As a result, according to her website on google.com, “she is the first Miss West Virginia to speak to kids in fitness attire and lead them in gym class.
“A Fitour Certified Group Exercise and Kickboxing specialist, Kayla knows firsthand the mental and physical benefits of health fitness habits. She is dedicated to helping others make healthy choices and better their lifestyles.”
Keyser, W.Va. —
