Today we’d like to introduce you to Katina Schroeder
Hi Katina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I reside in Burnsville with Michael, my husband of 19 years, our 15 year-old daughter Raina and a small zoo consisting of two dogs, two birds and an aquarium full of sea monkeys. My family and I enjoy hosting backyard pool parties, accessorizing our neon green Jeep (and teaching Raina how to drive it!), being a parent volunteer for both of the Prior Lake Girls Swim and Dive team along with the South Metro Storm swim team and reading about women’s history in the Renaissance era. Our family also loves the thrill of horror movies and we have regular Friday night family movie nights. I hold Bachelor and Master’s degrees in English and Literature from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
At the age of 7, I was entered by my mother into my first pageant and was crowned the 1979 Junior Queen of Spring Lake Park. Since then, I have had a background of 30 years in pageantry having won both local, state and national titles. As a child, I remember watching the Mrs. Minnesota pageant televised live from the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre and dreamed of one day capturing that title.
What sets me apart from others in the world of pageantry is that I’m not your typical competitor. At 52 years old with a body that literally has been through some major up and downs, I’m not afraid to let people know that I do have some “dings and scratches” that I’m now not afraid of letting the world see. When it comes down to it, I’m a real person who has had real life challenges. I’m a wife and a mother who does all of the typical things like grocery shopping, taking out the garbage cans and waiting in the school pick-up lines and I’m very proud of those titles as well! Since capturing the title of Mrs. Minnesota America, I’m humbled by the number of messages that I’ve received from people who are looking to change their lives too and so proud to be their biggest cheerleader and promote the message of the importance of good health across Minnesota.
To anyone struggling with their own health journey, you have my support and empathy – I see you! I’m living proof that YOU CAN DO THIS regardless of your age! Your journey may not be in a perfect linear fashion, but CRUSH those goals and don’t be afraid to take back your LIFE AND YOUR HEALTH. Your spouse, family, children and friends love you, need you and want you to be around for a long, long time. Even if you can’t identify with losing an extreme amount of weight, I hope that I can inspire you to flex your inner fortitude and pull yourself out of any difficult situation you may encounter in your life. You are stronger than you think! Since being crowned Mrs. Minnesota, I have had so many people reach out to me on social media or my personal website asking for advice, help, support or taking a renewed interest in their own health. Along with this article for Voyage Minnesota, I’ve also had the privilege of sharing my story on my local FOX 9 Good Day, WCCO & CBS News Minnesota television and WCCO Radio, The BS Show with Bob Sansevere, Around Town media Facebook livestreams and was featured in a national media campaign by Blossom Bariatrics. This is exactly what I want my legacy as Mrs. Minnesota and as Mrs. America to be – a year of inspiration, hope and the betterment of ourselves and our families through good health. For any appearance requests, please feel free to contact me at mrskatinaschroedermn@gmail.com.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey through pageantry wasn’t always rhinestones and roses. I last stepped off of the Mrs. Minnesota stage in 2006 & 2007 which marked my last appearances in pageantry prior to the birth of our daughter Raina. After her arrival in 2009, I found solace in food due to post-partum depression, negative self-image and I completely ignored the importance of making my health a priority. I was so busy and focused on being a new mom and returning to my career which in turn led me to forget about taking care of myself. These were the negative catalysts that over the years compounded in a diagnosis of obesity at almost 300 pounds. In 2021 with the loving support of my husband, family and friends, I realized I had the strength and power to take back control of my health. I returned to a diet and exercise regime and combined it with medical intervention. Starting out was daunting, but it marked the beginning of a journey to reclaim my life. I now have shed 135 pounds and I’m proudly coming up on 3.5 years of maintaining. I now strive to be a role model for a wholly healthy lifestyle which includes physical activity, good nutrition and therapy to address adverse relationships with food. I proudly stepped back on to the Mrs. Minnesota stage in 2023 and had the honor of placing 3rd runner-up which reignited my love of pageantry. My lifelong dream was realized on Sunday, June 2nd 2024 when I was crowned Mrs. Minnesota America after 4 tries over the course of 18 years. A queen’s health is her wealth!
The craziest thing about this whole story is that on August 20, 2024 I was back in Las Vegas checking into the Mrs. America pageant as Mrs. Minnesota America! This was exactly THREE YEARS to the day from when I was sobbing on a surgical gurney in a bariatric clinic in Las Vegas just shy of 300 pounds and ready to leap off of it and run away. Never in my wildest dreams while crying my eyes out telling the medical staff that I used to do pageants did I ever think that I would ever have the chance to fulfill my dream to compete at the Mrs. America pageant representing my home state. The Mrs. America pageant was held on Wednesday, August 28th at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and I celebrated my “re-birthday” during pageant week! The cherry on top was that I won the “Fabulous Face” award and placed in the top 15 finalists at Mrs. America!
In partnership with my story, I’m also advocating for the national #KeepHerConfident initiative sponsored by Dove & Nike which promotes body positivity in young female athletes with free downloadable curriculum for coaches and parents to utilize. This is a personal topic for me as my 15 year-old daughter is a competitive swimmer. Girls who take part in physical activity throughout adolescence have a better understanding and appreciation of what their body can do physically and placing an emphasis on living an active, healthy lifestyle, rather than focusing on appearance in an age where the influence of social media and comparisons are all too negatively influential. I never want to see a young girl face the struggles that I did.
For additional information on my platform, please visit www.bodyconfidentsport.com www.coachingher.com and www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/confident-sports.html . Additional platform information can be found at https://tuckercenter.umn.edu or my social media sites on Facebook and Instagram or the Mrs. Minnesota America Facebook and Instagram sites.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Professionally, I have been a career Executive Assistant for the last 22 years professionally supporting various C-level executives, Presidents, legal counsel, university trustees and board members. My personal penchant for organization and “connecting the dots” meshes well with my professional career and also carries over into my pageant preparations. I am a congenial, reliable, level-headed person with a very strong work ethic which served me well with the decision to change my life and try multiple times for the title of Mrs. Minnesota America. A good way to describe me is that I have a very flexible “Type-A” personality. My husband Mike has declared me the “CEO” of our household!
The Mrs. Minnesota pageant is now actively recruiting candidates in anticipation of the 2025 pageant which will be held on June 8th at the Eagan Community Center. This is proudly recognized as the most prestigious & longest-running pageant in Minnesota dedicated to married women. This empowering competition celebrates the achievements, beauty and individuality of women who balance the roles of wife, mother, professional and community leader. As a platform for personal growth and advocacy, it provides participants with the opportunity to share their passions and promote causes close to their hearts. This pageant is more than a competition—it’s a celebration of the strength, resilience and diversity of married women across Minnesota.
There are so many women in this state that are doing good things within their communities, professional lives and families that deserve to have the spotlight on them. Even if you have never dreamed of doing a pageant, I encourage you to challenge yourself to try it! The modern pageant participant is a confident, accomplished, well-rounded woman and not the antiquated image of someone blankly waving and smiling. You’ll push yourself to new fitness levels, gain confidence with public speaking while unabashedly expressing your opinions and discover your inner Cinderella while proudly showcasing your accomplishments, husband and family. Be proud of who you are and take this as your opportunity to shine! I’m living proof that you can do this! For information on the Mrs. Minnesota pageant or how to become a contestant, please visit www.mrsminnesotaamerica.com.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I never gave up on myself. I consider myself a very tenacious person and when I set a goal for myself, I will do everything in my power to achieve it and I didn’t want to look back on my life with regrets. The path I was heading down was most certainly going to cut my life short and knowing that was sobering enough to keep forging ahead. This was especially important in my weight loss journey because I wanted to live a long and healthy life alongside my husband and daughter and be a good role model for her on what it means to be a wholly healthy woman.
I also kept an open mind to constructive criticism and took all of the advice that I was given – both when I changed my life and also when I decided to keep trying for the Mrs. Minnesota title. Don’t be afraid to try new things if the result you are seeking is not coming to fruition! Keep an open mind and your eye on the prize. My favorite saying is a Chinese proverb – “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” During my weight loss journey, I took each day as it came – looking too far ahead was too overwhelming. There were days that I took it hour by hour too. I also feel that one of the keys to my success was giving myself grace – we are all imperfectly human and that’s OK! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and straighten your crown!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mrskatinaschroeder.wixsite.com/katina
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrskatinaschroedermn/ and https://www.instagram.com/mrsminnesotaamerica/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katina.schroeder/ and https://www.facebook.com/MrsMNAmerica
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katina-schroeder-mnea
- Other: https://mrsminnesotaamerica.com/
