CLEVELAND — After accomplishing a dream she only recently knew she had, Sir’Quora Carroll took on another challenge—throwing the first pitch at the Guardians game Saturday night.
Not that long ago Carroll wasn’t sure what pageantry was all about or if she was cut out for it.
“There is a stereotype on pageantry," Carroll said. "I was like maybe I could enter into pageantry, maybe it’s not what I thought it was.”
Carroll had never been in a pageant, but after meeting former Miss Ohio USA Nicole Wess and former Miss USA Elle Smith, she decided to give it a shot.
"I applied and I got accepted and I was Miss Franklin County USA," Carroll said.
Learning what to expect in her first-ever pageant was a challenge—but the one thing she wanted to make sure through the experience was that she was always her true self.
"For me, it was big to compete with my natural hair and compete as who I am authentically. Never competing in a pageant, my biggest fear was will I be accepted for who I am?" Carroll said.
And back in May during the Miss Ohio USA pageant, that fear was washed away. In her first ever pageant, Carroll won and earned the title, making her the first Black Miss Ohio USA since 2005.
"To break that barrier of being the first African-American title holder in 17 years was—I'm lost for words still if I'm being honest," Carroll said. "I am blessed to say that I was able to be a role model for a lot of the young girls that look like me, and to inspire anyone that's living their life in fear and scared to step out of their comfort zone. And that's the ultimate message that I want to push out to everyone."
Carroll is not taking the opportunity to wear the crown lightly.
“Representation matters," Carroll said. "There hasn't been an African-American winner in 17 years. It's like, 'Okay, what is expected from me? What do you want me to do?' And it's definitely a challenge, but in all honesty, it's a challenge I'm willing to accept."
But she's also having some fun through this new journey as well, taking the Guardians up on their offer to throw out the first pitch at Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers, having her make an appearance in collaboration with their Larry Doby month of celebrations.
“I’ve been in my room practicing a little but I don't know what to expect," Carroll said before the pitch. "I'm just blessed to be here. So honestly, if I get a strike, that'll be great, but if not, it's okay."
When her moment came and she took the mound, like in her first-ever pageant, Carroll knocked it out of the park, throwing a strike right down the middle to Guardians pitcher Enyel De Los Santos, who was at home plate with Slider.
"It was so surreal to be in front of so many people, I'm not even a pitcher but it was amazing," Carroll said afterward. "I think I did pretty good, I made the pitch."
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