The United States of America Mrs. Washington pageant crowned Mrs. Olympia Emily Skeers as its 2023 state queen this fall, sending her to the national competition next spring and giving her a platform to spread the word about Crohn’s disease and colitis.
Skeers is highlighting that topic in her pageant year as USOA Mrs. Washington 2023 because she was almost derailed by her own Crohn’s disease diagnosis. But she pushed through and persevered to become a pageant winner, graduate student and mom. She now calls herself “Queen with Crohn’s.”
“Resilience is beautiful,” Skeers says.
Olympia Singer Emily Skeers’s Diagnosis Redirected Her Life
Skeers is a classically trained opera singer who received a Bachelor of Arts in music at Saint Martin’s University and intended to make singing her career. But she became extremely sick several years ago during the pageant season for Miss Lewis County 2008, which she won, and the subsequent Miss Washington event. She ultimately learned that she had a rare form of Crohn’s, which is in a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases.
“I was planning to be an opera singer, when in my late 20s, I got a debilitating illness and got the Crohn’s disease diagnosis,” Skeers says. “Everyone is different, but for me, it was not possible to continue with that.”
“It was physically not the best fit anymore,” she adds of her original plans for her operatic future, which she had envisioned since age five. “At 28, I was not able to sing or perform or teach. My life was put on hold for eight months and it took three years to reach remission. It was a long recovery. It was a life altering and life shifting experience. I came out the other side as a different version of myself.”
Skeers and Mrs. Washington Pageant Platform Gives Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation a Voice
Skeers initially thought she had lost everything for which she had planned. But she decided to stay positive while dealing with the diagnosis. She made a list of things she wanted to do when she felt better. Her list included obtaining a master’s degree, having children and entering a pageant again to bring attention to Crohn’s. And – check, check, check – she is completing all three.
First, she made a career adjustment that includes graduate school. After obtaining an early childhood education credential at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, Skeers is now enrolled in Missouri State University and studying for a Master of Science in early childhood and family development. She is focusing on the importance of singing lullabies to babies, blending her interest in music with her new area of future professional work. “I will be offering a class on this in the spring,” she says. “And I will be doing my thesis on this.”
Second, Skeers and her husband have two children, ages three and eight months. And third, she entered and was crowned the USOA Mrs. Olympia in April and moved on to win the Mrs. Washington pageant in September. She is using her role as USOA Mrs. Washington 2023 to promote and fundraise for the nonprofit Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation which is, “dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and improving the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.” As a volunteer, Skeers facilitates the foundation’s Washington Virtual Support Group – Northwest Chapter. “We can offer each other resources and offer each other understanding,” she says. “I started my support group because I could not find one.”
In addition, Skeers launched a podcast called “Queen with Crohn’s.” “It speaks to living with Crohn’s disease, chronicles my pageant journey, and speaks to my greater message to talk about the disease in two episodes every month,” she says. And she is active on Instagram as @queenwithcrohns.
USOA Mrs. Washington 2023 Emily Skeers is Available to Appear at Community Events
Skeers says her crown is not heavy. In fact, she can wear it and her sash in her official appearances at all kinds of events, indoors and outside. “I especially love events focused on children and families,” she says. She recently appeared at the Olympia High School Halloween Trunk or Treat activity for children, and she plans to join in holiday caroling this winter. She is also creating a program for children where singing and storytelling will be central. “I want to give the message that even though you are in the trenches, you can still have a beautiful life,” Skeers says.
To reach Skeers for an appearance, send her a message through the USOA Mrs. Washington Facebook page. To contact her about the support group, send an email to ccfwagroup@gmail.com.
