My inspiration this week is Miss South Carolina Bree Boyce. I know you have all heard of her, and I am far from the first person in the pageant world (or the world at large) to point out what an incredible story she has. Bree managed to lose over 100 pounds and went on, obviously, to win the Miss South Carolina crown. She has been featured on many television programs and has done dozens of speaking engagements about her story.

Bree is inspiring to me not only because of her weight loss—that is an incredible feat that I can't totally wrap my head around— but because she is the embodiment of one of my favorite things about the Miss America Organization. I once said that I believed any young woman could become MIss America, and I was challenged on that point. Doesn't it take years of training, thousands of dollars, coaches, dresses, etc.? No, it doesn't. I firmly believe that anyone can be Miss America, and Bree is proof of that. Well, proof that you can live your dream (of being Miss South Carolina, of losing 100 pounds) if you put your mind to it. Bree didn't get an expensive weight loss surgery or have a fancy trainer come to her house every day, nor did she have a 24 hour pageant coach or a $10,000 gown. She was just determined. And that is pretty darn inspiring!

Miss South Carolina 2011 Bree Boyce, will be interviewed TONIGHT,  July 13, 2011 on CBS' The Insider at 7:30 p.m. ET*. TOMORROW, July 14,  she will be featured on The Joy Behar Show at 10 p.m. ET* on HLN.   FRIDAY, July 15, Bree will be co-hosting ABC's The View at 11 a.m. ET*.  She is also slated to be on EXTRA sometime this week, so stay tuned!

Bree will be interviewed about her platform, Eating Healthy and Fighting Obesity, which was inspired from her personal experience with weight loss. Tune in to hear her remarkable story and her personal journey to the 2012 Miss America Pageant