Jude Maboné Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Jude Maboné is passionate about heart health, an avid traveler, and the current Miss District of Columbia. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Jude Maboné visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss District of Columbia crown?

After being crowned, I headed to Ristorante iRicchi, a woman-owned, Tuscan restaurant, and Miss District of Columbia Organization sponsor for an afterparty with my family and friends. It was a perfect DC night so we mingled outside on the piazza. I didn't have much time to eat so fortunately the staff packed me a large box of pasta to take home! In the first few days after crowing, I continued my celebration by reaching out to people who played a part in my story and thanking them for helping me get to this point. The crown I wear is a reflection of the people who have invested in me and believed in me from the very beginning so it was important to me that I let them all know how much I value their support.

What part of the Upcoming Miss America Competition are you most excited about?

I am really excited to perform my talent. It's not every day that I have a captive audience for 90 seconds that I can serenade. I love to perform and am excited to share my talent with a wider audience. Outside of the actual competition, I am looking forward to connecting with the other women in this program. I have met my best friends competing in pageants and I'm hoping I find some other really good friends this year!

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss DC?

If I can get even one person to get a preemptive heart screening that's enough for me, but of course I want to get as many people as I can to check their hearts. I work with some really cool organizations that make this easy and accessible and am excited to see how we can scale our work during this year so that we can protect more hearts and save more lives.

How did you select your “heart health” community service initiative?

I had my first heart attack when I was sixteen years old. I was on a standard five mile run during a summer cross country practice when I started having chest pains, profuse sweating, and trouble breathing. Without a cellphone and with nowhere to go I made my way a mile back to my high school and was rushed to the hospital. This would be the first of six heart attacks that occurred within the next two years of my life. I am someone who is living with heart disease but by the grace of God and good medicine I am also thriving with heart disease. 

Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans nationwide but receives very little funding. I believe that's due in part to the stigma around it. People are taught to believe that heart disease is a symptom of poor life choices but that's not true. I'm hopeful that by sharing my story and offering tangible ways to protect hearts and save lives more people will get preemptive heart screenings, and become CPR and AED aware. I'm also hoping that my continued lobbying will lead to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act being passed in more states and that more research dollars will be allocated to heart disease. 

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage?

I love connecting with the story of my song and personifying the music. I often forget that I'm doing a pageant while performing my talent because I get so into the music. I don't frequently have an audience to sing opera or classical music to so I love to soak up every second of it. I've always been a very expressive person, especially with my face, so when you're watching my talent watch my face because if I'm doing it right, it will tell the whole story of the song.

What is your personal fitness routine?

I'm an avid runner and weightlifter. I love to feel strong and I love the way I feel after a hard workout. I typically run and lift about five days a week, but if it's too hot or too cold you can find me on the Peloton. 

As an avid traveler, what’s your favorite place you’ve visited?

This is a tough one! I recently spent a few weeks in Japan which was amazing but I also love Germany and Italy a lot. I was an international studies major at American University so I'm a total culture geek. If we're talking about domestic travel then it's got to be Palm Springs, California. That's my happy place and my favorite place outside of the District of Columbia. 

What were you doing when the Washington Nationals won the 2019 World Series?

Screaming my head off with joy! I went to game 4 of the playoffs (we lost) and was really worried that we weren't going to win but they turned it around and it was awesome. I'm pretty sure I lost my voice during that game. Fortunately, all of my neighbors were also screaming so no one called a noise complaint. 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I have always wanted to throw the first pitch at a game. I was a division I track and cross country athlete so hand-eye coordination is not exactly my strength, but I've always thought that would be a fun bucket list item to cross off. I would also love to race the presidents at a Nats game. Hey, Nationals, give me a call!

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That would be so much fun!

As always, I want to thank Jude for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Jude during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything. 

Thanks again Jude, and good luck!