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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Rachel Ellsworth, Angela Ellsworth

Aired June 30, 2002 - 18:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: When you're involved in a competition, you're usually not pushing for somebody else to win. But what if one of your competitors also happens to be your sister? Angela Ellsworth and her sister Rachel went head-to-head last night in the Miss Maryland pageant in hopes of winning that title that leads to Atlantic City. And both of them, Angela and Rachel, join us now to talk about the competition. Hi, guys.

RACHEL ELLSWORTH, MISS MARYLAND CONTESTANT: Hello.

ANGELA ELLSWORTH, MISS MARYLAND CONTESTANT: How are you?

LIN: Good, thanks for being here. Now, the pageant was last night. Angela, why don't you give us the results. Tell us what happened.

A. ELLSWORTH: Well, the winner is Miss College Park, and the new Miss Maryland is Miss College Park, Camille Lewis. And her first runner-up was Mr. Germantown Felicia Curry. And last night, I was top 10 in the pageant. And I came away with the newcomer talent winner on Thursday night's preliminary competition and the honorable mention for the community service award.

LIN: And Rachel, how did you do?

R. ELLSWORTH: It was more of a learning experience for me. I guess the judges weren't looking for what I had to offer. So maybe next year I'll try. Being only 18, I have six more years to compete, though. We'll try again next year.

LIN: Well, are you both going to go head-to-head again?

R. ELLSWORTH: I might take a year off, being a freshman in college next year, but I will compete in Miss Maryland again.

LIN: And what about your sister?

A. ELLSWORTH: I'm looking forward to competing again. I have only four more years left, being that I'm 21, so I will compete again, because it is such a great opportunity for the scholarship money, and being that I'm just now applying to medical school in the fall, I, you know, want to pursue a career as a pediatrician. So the scholarship money is very helpful. So I will be planning to compete again. And I don't really look at it as competing against my sister. You compete against yourself as being the best individual you can be.

LIN: Oh, that's a really nice way to put it, but the fact is, Angela, if you both are in the competition and you win, Rachel doesn't. It kind of works out that way, doesn't it?

R. ELLSWORTH: Maybe we can share. We'll split.

LIN: And who got the idea first to enter the pageant?

R. ELLSWORTH: I did. Actually, I competed as a teen, and -- when I was a sophomore in high school. And I won the title of Miss Teen Cumberland, my local town, and I went onto the Miss Teen Maryland pageant. And last year, my junior year, I was Miss Teen Tri-County, and I was second runner-up to Miss Teen Maryland last year.

LIN: So here you are minding your own business, competing in your pageants and doing pretty well, and here comes big sister.

R. ELLSWORTH: I actually had the idea. I told her she should actually do them, since she wants to be in medicine, she wants to be a pediatrician. The scholarship money would be great.

LIN: Wait a second, don't you think your sister's pretty stiff competition, though?

R. ELLSWORTH: Definitely.

LIN: So how did you feel, Angela, jumping into the pool when your sister was already well on her way?

A. ELLSWORTH: I was just excited to be a part of the pageant system. Being that every young woman that enters into the Miss Maryland pageant and wins a local is awarded $500 scholarship money. And then the opportunities are endless from there. And even competing in a local pageant, you're eligible for the Allman Scholarship (ph) if you're interested in medicine, and there many other scholarships out there available to young women in fine arts. So it's just a great -- it's the leading scholarship provider to women in the world.

LIN: This puts your parents, though, in a really tough position, doesn't it?

A. ELLSWORTH: Definitely. But they're very supportive of the both of us.

LIN: Well, how did they root for you both?

A. ELLSWORTH: Our mom has always been like the super mom cheerleader mom. She's always been there for us no matter what we do, and what we decide to do. She was our dance teacher, our cheerleading instructor, everything. She's always just been right there on the sidelines cheering us both on. And she knows that we're supportive of each other, that no matter what happens to the other one, you know, the other sister will always be right there.

And she was there for me last night. After I made top 10, she was right there in my dressing room, at every phase of the competition, helping me to get ready and prepare for the next phase. So she was right there beside me.

LIN: In any -- any real competitor knows that part of competition is, you know, facing adversity and thinking of your opponent as the enemy, and gearing up to that notion. I mean, that's just the nature of competition. So when you guys were out there, and say, during the talent course or, you know, whatever part of the competition, how did you eye each other? What was on your mind?

R. ELLSWORTH: Well, actually, my sister was always known as a tapper. And I did gymnastics, so naturally she choreographed my tap dance. So I didn't really think of her as competition in that matter. She always will be a great tap dancer to me, and will be better than me in my eyes.

LIN: Angela, what do you think is so great about your sister, what do you think is her greatest strength?

A. ELLSWORTH: I think she has really great stage presence. And being that she was in the teen competitions, they give you a lot more poise and presence at a younger age. And being at that comfort level of being on stage, and just having that stage presence and confidence in modeling sportswear. And she looks great in a swimsuit. She very tall, so she has that little competitive advantage over me.

But, you know, I think we each have our positive attributes, and that's what makes us strong as individuals. So I really think that that just adds to the competition. And I just look at it, I know it's a competition against all these other young ladies, but I try to make myself just feel like...

(CROSSTALK)

A. ELLSWORTH: ... that I'm competing against myself and the best that I could do.

LIN: All right. Well, Angela, Rachel, we could all learn a lesson from this competition. I wish you both could have won, but I guess...

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: All right. Thanks so much for joining us.

A. ELLSWORTH: Thank you.

R. ELLSWORTH: Thanks so much for having us.

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