![\"Maura](\"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/McGough-with-horse-4-2014.jpg\")
<\/a>In that sense, she\u2019s not your typical \u201cgirly girl\u201d and she\u2019s fine with that. McGough, a seasoned hunter, is leaving the camouflage at home today when she competes for the title of 2014 Miss Teen Columbus in Newark.<\/p>\n
For McGough, daughter of VWHS grad Rod and Jennifer McGough, and granddaughter of Tim and Patricia Rolsten of Van Wert, the competition is a chance to step out of her comfort zone and try something new. \u201cPerforming on stage in front of people isn\u2019t exactly what I call comfort, but I\u2019m still willing to try,\u201d she said, adding that she was drawn to this particular pageant because contestants come in all shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor typical beauty pageants, women are very toned and physically fit. But for this pageant, the girls are all shapes and sizes,\u201d she said. \u201cI really like that because it shows young girls that we are all beautiful and that size or race doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a day and age of size 0 supermodels and Photoshopped everything, McGough is happy to just be herself, and she hopes the judges take note of that during the pageant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of pressure to try and be a part of the popular group,\u201d she said. \u201cAm I a part of that group? No, but I\u2019m comfortable with just being me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m surrounded by friends who accept me for me,\u201d she added. \u201cI think we should spend less time trying to be people we aren\u2019t. It\u2019s just easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
For McGough, that might mean a day in the woods with her favorite hunting partner. For years, she has been waking up at the crack of dawn, climbing trees, and waiting for hours for that perfect shot. \u201cI started hunting with my dad when I was in middle school. I could barely hold the gun up,\u201d she said, adding that she remembers her first kill very well.<\/p>\n
It came November 21, 2010. \u201cWe headed out to our usual spot and it was just about the time the sun was rising that day,\u201d she said. Two deer had ventured into the area and McGough seized the moment. \u201cDad whispered to me to make sure I had the right angle and had everything lined up for the shot,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
With her heart pounding, McGough took two deep breaths and pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI helped field dress it and skin it and those moments I spent with my dad are ones I will never forget,\u201d she said, adding that she has taken on pheasant hunting as a new hobby. \u201cI actually love doing that more than anything. The adrenaline rush that I get every time a bird is flushed is the most amazing feeling in the world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For now, she\u2019s packed the camo and orange vest away and she\u2019s practicing her poise and elegance as she prepares to enter the world of glitter nail polish and double-sided tape. And she\u2019s going in fully intent on gaining a platform to share a message she feels is extremely important in today\u2019s beauty-obsessed culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to show young girls that even a girl from a small farm town can make a difference in this world,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not always about money or looks. I want to prove to the people that have put me down that I\u2019m more than what they say. I will no longer be hurt by their words. I will stand with my head high.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt she will.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CINDY WOOD\/independent feature writer Don\u2019t let the beauty queen smile and evening gown fool you. Maura McGough isn\u2019t afraid to get dirty. In that sense, she\u2019s not your typical \u201cgirly girl\u201d and she\u2019s fine with that. McGough, a seasoned hunter, is leaving the camouflage at home today when she competes for the title of 2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-04 03:18:01","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}