AUGUSTA — Sabattus native Allison Tribou was never much for the hustle and bustle of travel.
Mrs. Maine, Allison Tribou
She had never been on an airplane. She didn’t care for hotels, and running all over the place just seemed like an overwhelming prospect.
Look at her now. Tribou, 33, was named Mrs. Maine America in May, and in August she’ll head to Las Vegas to reach for the next rung on the pageant ladder.
That’s right, Las Vegas, way over there on the other side of the country. That means Tribou will have to do all those things she never liked to do. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s quite all right — it’s all part of the process, she says.
“I’m a completely different person than I was a year and a half ago when I started this journey,” Tribou said Thursday, a couple of days before she’s scheduled to appear at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon.
“I’ve never flown before,” she said. “Flying to Vegas will be the first time ever. It’s just another barrier I’m breaking through. I used to be petrified of traveling, but since I started this journey I’ve been going places and doing things and really pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”
Tribou, a quality assurance analyst, is married to Dustin, a man she met five years ago when she joined a church worship team as a backup vocalist. The couple lives in Augusta with their two daughters.
When Tribou was approached by a former pageant contestant about competing, she said she was intrigued — enough to give it a shot and, my how quickly things happened from there.
“It was nothing like I expected,” Tribou said. “A lot of people think of pageantry as beauty contests. For me it was really about being a servant in my community, helping people in need and a lot of personal growth.”
Mrs. Maine Allison Tribou Susan Costa Photography
Tribou was officially crowned Mrs. Maine America on Mother’s Day at a ceremony in South Portland. From there, it’s been more or less a whirlwind. For weeks following the crowning, Tribou, who had eschewed travel for so long, was everywhere.
The daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, Tribou made her very first public appearance as Mrs. Maine America at the Veterans Administration in Togus. After that, there were photo shoots, radio interviews, tea parties, television appearances, masquerade balls, festivals and marathons.
On Saturday, Tribou will appear at the Moxie Festival. A day later, she’s throwing out the first pitch at the Sea Dogs game in Portland.
“Let’s just say,” Tribou said of the Sea Dogs apperance, “I’m going to practice.”
She’ll be at the Clam Festival parade in Yarmouth later in the month, at the Lobster Festival parade in Rockland and then at a celebrity dinner in Augusta.
On Aug. 24, Tribou will be in Las Vegas to compete at the Mrs. America pageant. She has no idea how she will do in that competition. But in her online bio, Tribou suggests that her ambition in all of this is something that transcends titles and sashes.
“One of my biggest goals during this time is for my daughters to learn to be confident and to recognize that everyone they meet has their own story,” Tribou wrote. “I want them to see kindness and empathy as the most beautiful traits in any woman. I want them to look past outer appearances and love unconditionally.”
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