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PNB interview, take 3:

Ronnie Bueche 
talks to Patrick Nathaniel Bartholomew III

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Bueche: In high school, I was a cheerleader and the captain of the dance team. I always stayed fit then without even meaning to. I've always been a dancer. Then, I went on into LSU and danced with them. We practiced two to three hours a day at LSU, so I have never had to think about staying fit, and that was in the days when we ate pizza and cheeseburgers.

When I graduated, I stopped dancing, and then I noticed a few extra little pudges and pounds. I said something's got to be done here. I realized then that I didn't have the same metabolism and that I wasn't dancing as much so I couldn't keep eating like I had been. So I started cooking healthy. I really made an effort to change my diet. Then, I also started an exercise program. I actually started running. In the summer of 1994, I lost 15 pounds and never got it back.

When I look back, I didn't think that I was fat or overweight then, but when I look back now, I realize that I really let myself get out of shape. I stick to a healthy routine now. If it's unhealthy, I don't buy it. If it's not in my cabinet, I can't eat it. I don't buy condiments or vegetable oil. I totally wiped out fried foods. I keep a little olive oil. Every now and then, I'll put a little pasta dish together with olive oil. I stopped the mayo. I stopped the butter. I cut out almost all red meat. I do love red meat, but I just don't need it. I eat chicken and fish and lots of pasta. Down in Louisiana, we're big on seasonings so I can make a dish taste really, really good without all the fat. I can use spices, pepper, a little lemon juice, and a little touch of olive oil if it needs it.

PNB: When did you participate in your first swimsuit contest? Bueche: It's the funniest thing. I did a contest in 1997 after the Mrs. America Pageant. Some friends of ours convinced us to go down to Panama City. We ended up at this wild party club. It's really neat. You can sit around the pool and have a frosty frozen drink. We were out and they were having this bikini contest. My husband was pushing me. He kept saying, "You should do this, you should do this." I said no way. I guess it was the frozen drink that prompted me to finally get up there.

Photo by Howard M.H. Robinson

I won that preliminary, but I thought I'm not going back to the finals. They sent me a letter, and they said they were giving away a car to the winner of the finals. It was like "Wow!" that might be worth going back for. So I went back, and the finals were conducted very professionally, and I won a car. So that was my first. Then, Venus was my second.

PNB: When you enter a swimsuit contest, what is going on in your mind?

Bueche: To me, it's very stressful. I think of myself as a pretty confident person on an average day-to-day basis, but there is something about being around all of these women with beautiful bodies and beautiful faces. It will start working on me. It works on my head. It makes my confidence level drop. I have to revamp, go to my room, sit there and just say, "OK, either you can pack your bags and go on home or stand up tall and straight and act like you know what you're doing here."

Being around the other girls is a very stressful situation. I don't enjoy the competition as much as I enjoy the modeling. I love the modeling because you've gotten the job. You just do your job, and everybody is happy. With the competition, you're struggling to prove yourself, and it always comes down to whatever look the judges want.

PNB: What do you think you have gained by competing in these contests?

Bueche:  I think discipline is the major thing, and I think that started way back when I did the little pageants even though they were silly little local pageants. It taught me poise and personality. We had interviews. It taught me how to conduct myself. I definitely liked to set a goal and work for it. If I know that I have something coming up, that will make me work even harder to get there. So I think pageants have taught me discipline and getting along well with others.

PNB: Have there been any negatives?

Bueche: There are a few girls who are bad sports. I know how hard it is at these competitions. As an example, I would have loved to have done better than I did my first year at Venus. It's hard on you not to win. It's hard to take. I'm the kind of person who will be upset and disappointed but no one else will know. Then, I'll get home, and I'll express it to my family. They usually make me feel better, but I don't ever show those kinds of emotions in public, and some girls do.

I think that's one of the downsides of competitions. Some of the girls get catty and make comments or remarks. Judging is just an opinion. A girl should just suck it up and smile and congratulate the winner anyway. Then, deal with it later when you get home. That's the professional way to handle it.

PNB: Now that you're passing on your title this weekend to the next Venus winner, what are your plans for the next several years?

Bueche: I want to get into acting, but I have a difficult decision. L.A. is where it's at, but the other "LA," Louisiana, is where I'm at. (Lots of laughter.) I have a friend who lives out in L.A., so I'm hoping to spend some time with her and test the waters. I'd like to see if there is any reason for me to get a place there or if it's just something that's not right for me.

My nursing is still in a PRN (as needed) status, so when I'm at home, I can go in and work at the hospital if they need me. I do that just enough to keep my skills up. I don't want to forget everything that I learned. It's always there for me to fall back on. But if the opportunity came along, I would be willing to get a place in L.A. and give it a try.

PNB: Do you have any advice for a girl who is interested in competing in modeling competitions like Venus?

Bueche: I think they're wonderful opportunities, especially Venus, because there are so many chances to get contracts. It's not just winner- takes-all. There are so many other people here scouting for models to promote different products. I would definitely recommend it. Venus is definitely a good event to get involved in. As far as competitions on the whole, anything is possible. If you have a go-getter attitude, and if you have the discipline to work towards a goal, you can do it.

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