Hello world, welcome to WFHR's Rapids report for this Friday, November 14th, 2025.
Have your host James here.
We want to send a big shout out to Krakaceptic, giving us an opportunity to talk to some of
our favorite locals, like who we have in today.
Miss Wisconsin Rapids, 2026, Madison Graph, Madison, how you doing?
I'm doing good.
How about yourself?
Doing well.
Thanks for asking.
Appreciate it.
How does that feel to hear that?
This Wisconsin Rapids, 2026, definitely crazy, still such a surreal moment.
And I'm so happy that I get to serve this amazing community.
Madison, I want to get really in depth with you about how you keep that crown on, doing
all the things you do.
I've never been able to, no, I'm kidding, that's a trade secret, I'm sure.
More importantly, I want to get into a couple of other things with you.
First, a big congratulations to you and certainly to everybody that competed.
There are no real losers in this.
Everybody wins.
Everybody gains from this experience and everything.
But in particular, congrats to you.
And I know how much this meant to you and everything will get more into that in a moment.
But I had to ask real quick, how did the dance go?
It went great.
Walking off stage, I felt proud of myself and definitely proud of all of the other people
that I watched grow throughout the workshops and do amazing on stage.
Very cool.
Very good to hear.
I'm curious about how that went for all of you guys, especially with the dancing and everything.
Now I know that you've thought about this for a long time.
I was recently reading an article, a great article done in the Daily Tribune, shout out
to them about you and you were seven years old when you first kind of thought about this.
Or you were young, I'm sorry, when you first thought of this.
I bring up the age seven because I was seven when I saw Rob Williams and I realized what
I wanted to do the rest of my life, I want to be an actor.
When you're young and you get a feel for something, a hold of something and it's more than
just kind of following a dream.
It's a mission almost.
There's something to it for you.
So, somebody that can relate to that a lot, how does it feel to be at this stage with
something that you've wanted for so long and you thought so much about?
So I started in the Kramer Acuity program when I was in kindergarten.
I continued through 5th grade watching all of these amazing young women walk away with
a job of Miss Wisconsin Rapids.
I knew that as soon as I was able to, I wanted to compete and hopefully walk away with
the title.
And I think just coming back year after year and then they brought the teen program on
and I competed twice, knowing that I loved it so much and I wanted to continue on and
fulfill that dream that I always had had.
When it comes to being in more power to your way to be, nice work.
When it comes to the inspiration to do this, it sounds like again, you know, you saw
some pageants when you were young that really impacted you.
But there's also the people that give you the confidence to go ahead and do it.
Where did that inspiration come from?
So my aunt first, like got me into the pageant when I was a younger girl doing the Kramer
Acuties, which was the princess program at the time.
So she really started it off and then my family and my friends behind me cheering me on
every step of the way, helping me through the thick and thin of pageant prep and changing
my community service and really just thinking it all through whether that was from my dance,
what should I do next or just all of the things, helping throughout the way?
Well said and great to hear that kind of support.
I say all the time, encouragement, support, cost, nothing can mean everything and then
certainly sounds like it with that.
I also appreciate that because one of the things that we like to do with this, whenever
we're talking within our pageant contestants or our winners is certainly inspiring the
next generation, the next, really the next Madison, you know, another kid that sees you
at a young age and wants to do that and everything.
I think it's well and good to talk about those individuals as much as it is their families
and making sure they understand how it really is a team effort to be able to do this.
Definitely is and I think you should just go for it.
If you're thinking about it, if you see me out, don't feel bad to stop me and even just say,
hi, I want as many girls to go through this program as possible because it is such an amazing
program. All the directors behind you are always cheering you on no matter what and they will help
you and we're here to help.
I focus so much on the confidence building it can be, the public speaking skills you learn from
doing pageant work and being a contestant and not just the finished product that we get to see,
but the training that goes on and the rehearsals and so much of that, the camaraderie and the
fellowship, the sisterhood that is almost every pageant that goes on especially here locally with
us where I run into people who I interviewed like 70 years ago and they're still friends with
people that they were in a pageant with and whether they won or lost or any of that, which is
another unique and cool thing there and we certainly focus on the opportunity for women to
support women and we don't have enough of those in society and all of that, but there is another
part of it that I don't think I mentioned nearly enough in the scholarship part of this that goes
so much farther than we can put into words.
Yes, the scholarship is amazing no matter what throughout the Miss Wisconsin Rapids organization,
you're walking away with a scholarship whether that is a non-finalist scholarship or you get the
scholarship that the organization provides, so no matter what you're walking away with
amazing scholarship dollars to farther your education and I was lucky enough to walk away with
thousands of dollars of scholarship so I don't have to worry about paying for my education.
That's amazing. I'm just so excited for you, that's so cool to hear.
And while I think that that goes a long ways in everything, another aspect of this that got
me thinking over the prepping for your actually interviews the other week and I was looking forward
to talking about too because a lot of those individuals that I mentioned that have been a contestant
or have won the Miss Wisconsin Rapids have gone on to do things here in town and work at some of our
nonprofits or some of our businesses, they come in and I interview them all these years later or whatever.
This hasn't come up but I've noticed a pattern and I've noticed something there and the connections
you're able to make with this job and granted I'm not putting you on the spot here. What do you want
to do the rest of your life? Not that but so much of what you want to do can come and develop from
this and maybe a relationship you make or maybe you go and cut a ribbon somewhere and that particular
business you end up liking what they're doing and maybe you go end up working there. Who knows
where you're going to go or what you're going to do necessarily. Those connections are very organic in
life and you have to be in the kind of right place at the right time. This pageant really puts a
lot of young women in those positions whether you win or lose. Yes it does no matter where we're going
or what we're doing we're always meeting new people and I think that opens so many doors for a lot
of young ladies who walk away with the title or they don't. There's so many amazing opportunities
whether that's just in workshops meeting a new host mom or a new volunteer throughout the organization
you're meeting so many new people and amazing things come from that. Again well said you're so
good at this. This is your first time your first interview with that crowd everything you're still
nailing it that's fantastic. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you grow at this. When it comes
to that I'm also looking forward to the impact you're going to be able to make with your you know
your platform. One of my favorite things about being able to interview many contestants over the
years is the wide variety of different things that have been brought up and passion behind each one
of those. I have interviewed a lot of kids and not one of them have come in with a passion
a platform that they were not passionate about and I think it's one of the bigger things in life
especially the older you get these things that you are passionate about when you're young that you
still continue to be in fight for as an adult. As we look at your platform if you can remind
everybody what your platform is you're supporting small businesses how are you hoping to make an
impact with that. So my community service initiative is Look Local First which is supporting small
businesses working at a small business I know exactly where our money goes and I think that is
a huge thing to continue to promote and support these local businesses in the Wisconsin Rapids
area is huge. There are over 25 small businesses within the area and I think walking into their
doors just brings a light to all of these business owners that no one will ever be able to compare to.
We're here as a station we are celebrating 85 years this month and everything we're very proud
of that and we go out of our way any chance we get to say we're not here without those businesses
you mentioned so many of them just you know I would be remiss if I started to try to mention them
because there's so many and I'm going to forget one but you look at some of the older businesses
in town and it's not surprising to see that them attached with our station here and advertising
with us for almost as long as they've been around that's a mutual beneficial thing and it's
how community survive by working together by leaning on each other you especially see this in
communities that thrive and do well and I hate to bring it up but you know we come out of the
pandemic and not a lot of communities our size are doing as well as ours is I understand that
there's always things you can point to and say oh this could be better and that can improve and
we'll work at that that's something that we do as a community of tribe and everything but you
look at how good the small businesses are doing in this community how well they've survived and
so many of them that doing things that sometimes are a little niche or maybe not something you would
see in the town right next to us or something but here it's doing well that's because of that
local support among other things also you know being good at business it goes a long way too
it's tough but it's a great initiative it's one of those ones that I don't know how anybody
couldn't get behind so I imagine that one of the things that you're looking forward to doing is
being able to help promote some of those businesses with your reign here yes I am looking at talking
to business owners and asking them why they started what was their passion to start these small
businesses so really just promoting them throughout the Miss Wisconsin Rapid social medias and using
that as a platform to reach more of the community it's great that sounds really good don't get too
good at the interviewing part medicine please I really need this job don't go there you don't take
it by your egg or anything I can't compete with you there's no way have you what have you been up
too so far I know you haven't had the crown for very long and everything but what have you been up
too so far so the very next week after I won I went to the grant elementary Halloween dance so I
got to dance with all of the little kids and see all the amazing creative costumes I also went to
Miss Wasa area and Miss Wasa area's teen competition and watched that to see all of the amazing
girls compete for Miss Wasa so that was amazing and this next weekend so tomorrow Saturday I will be
at the 25th anniversary of the PAC here in Rapids that's gonna be a really great event they did such a
great job with that they were in yesterday talking with us and for those that didn't hear the
interview I encourage you to go back and listen to it and then make plans because you're going to
want to go it's such a great event they got a bunch of different stuff going on over the whole weekend
really I encourage you to check that out and certainly promote and support you you know we talk
about small businesses there is the nonprofits in our community and our enter you know our arts
businesses as well if you look if you mind and that pack that performing art center in the you
know relatively short amount of time you know 21 years isn't that long and everything even though I
know I imagine it seems old to you when it when it comes to something like that the economic impact
has been able to make on our community let alone the entertainment it's brought us in so many of
those things it's very similar to the Miss Wisconsin pageant and Miss Wisconsin rapids pageant
and so many of these pageants that go on I just last question went and I wanted to ask you
because you did a great job I was going to ask where you're going to next and you already told us
so I appreciate that Madison you're almost too good at this again don't get too good I need this
job when it comes to something that you've wanted for a long time you've thought about for a long time
and you know I got to ask you you know what it feels like to have it and everything but it's it's a
different thing to all the sudden have this kind of thing in your hands I hope you're able to
enjoy yourself I hope you're able to enjoy the accomplishment and it encourages you to go for
even more and and reach for even other goals and everything I imagine that's something that you're
also wanting for others future pageant contestants definitely I know that this year is going to go by
in a blink of an eye as I already am looking at my calendar going in two weeks it's Thanksgiving
yeah it's crazy so I think just reach for your dreams go for it if you're nervous just we are
here to help and the Miss Wisconsin Rapids organization has your back every simple way
I know that you know credit to you and in your accomplishment here I'm proud of you way to be
but certainly want to thank all your friends and family and all the support system you have we
both know that we don't get to these places without that so big shout out to them too it's a win
for the whole team definitely and one more time just a real credit to all the contestants and
everybody that joined us on the air here and everything really great work by every one of them
I am so thankful to not be a judge for this stuff I did never be able to crown a winner I'd be
I'd be a stalemate I wouldn't be able to judge I would be able to vote they would hate me I'd be
the worst judge ever I would not be able to choose between all of you they'd pick a great one
though Madison you're going to do wonderful at this and look forward to the next time you join us
thank you if people would like to have Miss Wisconsin Rapids have you come by and be a part of an
event or something like that is there somewhere we can direct them to reach out to you and your
yes you can message the Miss Wisconsin Rapids Facebook page or you can email info at miss
Wisconsin Rapids.org excellent excellent excellent excellent job today the interview fantastic job
we'll talk again real soon thank you enjoy yourself out there safe travels and thank you everybody
for joining us for another edition of WFHR's Rapids Report
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