Zmuda, 29, will travel to Las Vegas in July, representing the state as a finalist for the title and tiara of Mrs. U.S.
At the April 24 pageant where she won Mrs. Maryland, it was Zmuda's first-ever entry into a talent or beauty pageant. She was one of eight finalists from all areas of the state.
She competed as Mrs. Southern Maryland.
Being Mrs. Southern Maryland must be a lucky charm because last year's Mrs. Maryland, Ginny Meerman of Edgewater, also competed as Mrs. Southern Maryland.
Allison is still a newlywed and her one-year anniversary will be celebrated on the way to the July 18 competition at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas.
Allison said that several things came together at once that made her want to participate.
First, she is an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. She decided that after training for a race last year, that she wanted to have a goal for herself as part of her training regimen.
"I set a fitness goal to wear a bathing suit on stage," Allison said.
But she also wanted to enter to have a platform for her passions: fitness and nutrition.
Allison said she sees so many children at her school who don't exercise and don't make good food choices.
"There are kids who come in who haven't had breakfast, and I wonder to myself, 'how can they function?'" Allison said.
She added that as a lunchroom monitor, she is often surprised by the food selections that students make when left on their own to decide.
"The kids have healthy options, but they aren't choosing," Allison said.
Allison was bit by the fitness bug after her father died at 51. He smoked and didn't exercise.
Allison was in high school at the time. She graduated and moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to attend the University of Ulster.
Her move to Northern Ireland was in 1998, just after the peace accords had been signed. The city was learning to move beyond "the troubles" and live without the constant threat of car bombs detonating.
"It was a pretty city, and I started running," Allison said.
She graduated from college and stayed in Northern Ireland to teach. She returned home to Maryland after seven years overseas.
By then she was serious about fitness. She met her husband, a natural bodybuilder - which is someone who doesn't use steroids or other enhancements to build muscle.
They both became personal fitness trainers. From there, Allison became certified as a spin instructor and a nutrition consultant.
"That's the teacher in me. I took an interest and then wanted to learn," Allison said.
She incorporates her love of fitness into her instructional style. She gets the kids outside whenever possible for team building exercises. At the end of this year, she has planned a Language Arts Olympics for the kids that will include relay races, sack races, crosswords and activities that will help students relate the study of language arts to fun activities.
Just before the Mrs. Maryland competition, first lady Michelle Obama came out with her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity.
Allison wondered if she should switch her platform so she wouldn't look like a copycat.
"I decided not to. If you're not passionate about your platform, you can't do it," she said.
At the Mrs. Maryland pageant, she wore a borrowed evening gown by designer Tony Bowls and used the mirrors at Evolutions Gym in Annapolis, where she works part time as a trainer, to practice her high-heeled bikini walk. Allison said she just wanted the experience to be fun and memorable, but she wasn't sure she could win.
"That is why I looked so surprised when my name was called," Allison said.
Her students and colleagues at Southern Middle knew that she was competing, and when she returned with the sash and crown, Principal Jason Dykstra told her that she had to wear her tiara through the day.
"The kids were so excited," she said.
She let the girls try it on, and took pictures, which she is posting to her classroom bulletin board.
Whether she wins the national award or not, Allison plans on spending the year talking about health and fitness. She is slated to wear her sash and crown at an upcoming Bowie Baysox game and she has already handed out ribbons after a recent Anne Arundel County Health Fair at Severna Park High School on May 15.
Don't forget about this weekend's Relay for Life event at South River High School starting at 6 p.m. tomorrow and running through Saturday morning. Teams will be walking the track continuously through the night to raise money for cancer research, to celebrate survivors of cancer and to honor the memory of loved ones lost to the disease.
Games and activities for the kids will be available. There will be live Locks of Love hair donations and more. For information, visit www.relayforlife.org, and use the keyword: South River the keyword: South River High School.
The last of 2009-2010 season's Galesville Community Square Dance and Potluck will take place starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The event, funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, will feature live music. No partner or experience is necessary. Bring a covered dish. $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 17, under five are free. For information, call 301-926-9142.
The Southern High School Class of 1985 reunion slated for June 19 at Herrington on the Bay has been cancelled for lack of interest.
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