With just two pageants under her belt over the past three years, the Waterdown resident has been crowned Miss Petite Southern Ontario in the Miss Petite Canada Pageant and is gearing up to compete for the national title in August.

The Miss Petite Canada Pageant, a competition for females 5'6" or shorter, is run by Miss Canada Globe Productions. One delegate will be chosen to represent Canada and will become the spokesperson for the charity of her choice.

"It's not what most people look at as being pageants, they may just think of beauty-queens, it's more about being involved with the community and your country," said Witthoeft. "It's not about looks. The focus is on charity, and how to present and carry yourself."

Her interest in pageantry came as a fluke. One day, while watching the Miss Universe Canada pageant online, she wondered how someone would go about becoming involved. She surfed to the website and found an "apply here" button on the page. She applied, received a phone call and was called in for an interview.

"For Miss Canada Globe you just apply. They call you back and you go in for an audition. They give you a title based on your audition," she explained.

The interview process involves questions about everything from politics to favourite colours.

"You have to know yourself very well to be a contestant and you have to know what you want to say and speak your mind," she told the Review.

Witthoeft is considering working for either the Breast Cancer Foundation or the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, two charities that hold a place close to her heart. She explained that both of her grandmothers are breast cancer survivors and she has seen Multiple Sclerosis affect the mothers of some of her friends.

To prepare for the Miss Canada Pageant, Witthoeft travels to Toronto two or three times a month for rehearsals. She looks forward to the traveling that would come with the Miss Petite Canada title, and moving on to an international competition. Her family has supported her through the competitions, her mother often buying her clothes for the pageants.

Another aspect of pageant life Witthoeft enjoys is the friendships she has formed.

"We are like a family. Every time I go there it is like instant connections because we have this thing in common," she said. "When it comes down to it, it is a competition but it doesn't seem like that at all. We help each other out, there is no cattiness at all."

Witthoeft studies Media Arts at Sheridan College. She said her friends are often surprised when she tells them about her pageantry title, but they are all very supportive.

Witthoeft is an enthusiastic ambassador for the benefits of pageant competition, noting that the benefits from winning are numerous. Although being on stage brings her the jitters, she said it's all worth it for the title and the notoriety that comes along with the title.

"The benefits of winning - wow. There are tons," she said. "Of course, you get a cash prize, and that's always nice to have. You get a crown and sash and you become involved with your charities, that's your number one thing. It's really good because this is a small town and it's not easy sometimes to be able to speak your opinion and get involved, so being able to try and make a difference and to know that you are making a difference is the best thing that could happen for me."

Since winning the Southern Ontario pageant, Witthoeft has been involved in the Easter Seals Telethon and she is also planning to hold a carwash and a barbecue during the summer to raise money. She noted the biggest reward so far has been the self-confidence she has gained that has helped her overcome her shyness, and realizing you should just shoot for your dreams.

Boston Pizza in Waterdown, which has agreed to sponsor Witthoeft, will be holding a celebrity night for her on May 4. From 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., she will be the guest of honour and spend time meeting and greeting guests at the Clappison's Corner eatery.

"I go to businesses and ask them if they'd be willing to help me out," she said of the sponsorship. "The money is for an entry fee. It pays for the training on how to walk, talk and present yourself. We spend a week in Toronto before the pageant, so it's just an entry fee that goes towards everything we do that's involved with the pageant."

The upcoming pageant will consist of swimsuit and evening gown components; if the contestant is in the top-three there is an interview on stage. Witthoeft feels her unique outlook on life and the ability to voice her opinions on various topics are qualities that serve her well in competition.

But the onstage portion is not the only aspect of the pageant the contestants have to be concerned about.

"They are always watching you, and you get a mark on how you behave the week before, if you show up, and things like that," she explained. "We also have to do a two-minute speech about our charity and ourselves and you get marked on the training as well."

The national competition also includes a talent portion - and Witthoeft is trying to figure out exactly what she wants to do for it.

"I have no talent whatsoever," she said. "So I've been trying to see what other girls are doing, and I'm going to see if I can pick something from that. I am going to find something unique, something small but effective and do that."

Witthoeft hopes to compete internationally, but said it's a struggle to find a balance between her college studies and training for the pageants. She hopes to compete at least until she graduates, but after that she will be looking for a full- time career, so she's going to wait and see how it all pans out.

It is clear that no matter how the Miss Petite Canada pageant turns out, Brena Witthoeft is headed for a very bright future.