HOULTON, Maine — The road to success has not come easily for Houlton native Taylor Reed, but that has not stopped her from trying.
The 18-year-old daughter of Mike and Becky Reed of Houlton, Taylor battled through bouts with juvenile diabetes and eating disorders during her high school days. And for a time, those conditions prevented her from doing some of the things she enjoyed most, like cheering, dance and competing in pageants.
Now, Reed has gained a better understanding of her condition and the results are already paying dividends.
She won the USA National Miss Pine Tree State Teen 2018 crown back in August 2017 in Saco and is now using her position to educate people as an advocate for NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) and for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), as well as bullying prevention.
Reed also is raising money to compete in the USA National Miss pageant at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in July where she will represent the state in the teen division of that pageant.
“I have been trying to do a lot of community service, especially with schools,” Reed said. “I have spoken to classes to raise awareness about bullying and what students and teachers can do about it. I have also been trying to bring awareness to the community about eating disorders and diabetes.”
A 2017 graduate of Houlton Middle-High School, Reed said she was first diagnosed with Type I diabetes in sixth grade.
“I lost 15 pounds before I was diagnosed,” she said.
Her condition led to Reed developing an eating disorder as she tried to control her weight through vigorous exercise.
“I was determined to control my numbers by exercising more and eating healthier, but I wound up taking things way too far,” she said. “I was running a lot and eating low-calorie foods.”
She kept her condition private for the most part, until it began to interfere with her ability to perform as a member of the Houlton School of Dance. After getting diagnosed with an eating disorder, Reed said she slowly opened up to her friends and even wrote a blog about the condition.
“It’s definitely an everyday battle,” she said.
Reed also has spent more than 100 hours volunteering around the state, particularly with community service involving her pageant organization called “Crossroads Youth Organization.” Crossroads is a 501c3 charitable organization that relies on community support to raise civic-minded youth and teens while educating the community about social awareness issues.
Reed said her greatest accomplishment this past year has been “The Love Me Project,” which is a part of the Crossroads program that was created by Reed, her pageant director Deb Landry, and two of her fellow queens Emily Robbins, USA National Miss Maine, and Crystal Taber, Ms. Maine American Women of Service.
The goal of the program is to empower women of all ages to fight against mental and physical illnesses to build up their inner strength with the slogan “Strong bodies. Strong minds.”
Those who are interested in helping Reed raise money for Crossroads can donate returnable bottles to her fundraiser set up at the Florence Avenue Redemption Center.
Also, on Thursday, March 1, she is sponsoring a Bingo night at the Maliseet Gym with proceeds going to Crossroads. For more information on the Crossroads project, visit www.cycsaco.org or check out “The Love Me Project” on Facebook.
