She had never modeled or walked down a runway, but Freeport's Kristin Center knew she had guts. She'd proven that as an athlete and a runner, achieving one of her biggest accomplishments by completing the Maine Marathon in 2005. So when a former patient (and former Mrs. Maine) continually asked Center, a dental hygienist, to give the pageant a try, she finally gave in.

Center, 35, and the mother of 16-year-old twin girls, earned her title in December and says, "it's taken on a life of its own." She'll compete for Mrs. United States from July 8-13 in Las Vegas.

What has resonated with Center most is the example she's set for her daughters. She finished her college degree when her kids were 12 and they saw how hard she worked. They support her in all of her road races and will be at the top of Mt. Washington in June when she covers that 7.6 miles, possibly in her crown, sash and cocktail dress as a fund-raiser. "They watch
me never sitting on the couch," she says of her kids.

Center's platform is girls fitness, which she learned plenty about as a youth basketball coach. She says her 13 players were expected to share 8 uniforms (and 2 were No. 20) so on the eve of the first game her husband, Harry B. Center II, went out and bought 13 matching T-shirts.

Her plan to raise money and awareness is to stage a 5K road race in the Freeport area with all proceeds funding girls fitness activities. She'd like to incorporate a 12-week training program to help girls compete in the event and will speak to educators about fostering fitness and team atmosphere.

"I believe people who hate running have never run through that feeling, that muscles burning and nausea that you push through to make it to a goal," she says.

Center, who works for both Dr. David Trussell in Cape Elizabeth and Dr. Jeffrey Cook in Yarmouth, never thought she