PEOPLE WATCHING watchingthewinners S ARAH B AZEY THE SUPPORTERS IN THE “BURN” COMMUNITY PHOTO BY FADIL BERISHA BLAZING BEAUTY: In 1994, Sarah survived a horrific helicopter crash enduring severe burns to 40% of her body. Her external scarring would not hide her beauty inside and she has since been crowned Mrs. International 2012. arah Bazey captured the title of Mrs. International 2012. Sarah was crowned by her husband Joseph, a time hon- ored gesture of the Mrs. In- ternational Pageant. As a Harvard Business School gradu- ate and an accomplished business profes- sional, Sarah is the owner and president of Minneapolis-based Simplex Construction Supplies, Inc., which also celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012. In 1994, Sarah chartered a helicopter to survey a concrete paving project for which her company supplied construction materials; the flight ended in a horrific crash. Belted inside the helicopter and dowsed in jet fuel, Sarah suffered third-degree burns over 40 per- cent of her body when the helicopter ex- ploded. She went on to endure 15 surgeries, 18 months of therapy and countless medical procedures. Today, she proudly serves as Vice Pres- ident of the National Board of Trustees for the Phoenix Society, a national, non- profit organization dedicated to empow- ering burn victims through support programs, education and advocacy. Sarah resides in downtown Minneapo- S 156 PAGEANTRY lis with her husband of nine years, Joseph, and their beloved Maltese, Tonka. In ad- dition to her work with the Phoenix So- ciety, she is an active volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program, which International Pageants sponsors on a national level through volunteer support and fundrais- ing. Sarah is a professional figure skater and, in her free time, enjoys downhill ski- ing and mountain hiking, reading and yoga, and has participated in pageants since 1983. The professional figure skater and beauty queen never rests and is always working with various charities and recent- ly wrote in her blog, “If you had asked me to describe myself prior to the accident that changed my life forever, the first words that would have come out of my mouth would have been, ‘I am a figure skater.’ From as far back as I can remem- ber I have been in love with moving across the ice. “I turned from a com- petitive to a professional skater around my 20th birthday, and have since coached thousands of indi- viduals of all ages, abilities, including both figure skaters and hockey players. Skating was in my blood, and to this day I still get butterflies when I lace up my skates. However, I was on the ice every day until I found myself lying in a bed in a burn center after surviving a helicop- ter crash in 1994. My private students all found other coaches, the classes I taught were filled by others professionals, my precision team moved forward without me, and it took me three years to find the strength to put my skates on again. “Possibly the greatest loss I endured, aside from my skin, was my place within the skating community. It wasn’t that I was pushed out, but I fell behind… and the trauma my body and my soul experi- enced changed me in ways that are diffi- cult to explain. Because of that loss, I sincerely treasure each and every moment I get to spend on the ice. “Therefore, when I was blessed with an opportunity to help organize and skate with the live Minnesota Youth Symphony for our club’s 75th Anniversary last year I was over the moon. ” Ⅺ BURNING UP THE ICE: When Sarah was asked to work with her great nephews, Ethan and Nathan on their skating skills, her answer was a resounding “Yes!”