Rising Strong with Amber Uhler

Amber Uhler, Mrs. Universe USA 2025 and Mrs. Universe 2026 Ambassador

As November comes to a close, many of us naturally shift into a season of gratitude. It is the time of year when we look back at the challenges we’ve weathered, the growth we’ve earned, and the people who have inspired us along the way. It is a month that reminds us to celebrate resilience in all its forms and to acknowledge the strength it takes to create real change in our lives. In that spirit, our November feature shines a light on a woman whose journey reflects courage, transformation, and the power of choosing a life filled with purpose.

I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Amber Uhler while she was preparing for Mrs. Universe in Manila. Amber is the reigning Mrs. Florida Universe 2024 and Mrs. Universe USA 2025, and her presence is as powerful as her story. She has walked through a complete physical and emotional transformation, losing more than 160 pounds, taking the TEDx stage, and stepping into her purpose as an advocate for drowning prevention after surviving her own near-fatal incident as a child.

Even while juggling rehearsals, appearances, and international travel, Amber radiated

clarity, humility, and a grounded sense of mission. She was preparing to represent the United States on a global stage for the very first time, but she was just as excited about meeting 120 incredible women from across the world, experiencing Asia for the first time, and embracing every moment ahead.

Her journey, however, didn’t begin on a stage. It began with a mindset shift that saved her life.

The Defining Wake-Up Call

When I asked Amber what pushed her to change from where she was to where she is now, she didn’t hesitate for a second. “If I didn’t, I was going to die,” she told me with complete honesty.

At the time, she was morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, and emotionally overwhelmed. Her doctor warned her, point-blank, that she was headed down a fast trajectory toward an early grave. The words stunned her. They hurt. And they forced her to look at her life without filters or excuses.

It wasn’t a dramatic movie moment. It was quiet. It was personal. And yet, it carried the weight of truth she could no longer ignore.

That moment became the turning point. The line in the sand. The decision that, years later, would lead her not only to physical transformation, but to the pageant world, to advocacy, to motivating thousands through her storytelling, and to representing her country on an international stage.

The Goal That Started as a Joke and Became a Life-Changer

When Amber shared how pageants entered her life, she immediately laughed, because even she still finds the origin of it hilariously unexpected. In her words, “the journey is hilarious,” and it truly began in the most ordinary way: a New Year’s resolution.

Heading into 2021, she sat down to write her goals for the year. Instead of choosing one simple resolution, she wrote out an entire list. One of the first things she wrote was “lose some weight,” and she casually set a goal of twenty pounds. But then something nudged her to stretch her imagination. She remembered hearing the advice that if your goals don’t scare you, they are not big enough. So she asked herself what the most wildly unrealistic goal could be for her at that moment.

And she wrote it down: Compete in a beauty pageant.

At nearly 300 pounds, the idea felt almost ridiculous, which is exactly why she wrote it. It was the kind of goal she assumed would break her heart long before it ever came true. Still, she put it on the list on January 1, 2021 (or maybe even the night before), not knowing that it would quietly anchor her for the next several years.

What she did not realize at the time was that it would be more than three years before she would actually step onto a pageant stage. She would not compete until 2024. Yet writing it down made the goal real in her mind. It turned a whimsical thought into something her subconscious could work with. It became a challenge she wanted to chase, even during the moments when it seemed impossible.

When she talked about this part of her journey, she explained something incredibly powerful. Simply writing down your goals makes you 42 percent more likely to achieve them. And when you pair those goals with small, tangible, achievable action steps, your likelihood of success rises to 90 percent. What may feel cosmic or intuitive is actually supported by science. When you write a goal down, your brain begins organizing itself around the possibility.

Amber didn’t have the answers in 2021. She didn’t know how, when, or even if the pageant dream would come together. But she wrote it anyway. And that small act placed her on the path that eventually led her to the crowns she holds today.

Who She Is Beyond the Crown

When Amber describes herself, she starts with the roles that matter most. She is a mother of three, a wife to her husband Jamison, who works as a CBS news anchor, and a long-time Tampa resident who proudly calls Florida home. For nearly a decade, she has worked for a tech startup, balancing career and family long before pageantry ever entered her world.

Her journey into the spotlight began in 2021 when she was nearly 300 pounds, morbidly obese, and pre-diabetic. In the middle of that season, she made what she calls a “crazy declaration” to someday compete in a beauty pageant. What sounded unrealistic at the time eventually led her to the Mrs. Florida USA stage in 2024, where she won. From there, she advanced to Mrs. Universe USA, won again, and ultimately prepared to compete at Mrs. Universe in Manila. The experience opened doors she never imagined, including traveling to Canada to deliver a TED Talk just days before we spoke.

As for business ventures, Amber shared that motivational speaking has grown into a surprising and meaningful new direction for her. What started with small groups, women’s clubs, and community organizations eventually expanded to companies, conferences, and national platforms. She didn’t plan for speaking to become part of her life, but as her story resonated with more people, it became clear that she had stepped into a calling that aligned naturally with her honesty, vulnerability, and willingness to share her journey in a raw and relatable way.

Since our original conversation, Amber has reached another milestone. She was crowned Mrs. Universe 2026 Ambassador, one of three titles awarded at the Mrs. Universe Pageant in Manila. With more than 120 contestants from around the world, this new title was created to honor one woman who embodies community service, the spirit of sisterhood, and represents the organization with excellence. Amber was named the very first recipient in the pageant’s 48-year history, a reflection of the legacy she has been building and the deep respect she holds for her role. She is honored to carry this new ambassador title throughout the coming year.

The Support System That Keeps Her Grounded

When asked who has inspired her most throughout this journey, Amber immediately pointed to her mother. She has been there for everything, from watching the kids while Amber traveled for her TED Talk, to sewing and tailoring outfits, to helping choose headshots and offering steady support through every pageant milestone. Amber jokes that even as a middle-aged woman, her mom is still “everything” to her. What started as her personal goal has become a genuine family affair, and her mother’s presence has been one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.

The Honest Truth About Exercise and How She Really Lost the Weight

When most people talk about major weight loss, they usually credit an intense workout routine or a newfound love for the gym. Amber is the complete opposite, and she shares that truth with refreshing honesty. She admits she works out as little as possible because she simply does not enjoy it. Fitness never became her passion, and no routine ever felt natural or exciting to her. Even classes like Zumba left her feeling out of place, especially when everyone around her suddenly transformed into what she jokes looked like professional dancers with matching scarves she didn’t know she needed to bring.

Instead, Amber’s transformation happened almost entirely through nutrition. She lost 99

percent of her weight through diet alone. She tried programs like Weight Watchers, but the constant tracking and point counting did not fit her personality or lifestyle. What ended up working was Jenny Craig, which gave her structure, portion control, and accountability. Having pre-portioned meals delivered every two weeks eliminated guesswork and prevented overeating, something she openly acknowledges was at the core of her struggle.

She still includes small, realistic movement like walking with her kids or playing at the park, but she never pretends to be a gym person. Even with studies claiming that habits form after a certain number of days, she laughs and says that moment never came for her. She never woke up excited for a workout, and she accepts that.

What she does emphasize is that diet was the key. Diet mattered more than anything else for her body and her lifestyle. Even when she pushed herself early on with intense gym sessions, she saw little change until she focused on her eating habits. The early months were frustrating, and the scale barely moved. But she stayed consistent, pushed through the discouragement, and refused to give up.

Her honesty breaks the stereotype and shows women that transformation can look different for everyone. For Amber, it was not about loving the gym; it was about finding the system that worked for her and committing to it even when it was uncomfortable.

Her Advice: Start Again, No Matter How Many Times You Need To

When Amber shares advice for anyone hoping to make a similar change, she stays honest about her own struggles. She talks openly about the nights she would wake up to empty Krispy Kreme boxes or candy wrappers in the bed, realizing she had eaten them in her sleep. Sleep-eating was such a real issue that her family eventually stopped keeping sweets in the house because she would find them without even knowing it. There were times she discovered she’d eaten half a birthday cake overnight, and those moments were frustrating enough to make her want to give up for the entire day.

She understands the feeling of thinking, “I already messed up, so what’s the point now?” because she lived it. What changed her path was choosing not to let those moments define the rest of her day. She learned to reset immediately instead of spiraling, and that shift made a difference over time.

Her advice is to start again, even if you have to do it over and over. Each restart matters more than the slip-up that came before it. The women who move forward aren’t the ones who never fall; they’re the ones who don’t stay down when it happens. Amber’s progress came from repeatedly choosing to continue, even when it felt inconvenient, embarrassing, or discouraging.

What Keeps Her Moving Forward

When asked what keeps her going, Amber admits that winning certainly helps. Each title pushed her to the next stage. First, she represented herself, then the state of Florida, and eventually the entire United States. Carrying that level of responsibility motivates her to show up as her best self.

She’s also honest about the pressure she feels to maintain her health after pageantry. The journey took nearly four years, and she tells her husband she never wants to go through that level of struggle again. She remembers the physical toll of being morbidly obese, even the difficulty of climbing the stairs to put her children to bed. That memory alone keeps her committed to staying healthy, even in simple ways like daily walks or staying mindful of her habits.

Amber recognizes that both paths were difficult. Being unhealthy was hard, and staying healthy takes effort too. In the end, she chose the version of “hard” that allowed her to keep the life she fought for, and that choice continues to guide her every day.

Her Mission: Health, Prevention, and Protecting the Next Generation

As our conversation wrapped up, Amber shared the one message she hopes people take from her journey. She wants others to reclaim their health, not through drastic changes, but through small, consistent steps that add up over time. Her own transformation is proof of what steady progress can create.

She also spoke passionately about her advocacy for swim safety and drowning prevention. Living in Florida, where drowning is the number one cause of death for children under five, this issue is especially urgent. Amber emphasizes that water safety is not about becoming an elite swimmer. It is about knowing how to float, paddle, or stay above water long enough to call for help. Those basic skills can save a life, and she believes swimming should be every child’s first sport for that reason.

Her passion comes from lived experience. At age five, she survived a non-fatal drowning, an event that shaped her understanding of how quickly these tragedies can happen. Decades later, in 2022, she saved another child from drowning, a moment that solidified her purpose. Today, she is committed to raising awareness, supporting organizations that teach water safety, and ensuring fewer families suffer preventable loss.

Connect With Amber

Amber welcomes connection in the most genuine way. If you ever see her in person, she encourages you to say hello, share a hug, and snap a photo. Those moments are her favorite part of being Mrs. Universe USA. She is also active on Instagram @MrsUniverseAmber, TikTok, and Facebook, where she responds to messages as soon as she can, even while traveling. She also encourages readers to connect with her through her social platforms and to watch her TED Talk, where she shares more of her story and mission.

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