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LAS VEGAS – It was a moment that one Mifflintown girl assumed would “never happen in a million years.”
The small town girl who grew up in Juniata County not only left the area to marry a former NASCAR driver, but she now holds the crown as Mrs. United States of America 2016.
Ashley Deihl Stremme is the daughter of Joe and Dianne Deihl, of Mifflintown, and she has been married to David Stremme since 2011. Back in May, Stremme was crowned Mrs. North Carolina – the state where she has lived since 2009. Then last week, the family was together in Las Vegas to watch her move into various levels of the beauty pageant that crowns the married version of Miss USA.
Stremme spoke by phone this week about the whirlwind adventure that took place on the stage last Thursday.
“My personal goal was to make it to the top 15,” she said.
Three years ago she was named first-runner-up to be Mrs. North Carolina, and she said she was thrilled to have that title. When she actually won the state title this spring, she had a mind to make it to 15 at the national level.
Stremme admitted her “dream” wasn’t even to win the national title, because it seemed unlikely and she thought it would “never happen in a million years.”
“My ultimate goal was the top five,” she said.
When Stremme’s name was called to be among that top five, she said “I was blown away.”
Her dream to make it that far was so overwhelming, that as the top five Mrs. USA contestants stood back stage while the judges tallied up their votes, Stremme said she felt the tears fill her eyes.
When it was down to the last two places and she grasped the hands of first runner up Quiana Anderson Reed from South Carolina, she could not believe what she heard when her name was called.
“I still can’t even tell you what I was thinking at that moment,” the 31-year-old said.
“You start thinking about what all you went through to get to this moment, plus life in general. I went through that whole thing of ‘Why me? Why am I the one who is so blessed?'”
While Stremme has been doing pageants even before she met her husband, this Las Vegas event was her first national competition.
Stremme was Miss Motorama in 2003 and Miss Motorsports in 2005. The 2002 Juniata High School graduate has been involved with racing since childhood, as her dad raced at the Port Royal Speedway. She, too, has been in the driver’s seat, having raced Powder Puff at the local speedway. She is also a winner of the NASCAR event, “Better Half Dash,” where she competed against wives of other drivers. Through that win, she was also able to give $10,000 to charities such as Motor Racing Outreach, Speedway Children Charities, the NASCAR Foundation and Victory Junction.
Charity is what got Stremme involved with pageantry in the first place. Through her involvement with motorsports, she had the opportunity to visit Victory Junction, a camp in North Carolina that has a medically safe, fun atmosphere, that encourages children with serious medical conditions. The children get to try things they never imagined possible, things they didn’t think they could do “in a million years,” such as ziplining, riding a horse or rock climbing.
“When they go there they get to be part of something fun while getting the medical attention they need,” Stremme said, “It is so much bigger than I am.”
Stremme understands the need for children to have an important opportunity when they feel limited. Her own older sister was wheelchair bound and passed away at age six. Stremme was only three years old at the time.
The efforts of Victory Junction served as the platform for her Mrs. USA bid. It is something she will continue to speak about now that she has opportunity with a larger audience, she said.
Stremme was unsure as of this week where Mrs. USA will send her this year. She knows she will speak at various events – the first one is today, in fact, at a Relay for Life event in North Carolina.
Stremme said she also will keep her day job serving as co-host on a radio program every Tuesday on the Motor Racing Network called Winged Nation. It can be heard on MRN Radio on NASCAR Sirius XM or online at MRN.com.
Her husband, David, still races, just not as part of the NASCAR circuit. The couple has been busy with their new business, Lethal Chassis, a dirt modified racecar chassis manufacturer based in North Carolina. David is the designer of the chassis. Stremme does the work behind the scenes, such as marketing, accounting and social media. She also lists herself as “The wrench turner that’s the glory of it. You do whatever it takes to make it worthwhile.”
David proudly posted on their company Facbook page that his wife, whom he refers to as “Boss Lady,” had “proudly parked it in (Victory Lane)” when she won the crown last week.
Stremme said her mom and dad were also very proud, and she is honored by the feedback online from folks back home in Juniata County.
“There was such an outpouring of love and support, and people were telling me I was already a winner,” she said, adding that the pride of her hometown has never left her mind all these years.
“You know, that is what I have always sold myself on. A lot of people will tell you they are not proud of where they come from. I’ve always been proud,” Stremme said. “I am so proud to be from there. That place is the most amazing place.”