St. Pete Woman Leads World Bikini Competition

Charlotte Lambert-Jolley, who is well-known in St. Petersburg, has emerged in first place in the Ms. Bikini World competition.

The revealing bikinis that the women wear in this online competition make it clear why certain contestants excel. Lambert-Jolley is no exception.

Still, social media is abuzz with "atta girl!" for this local woman's achievement so far in the people's choice competition.

This the semi-final round, which ends Aug. 15th. The top three vote-getters move on to the finals, which run from Aug. 16-30. After that, the winner is declared.

"As of right now I'm in 1st! Sometimes I bounce back to 2nd, but my voters don't let me stay there long!" Lambert-Jolley said Thursday.

Patch took a few minutes to talk with Lambert-Jolley about the competition, her frontrunner status and how she feels about posing in a barely there bikini for the world (wide web) to see. [Editor's note: Lambert-Jolley is married to Patch editor Rachel Jolley.]

Patch: Is this really THE world Bikini Contest? Tell me about it.   
Lambert-Jolley: The contest is called Ms. Bikini World, and just like other contests and pageants, there are 100s of different titles that can be acquired. There are international bikini contests, local bikini contests, contests for specific companies, etc. 

Patch: How did you emerge a finalist? Are you really at No. 1?  
Lambert-Jolley: I was invited to join the contest at the end of March. I submitted my photos, and ran for the title of Ms. April, and I won. Once you win a monthly title, you advance to the semi-finals, which is what we are in right now. 

Patch: Have you entered before? How did you get involved?   
Lambert-Jolley: I entered a few years back, but social media wasn't the same then. I managed to stay in the top 10 for six months without ever promoting it. Models have such a presence on social media now, and once I realized what the contest entailed and that I could promote it via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I decided to enter again. 

Patch: Calling this a bikini contest seems a little misleading since the swimsuits are hardly visible. How do you feel about this?  
Lambert-Jolley: I believe swimsuit competitions are meant to show off your figure. I think it's important to be tasteful and have respect for yourself as a woman, but I also understand the beauty of the feminine form. 

Patch: Do you follow a certain diet or workout regimen?    
Lambert-Jolley: I have been vegetarian my whole life. I think that eating clean and drinking plenty of water is so important. As far as working out goes, I'm a big fan of yoga and squats, but I don't follow any strict regimens. 

Patch: Tell me about your background and connection to St. Pete.   
Lambert-Jolley: I moved to Seminole with my family at the age of eight. Once I was old enough to explore on my own, I fell in love with St. Pete and made it "home." St. Pete has so much art and culture. Its such a happy and lively place to live. 

Patch: People on the voting thread describe you as "humble." What is your approach to and attitude about life?   
Lambert-Jolley: What an awesome compliment. I feel blessed just to open my eyes and breathe everyday; the rest is extra. I worked really hard to make something of myself in the modeling world. 

I've posed for publications such as Playboy, STARE, Floridabikinis.com and Strobe, to name a few. Every job, photo shoot, title is humbling. I feel so lucky. It is so awesome that my friends, family, friends of friends and even strangers take time out of their day to vote for me. I really am so thankful. 

Patch: How can people vote for you? When will the winner be declared?   
Lambert-Jolley: Voting is so easy. You don't have to sign-up or enter any information. Just go tohttp://www.msbikiniworld.com/CharlotteJean.vote and click "vote for Charlotte" 

You can vote once daily through the month of August. The winner will be announced at midnight on the 30th. Thank you to those who take the time to vote. I greatly appreciate it!   

Patch: Anything else?     
Lambert-Jolley: Want to see what I'm up to next? 
Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Charlotte__Jean 
FB https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteJeanLambert 
Instagram @CharlotteJean