Kirby Helms was 18 months old when she participated in her first pageant.
Her life has revolved around spending time with family, preparing for law school and competing in beauty pageants.
All of her hard work has seemingly paid off.
She’s graduating from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in December with a degree in criminal justice and plans to attend law school after graduation. But there’s more. Helms, 21, qualified to compete in the Miss South Carolina contest later this month after becoming Miss Gamecock in January.
With only a few weeks left until the Miss South Carolina finals on June 28, Helms told The Post and Courier she’s excited about the opportunity that lies ahead. She’s a native of the eastern Spartanburg County town of Pacolet.
The 2022 Broome High School graduate said even though she’s participated in thousands of pageants, she’s paradoxically confident and nervous about heading into the Miss South Carolina finals. Ahead of the finals, preliminaries will be held for all the contestants at the Township Auditorium in Columbia.
The winner of the Miss South Carolina competition will represent the state in the 2026 Miss America pageant in Orlando, Fla. Miss South Carolina pageants have been held in Greenville and Spartanburg in previous years. It was moved to Columbia in 2011.
“I have been part of pageants my entire life,” Helms said. “I am used to it for sure. My mom is a big supporter, and my family is such a huge part of my support and helping me along the way. They will be cheering me on and hopefully things go well.”
The contestants’ preliminaries start on June 23. Helms will be the first to be interviewed during the process. If she advances beyond preliminaries, Helms competes for the title during finals on June 28. The event will be televised.
Helms advocates against drunken driving
Helms hopes to make a positive impression during the contest by being herself. She gets a lot of motivation and inspiration from her family, especially her uncle, Tim Minton, who was seriously injured in the 1980s when he was struck by a drunken driver while responding to tow a vehicle with his wrecker service. The incident occurred in the Camp Croft area. He was left with serious injuries, spent time in a coma and suffered leg injuries.
That has made raising awareness of the dangers of impaired driving close to her heart. Helms’ community service initiative centers on sharing her uncle’s experience. She has worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Columbia. She hopes the work has made a difference.
“I am an advocate against people driving under the influence,” she said. “My uncle lost 3 inches off his right leg and still walks with a limp. They made special shoes for him, and he walked with crutches for years.”
Helms said she believes laws against impaired driving should be more stringent in South Carolina with stiffer penalties.
“I am glad to help be a voice for the victims and their families,” Helms said. “I still don’t think a lot of people truly see it as an issue. Some think it’s a victimless crime if they don’t get caught. Once you get over the legal limit, your brain turns off and you stop making rational decisions. There are too many repeat offenders.”
Most of Helms’ family has remained in the Pacolet area, including parents, grandparents, cousins and extended family.
The family still owns and operates Minton’s Wrecker Service on East Main Street in Pacolet. Helms grew up going on wrecker calls or making trips to find some obscure car part that was needed. Even though Helms has been mostly in Columbia for the past three years, she’s always found time to spend with her family in Pacolet. The community recently held a hot dog sale on her behalf and showed her their support.
“I have a lot of good memories growing up in a small town,” Helms said. “I still support it and hope we don’t see that much change. There’s been a little more growth lately and we all want to see the best for it.”
Her memories include cruising around town on a golf cart with her family and friends and attending the annual Pacolet Indian Summer Festival — now River Fest — held along the river near The Flats. Spending late summer nights at her grandparents’ house was also part of growing up.
She’s still living in Columbia, preparing for her final semester of college. Helms hopes to attend law school beginning in fall 2026 and will soon begin the application process. Whatever comes next, she knows that she can count on her family for support.
