© Houston McCullough
© SWNS via Newsflare
22-year-old Madison Marsh has been named Miss America in the United States. This is a first, as Marsh is the first active-duty soldier to be voted America’s Most Beautiful.
Marsh, who was previously voted Miss Colorado, is a lieutenant in the United States Air Force. She particularly impressed the judges with her emotional response to a question about American health care, in which she told the story of her mother’s battle with pancreatic cancer. She died in 2018, after which Marsh set up a fund in her name to support pancreatic cancer research and improve patient care. To date, she has raised more than $250,000.
She also won votes when she talked about how she got her pilot’s license at 16, and sealed her victory by singing her dedication to her country in the final round, emphasizing that she served in the military “with passion.”
(read more below the photos)
© Houston McCullough
© Houston McCullough
Before the election, Marsh had indicated in interviews that he was very ambitious. “It’s an amazing experience to bring both sides of the favorite things in my life together and hopefully make a difference,” she said in the New York Post. She said she wanted to show with her participation that “no one has to impose limits on themselves”. According to Marsh, beauty pageants are a way for her to show that you should do whatever you feel good about and want to do, no matter how far apart those things seem.
Her biography on the Miss America website lists “flying planes, cooking pasta and reading” as her favorite leisure activities. Not exactly what you would expect from a beauty pageant candidate. Exactly what she had in mind, as she said in an interview with Harvard Crimson. “I want to show young girls that they don’t have to play conventional roles.”
The US Air Force, Marsh’s employer, already paid tribute to the newly crowned Miss America on X. “Congratulations,” the post says.
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A total of 51 candidates took part in the election. Eleven of them were allowed to go to the real beauty pageant, and Marsh emerged as the winner.