At age 22, she is the first US Air Force officer to compete in the Miss America pageant.

His Instagram account is similar to his profile, atypical. On her page, Madison Marsh alternately posts photos of herself dressed up, in makeup, and in evening gowns, as well as in fatigues, flying a plane, or wearing a gas mask. The journey of a 22-year-old young woman is truly intriguing. May 2023 Miss Colorado Madison Marsh will compete in the Miss America pageant on Sunday, January 14 in Orlando. A person who serves as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and wants to become a fighter pilot while attending Harvard Kennedy School will become the “first serving officer in the U.S. Army” to compete in a beauty pageant. .

No “ordinary talent”

Madison Marsh knows this well. his journey is a little unusual. “I have no ordinary talent. I can’t sing or dance,” she said AETC: . However, the young woman found a way to stand out. During the stage devoted to the special talents of the candidates, he made a passionate plea. “I gave a monologue about my first solo flight at age 16 and how it developed some fundamental leadership qualities that I was able to use at USAFA[theUnitedStatesAirForceAcademyamilitaryacademythattrainscadetstoserveintheAirForceandSpaceForceeditor’snote)andwhichhaveservedmewellinmyprofessionallifeasanadult

Participation in the contest is not controversial for the candidate. She said there are shared values ​​between the military and the Miss America organization, such as emphasizing “the importance of community service.” At the same time, “make sure you have a shiny CV” and “know how to speak in public” to connect with people and become a good leader. She also aims to dispel “preconceived notions and stereotypes” by showing that a missy body can also be muscular. She, who does more training, also hopes to take up sports among women and inspire more children to become pilots or astronauts.

Teen drama

However, there was nothing to suggest that Madison Marsh would one day accept such a challenge. Since childhood, the latter was especially passionate about science. And already dreams of flying. He then wavered between a career as a pilot or an astronaut, ambitions supported by his parents. Like those who regularly break the sound barrier, Madison Marsh has had a dazzling career. At the age of 13, the teenager attended his first space camp. Two years later, he began taking flying lessons. At 17, he got his pilot’s license and worked his way up to becoming a cadet. A teenage prodigy whose life is soon turned upside down.

During this time, the young woman lost her mother, Whitney, who died of pancreatic cancer. In 2018, he and his father and sister founded a foundation in his honor to “raise awareness of early detection of pancreatic cancer and help fund research.”

“Absolute Warrior”

Starting in September 2023, Madison Marsh is also enrolled in a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School (Harvard’s wing dedicated to this discipline) to understand “the factors that slow the implementation of real policy. fight against cancer”. He also plans to work with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute on early detection research for pancreatic cancer. He, who interned at NASA and worked at the Etelman Observatory in the Virgin Islands, never fails to pay tribute to his mother, Whitney, on his Instagram page.

“My mom was an absolute warrior,” she wrote in a post dated March 2023. “She was the type of woman who would wake up before taking us to school to run 10 miles (…) Sometimes when I feel unmotivated, I wonder what my excuse is. If my mother could do this during the most vicious of cancer treatments, knowing that she could lose her life, I can stand up and do it today.”

Political ambition

He studied physics, astronomy at USAFA before becoming a second lieutenant in the Air Force. During her studies, Madison Marsh also plans to enter a beauty pageant inspired by her cousin, Common.

This apprenticeship could serve the young woman well who has spoken of her ambitions to enter politics in July 2022. He had just completed a summer internship in Congress with a member of parliament. “This was a perfect opportunity to dive deeper into politics,” he wrote on his Instagram page. I hope to come back here one day and work there.”

Meanwhile, Madison Marsh will be among the most talked about candidates for Miss America. And will continue to amaze with its journey to Top Gun:leading to a comparison of his mustachioed friend to Tom Cruise’s “right-hand man” Goose in the feature film.