U.S.

Politics World Opinion Media Entertainment Sports Lifestyle Video AI More Watch TV

Media

Miss Colorado becomes the first U.S. fighter pilot to

compete for Miss America
'Everyone has been so, so excited to get to have me here,' Marsh said about competing in Miss America 2024
By Gabriel Hays Fox News

Published January 13, 2024 11:50am EST

Miss Colorado makes history by becoming first active-duty officer to compete in Miss America
Miss America contestant Madison Marsh joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss her experience in the U.S. military and its impact on her Miss America
campaign.

Madison Marsh, the winner of the Miss Colorado 2023 beauty pageant, spoke to FNC’s
" Fox & Friends Weekend " on Saturday morning about being the first-ever active-duty U.S.

Air Force fighter pilot to compete for the Miss America crown.

Marsh, who recently graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, told the co-hosts that the
U.S. military is "so supportive" of her ambitions to compete for and win the major beauty
pageant title.

The competition has been going on since January 6th in Orlando, Florida, and ends this
Sunday.

US-UK COALITION STRIKE IRAN-BACKED HOUTHI TARGETS IN YEMEN AFTER SPATE

OF SHIP ATTACKS IN RED SEA

Miss Colorado 2023 winner and Miss America contestant Madison Marsh talks about being a pageant contestant and U.S.
Air Force pilot. (Screenshot/Fox News Channel)

The pageant winner told the hosts she is "a pilot select right now, just graduated from the
Air Force Academy, and everyone has been so, so excited to get to have me here."

Show co-host Pete Hegseth read Marsh’s resumé on-air to show off some of the young
woman’s long list of accomplishments.

"In addition to all of this stuff," he said, "you’re a National Truman Scholar, two-time
National Astronaut scholar, eight-time Dean’s List at the Air Force – three-times
Superintendent’s List, a National Rhodes finalist, certified private pilot, and a black belt in
taekwondo, and you’re a graduate of the Kennedy School at Harvard."

Co-host Will Cain chimed in, asking, "So, how first dates go?" He joked that her extensive
achievements might be "intimidating" to prospective suitors.

He then asked her about what talent she will be showcasing at the Miss America pageant .

Marsh replied that she will give "a monologue" about her "very first solo flight at the age of
16."

Explaining why it’s an important story to tell, she continued, "'Cause started flying around
I

15, that’s whenever kind of fell I in love with the Air Force Academy and the idea of serving.
And so I walk through what that flight looks like and some of the things that went wrong
and how they relate to me today as a leader and an officer, and kind of how that goes into
pageantry as well."

IRAN, RUSSIA, SLAM US-UK JOINT STRIKES ON YEMEN'S HOUTHIS, WARN OF

‘INSTABILITY IN THE REGION’

Madison Marsh as Miss Colorado 2023. (Screenshot/FNC)

"So, it’s a little bit of a different, non-conventional talent to say the least," Marsh added.

Prepping Marsh for the Q&A segment of the pageant, co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy asked
her one: " What is a woman? "

She replied, "You know, serving to me – being a woman in the military is all what you make
of it. And for me that’s been being able to do both – that means representing my mom
who I lost to pancreatic cancer and living through her life, because I get to live even though
she doesn’t."

Marsh mentioned how she finds meaning in "being a leader in the military" and "being a
leader in pageantry" and "breaking those stereotypes for young women all around the
world."

"I really think that you as a woman have to define that for yourself," she added.

Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.

U.S. World Politics Entertainment Business Lifestyle

Crime U.N. Executive Celebrity News Personal Finance Food + Drink
Military Conflicts Senate Movies Economy Cars + Trucks
Education Terrorism House TV News Markets Travel + Outdoors
Terror Disasters Judiciary Music News Watchlist House + Home
Immigration Global Economy Foreign Policy Style News Lifestyle Fitness + Well-being
Economy Environment Polls Entertainment Video Real Estate Style + Beauty
Personal Freedoms Religion Elections Tech Family
Fox News Investigates Scandals Faith

Science Tech Health TV About Other

Archaeology Security Coronavirus Shows Contact Us Fox Business
Air & Space Innovation Healthy Living Personalities Careers Fox Weather
Planet Earth Drones Medical Research Watch Live Fox Around the World Fox Nation
Wild Nature Computers Mental Health Full Episodes Advertise With Us Women's World Cup 2023
Natural Science Video Games Cancer Show Clips Media Relations Fox News Shop
Dinosaurs Military Tech Heart Health News Clips Corporate Information Fox News Go
Children's Health Compliance Fox News Radio
Outkick
Newsletters
Podcasts
Apps & Products

New Terms of Use New Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Closed Captioning Policy Help Contact Us Accessibility Statement

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-
time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement .
Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .