Madison Marsh is the new Miss America! Competing for her home state of Colorado, Madison won the competition on Sunday, January 14. Madison took home the coveted Miss America title after taking part in a fitness runway walk, talent show, evening gown presentation, and a hot topic discussion.
As she celebrated the win, Madison shared an inspiring message on the Miss America Instagram account. “You can achieve anything. The sky is not the limit and the only person that’s stopping you is you,” she said, per People. Get to know more about Madison here!
Madison Is the 1st Active Duty Air Force Officer to Win
Madison’s win in the pageant marked a historic occasion, as she’s the first active duty Air Force officer to take home the prize. She’s a 2nd Lieutenant in the military branch. She studied physics at the Air Force Academy before joining the service.
Following her win, the Air Force celebrated her victory on social media, by sharing a photo of her in her military uniform and her red dress as she was crowned. “Congratulations to our very own #Airman 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado — who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024! Marsh is the first active duty servicemember to ever win the title,” it said. “#AimHigh.”
She’s Getting a Master’s in Public Policy
Following her graduation, Madison received a Truman scholarship, and she’s currently using it to get a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, according to her bio. She’s also a graduate intern at the Harvard Medical School, where she’s studying how to detect pancreatic cancer with the help of artificial intelligence.
She Has a Black Belt in Taekwondo
In her free time, Madison still enjoys staying active, including with martial arts. Her bio states that she’s a black belt in Taekwondo. Her hobbies also include reading, cooking pasta, and flying.
She Started a Charity to Honor Her Late Mother
Following her mother’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2018, Madison established The Whitney Marsh Foundation to raise money for research and to pay tribute to her mom. “The Whitney Marsh Foundation (WMF) was birthed from Whitney’s determination to not let the illness define her. Annually, we run together as a community to raise funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer to honor Whitney’s life and passion for running, the organization says on its website.
She Began Participating in Pageants When She Joined the Military
Prior to taking part in the Miss America pageant, Madison opened up about how she began training for beauty pageants when she first joined the Air Force in an interview with SWNS. “For me, it’s great because I need to stay physically fit and in the gym for the military, so it already coincides with pageant training,” she said, via The New York Post.
Madison also spoke about how she felt like competing to be Miss Colorado was an excellent way to bridge both of her loves. “In the military, it’s an open space to really lead in the way that you want to lead — in and out of uniform,” she told the outlet. “I felt like pageants, and specifically winning Miss Colorado, was a way to truly exemplify that and to set the tone to help make other people feel more comfortable finding what means most to them.”