A fighter pilot undergoing training in the U.S. Air Force, aiming for a Top Gun qualification, could also become the next Miss America. Madison Marsh, the reigning champion of the Centennial State pageant, is set to make history this weekend as the first active-duty Air Force officer to compete for the Miss America title.
Marsh, 22, acquired her pilot's license at the age of 17. She is now a U.S. Air Force 2nd lieutenant with a coveted spot for fighter pilot training. In May 2023, she was crowned Miss Colorado, just before she graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and was commissioned as an Air Force Officer.
Top Gun Flying High
While at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), the Arkansas native decided to venture into pageant competitions as an extracurricular activity. Now, the 22-year-old Harvard University is set to make a bid for the Miss America crown in Florida on Sunday.
"It's an awesome experience to bring both sides of the favorite parts of my life together and hopefully make a difference for others to be able to realize that you don't have to limit yourself," Marsh told SWNS.
"In the military, it's an open space to really lead in the way that you want to lead — in and out of uniform. 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."
Marsh is passionate about participating in pageants, because of the importance of the "community service aspects" and the emphasis on public speaking. She also commends the evolution of the pageant system, particularly in its approach to women's fitness.
Notably, Marsh believes she holds the distinction of being the first active-duty officer from any military branch to represent at the national level of the Miss America organization.
"Pageants are changing and one of the ways is in what being physically fit means to women," Marsh explained.
"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."
Mission Possible
Marsh's journey to competing on the Miss America stage took a winding route. Her initial focus was on obtaining a pilot's license, a goal she had set years before considering pageant participation.
With a childhood spent attending space camps and enjoying flying lessons, Marsh pursued her dreams by joining the Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado.
Marsh embarked on her pageant journey while attending the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Reflecting on this experience, she remarked, "As a freshman at the Academy, you might have a hard time finding your identity in a very new and challenging environment."
"My cousin had competed in pageants for a long time, and one of the big things about it that I love is the community service aspect and the focus on public speaking."
Three years later, she won the Miss Colorado crown.
Marsh said, "It was very surreal. I believe I'm the first active-duty officer from any branch to represent at the national level of the Miss America organization."
In a modern-day parallel to the "Top Gun" narrative, Marsh has her own version of Goose – her mustachioed boyfriend, who remarkably resembles Maverick's wingman from the iconic 1986 film.
If she clinches the national crown this weekend, Marsh is determined to use her platform to engage with young girls, sharing insights about serving in the military and challenging stereotypes associated with military women.
Despite the various opportunities available to her as a beauty queen and fighter pilot, Marsh envisions her path leading toward cancer research. This choice is deeply influenced by the personal loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer, serving as a powerful inspiration for her future career direction.
"Toward the end of my time at USAFA, I started to realize that my bigger passions were in policy-making and cancer research, so that's why I ended up at the Kennedy School," she said.
"I'm now trying to take the next step and use my studies from the Kennedy School to learn about the inner workings and the difficulties of what policy really looks like ... Issues like economic environments and other social pressures that might be inhibiting our ability to implement cancer policies that can affect all Americans."
