Marsh, who is a second lieutenant in the US Air Force, is the first active-duty Air Force officer to be crowned Miss America
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.
U.S. Air Force active-duty officer, Madison Marsh, was crowned as 2024 Miss America.
On Sunday, 22-year-old Marsh, who represented Colorado, won the prestigious pageant.
In an interview after the show, Marsh said, "You can achieve anything. The sky is not the limit and the only person that’s stopping you is you," per a video on Miss Universe's Instagram story. Madison added that she came from "a small town, not being part of the pageant [world]," and was able to step into the pageant-world, so the possibility is open to anyone.
Miss Colorado, Madison Marsh, was crowned as 2024 Miss America. (Getty Images)
In another video shared on the Miss Universe Instagram account, Marsh shared that she recently graduated from the Air Force Academy.
"I'm very excited to be able to represent women who can break stereotypes in both fields," she added.
The U.S. Air Force congratulated Marsh on her accomplishment in a heartfelt message on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"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," the message read. "#AimHigh."
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.#AimHigh pic.twitter.com/3RuDu5CulW
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) January 15, 2024
Marsh succeeds Grace Stanke of Wisconsin, who was crowned the 2023 Miss America. Stanke crowned Marsh on Sunday.
There were 51 contestants in the 2024 Miss America pageant, each representing the United States and the District of Columbia. The 11 semi-finalists competed in four rounds which included a fitness runway walk, a "hot topics" discussion, an evening gown presentation and a talent show.
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The five finalists had to share their goals and dreams as Miss America.
Prior to Marsh's victory, she was a guest on FNC's "Fox & Friends Weekend" where she 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."
WATCH: Miss Colorado makes history by becoming first active-duty officer to compete in Miss America
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Co-host Pete Hegseth read Marsh's long list of accomplishments before moving on to her education.
"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."
Marsh gave a preview of her talent, which she competed with during the pageant: a "monologue" of her first solo flight at just 16.
Madison Marsh receives a joyful hug from the other contestants after winning the Miss America 2024 pageant. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service)
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Explaining why it’s an important story to tell, she continued, "'Cause I started flying around 15, that’s whenever I kind of fell 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."
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"So, it’s a little bit of a different, non-conventional talent to say the least," Marsh added.
Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.
