Recently a rule change was made at the Miss Texas USA pageant which allowed women of all ages to compete. The formal restrictions were lifted for the 2024 pageant season which opened the gates for women like Marissa Teijo to compete. Marissa Teijo competed for the first time, making history as a 71 year old contestant. She is the oldest contestant to ever compete in the pageant. This weekend, she competed against 74 other women of all different ages for the title of Miss Texas USA. The competition spanned two days, June 21 and June 22. At the end of the day on June 22, a winner was named, and while it was not Marissa Teijo, she seems to have enjoyed the competition and her time as a beauty queen, nonetheless.
The crowned winner was 26 year old Aarienna Ware.
Leading up to the pageant, Teijo was active on social media, displaying her joy and excitement in the days leading up to the show. Due to age restrictions in all prior years of the pageant, Teijo is the oldest woman to ever compete in the competition. In an Instagram post made in mid-May, Teijo explained in her caption that she is eager to inspire women by being a competitor in the pageant. Specifically, she wrote that she hopes to “inspire women to strive to be their best physical and mental self and believe there is beauty at any age.”
When news broke about her participation, Teijo received much praise and excitement in her participation. She even received a number of sponsors and direct donations from fans who were inspired by her story from the start. Teijo once again took to social media to thank all who sponsored her and showed her support. She wrote that without the love and support that she received, she would not be able to participate in this pageant.
The age restriction removal is not the only rule change made in the Miss Texas USA pageant.
As of 2023, women who are currently or were previously married are also allowed to participate in the pageant, whereas before all women had to be unwed. Additionally, women who are pregnant or have had children are now allowed to compete for the crown too. These changes were all made in an attempt to reignite the excitement for beauty pageants, which have lost their support in recent years due to lack of diversity.
