Alex Thomas
On Thursday night, Mrs. Senior America was crowned in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the 73-year-old beauty queen proved that she isn’t intimidated by the numbers.
Videos by Rare
Kerry is fierce always but let me introduce you to a queen my mom! Mrs. Senior America 2017! #73andkillingit pic.twitter.com/MH2VXiraIp
— k-dub (@krw610) October 20, 2017
Carolyn Harden was elected Mrs. Senior New Jersey in June. And on Thursday night, under the roof of the Resorts Casino Hotel, she took home the national title. All women in the pageant are required to be over the age of 60. Harden made the following statement to Shore News Today:
This competition showcases their inner beauty. Seniors are the foundation of our communities, and when we have the opportunity to perform at an event, whether it is a hospital or a care facility, we can brighten someone’s day or show by example the almost limitless possibilities that are there for older citizens.
For her talent, Holden sang “For Once in My Life” as made famous by Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett. While she spent most of her life in business, she had success singing — performing alongside stars like Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.
Since retiring, she has continued to mentor young people as well as leading music classes at local retirement homes.
The cast of competitors hosted a crew of impressive nominees including a former CIA employee and Whitney Houston’s childhood choir director, Yahoo reports. Some of the competitors were in their nineties and they have survived all sorts of hardships — losing husbands, beating cancer and enduring divorces but under the lights of Atlantic City, they were all queens.
