As the oldest woman to compete in Miss Texas USA, she remains sexy at the age of 72

Age is just a number.

Marissa Teijo, now 72, made history last month as the oldest woman to compete in Miss Texas USA at age 71.

The timeless beauty competed against nearly 100 other women in the pageant – which came after the Miss Universe Organization lifted age restrictions on contestants for inclusion.

And with all the excitement surrounding Teijo, it seems dropping the age limits was the right move.

“I got so many cheers,” she told People.

But the grandmother and retired primary school teacher was initially hesitant to enter the pageant and told a friend who suggested she enter that she wouldn’t.

Her friend said something that made her change her mind.

“She says, ‘It’s going to be your chance to inspire more women your age … Women our age can do what younger girls do,'” Teijo said.

At the Houston competition in June, Teijo did just that.

The contestants – as well as their mothers and grandmothers – told her she was an inspiration to them and continued to ask for beauty and health advice.

“I achieved my goal,” she said.

“My oldest sister, who’s 21, she was like, ‘You’re not a normal grandma,’ because most grandmas here in El Paso are grandmas, and I’m not,” she said.

Teijo worked as a teacher for 38 years before retiring to take care of her mother. After retirement, the El Paso grandmother took up ballroom dancing and volunteered with the Junior League before working as a substitute teacher for a few years and retiring again.

She was looking for a new hobby when her friend suggested modeling.

“I’m always open to adventure,” she said. “It gave me energy.”

Teijo took lessons, went to castings and even participated in a Top Model competition where she won the most photogenic, which “totally surprised” her.

“I don’t consider myself beautiful,” she told People. “Beauty to me is just being really, really happy. And I think being happy and exuding joy and being kind to people brings energy and beauty to you, so people are drawn to you.”

Most of the girls she competed against had competed in the pageant several times – but she didn’t let that get to her.

“I think that’s another thing about beauty: Having confidence in yourself, no matter what you look like or your shape. I had to work for it. I had to work hard for my confidence,” she said. “But at my age, it’s gotten a lot better.”

Now, when Teijo isn’t competing in the Miss USA pageant, she embraces her workout routines and posts them on social media.

“I am very active. I don’t stop. And that’s one of the things I would highly recommend to anyone: Just don’t stop. Because no matter how old you are, you can still move. And if you keep moving, you’ll be able to move as you get older,” she advised.

Teijo started weightlifting at the age of 40 and soon turned it into a sport, entering bodybuilding competitions.

Her main message to all who watch it is to focus on “health through fitness and taking good care of your skin, using products to keep your skin healthy and away from the sun.”

As for what’s next for the beauty queen, she hopes to represent beauty brands that older women use and is working with a modeling agent to create fitness videos and be an influencer who shows people that how to “stay fit and have healthy, healthy skin. lifestyle.”