Miss Arizona USA 2024 is making history. K Johnson was crowned on Memorial Day at the Higley Center for Performing Arts in Gilbert, becoming the oldest woman ever to hold the Miss Arizona USA title.
Days after she was crowned, she sat down for an interview with ABC15.
"It doesn't offend me to say that I'm the oldest competitor. I'm the oldest competitor!" Johnson said with a smile.
She's now the first woman in her 40s to win a chance to compete for the title of Miss USA. But she's not worried about her age holding her back.
"You can still be 40 plus and fabulous!" Johnson said.
Making it to Miss USA is something that almost never happened for her. She was forced to let go of that goal because of previous competition age restrictions.
"I actually started my first California pageant when I was 18," Johnson explained.
While attending college in San Diego, she competed for Miss California USA four times until she hit her final year of eligibility.
"I never made top 10 until my last year. Then, just sitting back on the bus with my consolation pearls thinking, 'Great job you made top 10.' I thought, 'Well, this is it,'" Johnson recalled.
Then earlier this year, the pageant organization lifted age restrictions allowing more women to compete.
That's when Johnson went all in.
"I was just ready. I think I saw on Oprah once that if some people don't know where they're going, it's because they don't have a destination in sight. Well, this destination was in sight!" said Johnson.
She tells us she's embracing this experience, the good and the not-so-good.
Miss USA stepped down recently, as well as Miss Teen USA. Some of it may have something to do with mental health.
"I believe when you're citing mental health, you should take it seriously. And I support her decision in stepping down. It doesn't diminish my excitement still to compete for Miss USA 2024. I believe I could be a really good liaison, from what the pageant was, to what it's becoming today. Being more inclusive," explained Johnson.
Now she's hoping her life experience can help her accomplish her dream of being crowned Miss USA while inspiring women of all ages.
"Your beauty shouldn't be defined by your age. It should be about you as a person, your resilience, your radiance, and what you can bring to others," said Johnson.
The now-41-year-old will represent the state of Arizona at Miss USA in Los Angeles, California, on August 4.
You can cheer Johnson on and follow her journey on the Miss Arizona USA social media pages, Instagram and Facebook.
