A former tae kwon do teacher was crowned Miss USA at the weekend.
When asked if she needed pageant protection, Nia Sanchez, 24, of Nevada, said: “I appreciate the security we have, but I feel confident.”
Sanchez became an instructor while still a teenager.
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A total of 51 contestants from each US state plus the District of Columbia squared off in the pageant’s gown, swimsuit and interview segments in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The old-school competition style – redolent of high heels, sequins and mascara – might be the bane of feminists, but it remains a guilty pleasure for millions of television viewers, according to ratings.
In addition, it includes scholarship money so that studies remain on the horizon for the winner.
One contestant portrayed herself as someone who overcame devastating school bullying – in part by becoming an excellent ice hockey player, a sport not often favoured by girls.
Another contestant, Miss New Jersey, Emily Shah, 18, is the daughter of an American mother and a father from India.
She grew up with her grandparents, speaks fluent Hindi and Gujarati, and dreams of a crossover Hollywood/Bollywood career.