Miss USA 2026 winner Justus Kelley has opened up about her preparation for the swimwear portion of the pageant after changing into the primary married girl and mom to win.
“My pageant prep, it did look completely different,” Kelley, 31, informed Fox Information Digital in an interview revealed on Saturday, September 19. “I’m not going to fake like I used to be in a position to dedicate the identical period of time as what I did previously. I needed to get inventive. [My kids’] nap time was my prep time. It was late nights. It was after the bathtub and mattress routine. I did strolling lessons with my child on my chest, in his service. I did squats in my front room whereas holding my 2-year-old. I practiced interview questions whereas feeding my toddler.”
She added, “There have been days after I wished I might simply take all the day to dedicate to pageant prep, however that’s not the place I’m. That’s not the season of life that I’m in. And we made it work, and my household was totally on board with this expertise. They know that they’re alongside for the journey; they’re alongside for this trip with me.”
Kelley triumphed over 50 ladies from across the nation to win the Miss USA 2026 crown on the Adrienne Arsht Middle for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami on August 26. In doing so, Kelley turned the primary consultant of the state of Virginia to win Miss USA since Deborah Shelton did so in 1970.
Miss USA 2026 Justus Kelley on stage through the 2026 Miss USA Last Competitors and Coronation. Ivan Apfel/Getty Photos
The Arlington, Virginia, native not solely made historical past as the primary mom and married girl to take the crown however she was additionally the primary particular person in her 30s to ever win Miss USA. (Kelley and her husband Tyler have welcomed two foster kids into their dwelling.)
In 2023, Miss USA modified a rule that beforehand prevented ladies with kids from competing within the pageant and eliminated a earlier age cap of 28.
“Understanding that historical past was made as the primary mother, as the primary spouse, as the primary girl in her 30s, my first thought was how superb it’s to get to do that and to signify ladies from all around the nation, from all around the world that resonate with, ‘Hey, we’re nonetheless dreaming,’” Kelley informed the outlet.
Kelley revealed that giving up social media allowed her essential time to dedicate to health forward of Miss USA’s iconic swimwear competitors.
“I like abductor and adductor workouts, one thing that I often do on a machine on the fitness center,” she added her train routine. “But when I can’t make it to the fitness center, I’m simply mendacity on the ground, elevating my leg and mirroring what I might’ve carried out on that machine.”
Miss USA winner Alma Cooper, who was topped in 2024, has introduced she gained’t be attending this yr’s pageant. Taking to Instagram on Friday, October 24, the wonder queen, 23, informed her followers that she made the “extraordinarily tough choice” to skip this yr’s occasion. The publish was shared simply hours earlier than the pageant, the place […]
The Miss USA winner went on to say, “For me, main as much as a pageant, understanding there’s a health part, I’m going to be in a swimsuit on that stage. I need to really feel good. I need to showcase all this difficult work.”
Per stories, Kelley’s prize package deal for profitable Miss USA features a $150,000 wage, a one-year lease on a Miami condo, a Vary Rover and a Westgate Trip Residence Membership membership. She additionally obtained $30,000 to place towards her Miss Universe wardrobe in addition to $15,000 for hair and glam.
The following step for Kelley is to signify the U.S. at Miss Universe 2026, which will probably be held on the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 24.
