Christina Robinette prides herself on shattering stereotypes. The 60-year-old won the Ms. Arizona Senior America pageant in 2023, which she attributes to enjoying a solid challenge.
"I feel like for me, like [at] 60, I'm like the new face of the up-and-coming seniors, there's a whole other group of soon-to-be 60s behind me," said Robinette.
Embracing life's golden years, Robinette said age is just a number.
"Think about this. We have technology, we have better health, we have better fitness,” she said, reflecting on aging. “When I look at my grandparents at 60, they were old. So, we have the mindset. And in many cases, the physical ability to have a lot of longevity. And [now] we're seeing people that are living longer."
Robinette entered the contest, she said, because it’s “never too late” to experience something new.
"This has been so much fun for me. And it was a goal that was completed after 30 years,” said Robinette.
The goal, she told ABC15, was inspired by her family’s history, and her want to age. Robinette’s mother passed away at 43 from heart disease, she told ABC15. And her grandmother didn’t make it far past 60.
“So, 30 years ago, I saw a picture of Miss Arizona Senior America. I didn't know there was such a thing,” said Robinette. “And I thought, ‘What a wonderful opportunity. Lord willing if I make it this long, and here I am!’"
The program's pageant administrator, Marice Kunz emphasized the competition is not a “beauty pageant.”
"It's an avenue to help a lot of ladies get to a place where — maybe they're not feeling relevance anymore — this is a way to feel relevant,” said Kunz. “You are with a sisterhood. You are showing your talent, your capabilities of rocking the age of 60 and older.”
As part of Robinette’s platform as Ms. Arizona Senior America, she encourages people to live their best lives at any age.
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“It's growing bolder, not older,” said Robinette.
In the pageant's more than three-decade history, Robinette is the only woman from Kingman, to win the Arizona state title. She said the Kingman community is helping to make her year-long reign the experience of a lifetime.
"Every time I set foot out, they just remind me of how special this is. And they keep saying this really is a big deal," she said.
Robinette will go on to represent Arizona at the Ms. Senior America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, later this month.
And while Robinette is still the reigning Ms. Arizona Senior, pageant administrator Kunz wants Robinette’s story to inspire other women of elegance to apply for next year’s pageant.
“We've had contestants that range from hula hoopers, roller skaters, belly dancers, monologues,” said Kunz. “For those ladies who think they don't have a talent, everybody has a talent. And if you don't know what you have, we'll help you tap into it.”
For more information about the Ms. Arizona Senior America pageant or the Arizona Cameo Club, contact Marice Kunz at mssrazpageant@gmail.com.
