PAGEANT BEAUTY’S A BIKINI BOOSTER
Hits back at critics
Hey, if the boys can flex, so can I! Gracie Hunt — the 22-year-old daughter of Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt — defended modeling swimwear in the competition that crowned her Miss Kansas USA.
After some commentators said it was demeaning for women to still wear bikinis in beauty pageants, Hunt said that, like an NFL player, it’s a demonstration of fitness.
“Swimsuit modeling or showing my work in the pursuit of health and fitness does not in any way diminish my worth as a woman. It does not abate my true strength, lessen my credibility, or degrade any other area of my life,” she wrote on Instagram.
“In fact it reinforces the notion that pageantry develops a hard work ethic in all areas of competition and life lessons about living healthy inside and out.”
Hunt won the competition on Sunday, 28 years after her mother, Tavia, was crowned Miss Kansas USA in 1993. Hunt has credited her mom for introducing her to pageants and being an “incredible mentor,” she told IN Kansas City.
Hunt is also the granddaughter of Lamar Hunt, who founded the Chiefs, coined the name “Super Bowl,” and played a central role in shaping the NFL into what it is today.
“I want all women to feel empowered and strong, so that we may fulfill our potential and become the best versions of ourselves,” she wrote.
“We are all different. There is no ‘one size fits all,’ but there is confidence in knowing that you are better today than you were yesterday.”
Hunt, who has celiac disease, is a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic and certified health and fitness coach. She recently completed her nutrition certification and accreditation so she can help others live a healthier lifestyle.
She has said her health journey began after she was diagnosed at a young age with the immune disorder, also known as a gluten intolerance.
Additionally, she currently works in marketing and development for the Chiefs while pursuing her master’s degree in sports management at the University of Kansas.
Hunt will compete in the Miss USA 2021 pageant on a yet-to-be-determined date.