At the conclusion of the 2013 Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant, one of the country’s only beauty contests for ladies over 65, Rita Ann Battram, 86, doubted she’d won the crown. Although she nailed the talent competition with a dance routine that—hip replacement be darned—ended with a show-stopping straddle, then charmed the judges during the panel interview (“I might be blind in one eye and I don’t see well with the other, but I’m 86, and I’m going to keep going!” she said), when the emcee read aloud the names of the first few runners up, Battram’s wasn’t called. So when the emcee went on to announce that Battram had won, “my mouth dropped open,” says the great-grandmother of 26 from Kent, Wash. “I had tears, happy tears. I couldn’t believe it was true.”
For Battram and dozens of other silver-haired ladies from all over the country, competing in Fall River, Mass.’s annual Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant is a thrill beyond compare. In "Pretty Old", a new documentary available for streaming on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Direct TV and other platforms (see trailer below), filmmaker Walter Matteson went behind the scenes at the quirky competition to reveal just how talented and special Ms. Senior Sweetheart’s contestants are.Parade caught up with the reigning champ to find out how it felt to win, and how she stays beautiful—inside and out.
Congrats on the win! How does it feel?It’s awesome! My kids—I have five—they’re always saying “awesome.” I love it. I never thought I’d win. They gave me a beautiful tiara, just beautiful. I never thought I’d have one.
Did you think you had a good chance at becoming a finalist?The first time I was in the pageant, in 2008, I was so nervous. This time, I thought, “At my age, I’m not gonna make it!” so I relaxed, and that helped. After I won, I heard that the judges said my talent cinched it. I’ve danced all my life: I taught everything—tap, jazz, ballet, belly dancing—but my signature has always been my splits and my hula. Well, I had a hip replacement three years ago, so I thought, “What else can I do besides a split that no other 86-year-old can do?” So I sat down and put my legs out and touched my head to the floor. The judges got a kick out of that!
Ms. Senior Sweetheart’s 5 Time-Tested Beauty Tips:
1. Stay positiveThere have been a lot of trials and tribulations in my life, but I’ve always thought my glass was more than half full. I’m blind in one eye, and had a cornea transplant when I was 55 in the other. A year later, I could see 20/13. I was so grateful. I had a lot of faith that that would happen. I’ve always had a good outlook.
2. Keep movingI dance every day for about a half-hour, and at Radcliffe Place Senior Apartments, where I live, I teach ladies exercise—sit-down exercise. I choreograph shows for them, and we put on performances. Right now I’m planning one for Easter.
3. Take good care of your skin—and work those facial muscles!I used Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty line and had so many compliments from the gals at the pageant. They were all saying, “Have you had a facelift?” I said, “No, but thank you!” In the morning, before I put on my makeup, I also rub Neutrogena Body Oil and water on my face and neck. For my foundation I use Clinique. Heaven, I’ve been using it for 20 years! I also do facial exercises, just tightening, then relaxing, the muscles in my neck, cheeks and forehead.
4. Laugh as much as you canEvery day, for dinner, I sit at a table with six other women. These women are 98, 94, 88—I’m the youngest one! I tell them, “We’re the magnificent seven!” I think we could run the world together. You have a different attitude about life when you have good friends. We have a great time.
5. Spend time with a loving companionI lost my husband, Harry, recently. We would have been married 45 years next month, but it was a blessing: He had Parkinson’s and dementia and was in a lot of pain. He used to be an excellent softball player. When we moved from Michigan, we gave away over 200 of his trophies. He was a pitcher and was on all these teams and won all sorts of awards and traveled to many tournaments. He always encouraged my dancing, and I always encouraged his softball. He wanted me to win Ms. Senior Sweetheart so bad over the years. He was the first thing I thought of when I won. Now, I feel his presence real strong. I think he’s looking down on me.
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