(Original publication date: July 16, 2014)
Marine veteran and professional mixed martial arts fighter Kelsey DeSantis may best be known for taking Justin Timberlake as her date to the Marine Corps Ball. Well, DeSantis is making headlines again, this time for competing in a beauty pageant-esque competition called Ms. Veteran America.
DeSantis told the Military Times she decided to participate in the competition as a way of continuing her service to the country:
“Ever since I got out, I realized that it’s a part of me to continue a life of service. It’s become a part of who I am and what I want to do. I guess I speak from the heart.”
The timing of the pageant's finals, in October, means that DeSantis is competing at a bit of a disadvantage. She's pregnant - and due in November. But Ms. Veteran America organizers took the "bump in the road" in stride, writing to DeSantis:
"[T]his is what we’re all about!’”
Cool fact: for the "talent" portion of the competition, DeSantis displays her MMA skills with a boxing demonstration.
"Justin" case you don't remember the year of Marines asking celebrities to their Marine Corps Balls, here's DeSantis's video bid to get Justin Timberlake to be her date:
