After the Miss Universe pageant lifted its longstanding ban on women aged over 28, grandmother of three, Choi Soon-hwa, decided she wanted to “give it a try.”

She was born almost a decade before the first Miss Universe contest was held in 1952. And now 80-year-old Choi Soon-hwa could now make history as the pageant’s oldest ever participant after she was revealed as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition,

Ms Choi Soon-hwa is not just a pretty face in a sea of hopeful women vying for the chance to be crowned Miss Universe Korea. At 80 years old, the fashion model is also the oldest woman taking part in the beauty contest.

SEOUL: Choi Soon-hwa is not just a pretty face in a sea of hopeful women vying for the chance to be crowned Miss Universe Korea.

When Choi Soon-hwa steps onto the runways of South Korea’s Miss Universe competition on Sept. 30, she will be competing with beauties young enough to be her granddaughters.

Many believe that you are never too old to chase your dreams, and that is definitely the truth for Choi Soon-hwa, an 80-year-old South Korean.

If the 80-year-old takes the title and advances to Mexico, Choi is set to be the oldest-ever participant in the Miss Universe pageant. She is more than twice the age of the current oldest finalist on the international stage, 40-year-old Beatrice Njoya of Malta, though not all countries have selected their entrant yet.