Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Mary Janssen
Must be in the top 20 in their group to advance to the next round.
Voting for this round ends on July 30, 2026 at 9:00 PM EDT
About Mary Janssen
Aging isn’t something I hide, it’s something I celebrate. At 65, I bring confidence, resilience, style, and authenticity to every room I enter. The runway isn’t about my age; it’s about my presence.
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What makes you the Next Runway Star?
At 65, I’ve learned that confidence is the most beautiful thing a woman can wear. I spent years trying to be what everyone else needed. Now, I’m simply myself, and that feels better than anything. I love fashion because it’s a form of self-expression. It’s not about looking younger. It’s about showing up, feeling good in your own skin, and letting your personality shine. As a content creator, I encourage women to embrace who they are right now, not who they used to be or who they think they should be. I believe visibility matters. Women over 50 deserve to be seen, celebrated, and represented. When I walk onto a runway, I bring authenticity, confidence, and joy. I know my worth, I know my strength, and I’m not afraid to take up space. That is what makes me a runway star.
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
This opportunity would mean so much more to me than walking on a runway. It would be a celebration of everything I’ve survived and everything I’ve become. Over the last several years, I’ve faced loss, illness, disability, and moments that changed my life forever. There were times when I could have hidden from the world, but instead I chose to heal, to grow, and to show up as myself. Walking that runway at 65 would be a reminder that our stories don’t end because life gets hard. We can begin again. We can rediscover ourselves. We can find joy, confidence, and purpose at any age. I want women, especially women over 50, to see someone who looks like them and realize that they are not invisible. Beauty doesn’t expire. Dreams don’t have an age limit. This experience would be proof that resilience can be beautiful and that it’s never too late to take up space and live your life out loud.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
I am most proud that I never gave up on myself. I have survived the loss of my husband, multiple strokes, and serious health challenges that changed nearly every aspect of my life. There were times when I didn’t know what my future would look like, but I kept showing up for myself one day at a time. What I’m most proud of isn’t that I survived those experiences. It’s that I didn’t let them define me. I did the hard work of healing. I learned who I was beneath all the roles I had played for others. I found my confidence again, my joy again, and my voice again. Today I live more authentically than ever before. I appreciate ordinary moments, love deeply, and understand that my worth has never been tied to my circumstances. My greatest accomplishment is becoming the woman I always was underneath the pain and having the courage to finally let her shine.
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
I would use this opportunity to create something meaningful for women who are rebuilding their lives after loss, illness, divorce, or major life changes. Part of the prize would help me continue my writing and advocacy work focused on helping women rediscover themselves and embrace their next chapter with confidence and hope. I would also invest in creating resources and content that remind women over 50 that they are still beautiful, still valuable, and still capable of creating a life they love. On a personal level, the prize would provide stability as I continue building a life by design after disability and would allow me to pursue my purpose of helping others from a place of security. More than anything, I would use this blessing to remind women that our stories are not over. Sometimes our most beautiful chapter begins after we think we’ve lost everything. Because when one woman rises, she gives other women permission to rise too.
Content from Mary Janssen
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