A beauty queen at 86: 会合，会う the 野外劇／豪華な行列 勝利者 with 26 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandchildren who won over 裁判官s by doing her '署名' SPLIT

By Margot Peppers

Published: | Updated:

It's not every day that you see an 86-year-old expertly do a 分裂（する）, but that's 正確に／まさに how Rita Ann Battram won over the 裁判官s at the 2013 Ms 上級の Sweetheart 野外劇／豪華な行列.

The Kent, Washington native, who has been dancing since she was 11, told MailOnline she has been getting 'やめる a bit' of attention since October, when she won the international beauty 野外劇／豪華な行列 for women over 58.

But while the audience at the 競争 in 落ちる River, Massachusetts, may have been 床に打ち倒すd by her 柔軟性, the 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandmother of 26 says she was 簡単に doing what she does best.

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Ever nimble: Rita Ann Battram, 86, won over the judges at the 2013 Ms Senior Sweetheart Pageant with her 'signature' split (pictured at 68) - a move she's been doing since childhood

Ever nimble: Rita Ann Battram, 86, won over the judg es at the 2013 Ms 上級の Sweetheart 野外劇／豪華な行列 with her '署名' 分裂（する） (pictured at 68) - a move she's been doing since childhood

'That was my 署名,' she explained. 'I 手配中の，お尋ね者 to play piano [as a child], but it was during the 不景気 and we couldn't afford it. So my dad [who used to teach ballroom dancing] said I could take tap lessons.'

After a few lessons, she became 麻薬中毒の on dance and she grew up to be an 指導者 with her own studio, where she taught everything from jazz to ballet and belly dancing.

These days, she teaches a sit-負かす／撃墜する 演習 class for women at her living community, Radcliffe Place 上級の Apartments, 同様に as choreographing dances for another group of ladies who call themselves the Ding Dong Dollies.

'I want to keep limber,' she said of staying busy with physical activity. 'We have a 爆破!'

Mrs Battram's 野外劇／豪華な行列 勝利，勝つ was an 特に proud moment for her five children, 12 grandchildren and 26 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandchildren.

Reigning queen: Mrs Battram's (pictured in her tiara and sash) pageant win was an especially proud moment for her five children, 12 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren

統治するing queen: Mrs Battram's (pictured in her tiara and sash) 野外劇／豪華な行列 勝利，勝つ was an 特に proud moment for her five children, 12 grandchildren and 26 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandchildren

Unsurprisingly, the Ms 上級の Sweetheart was not the vivacious octogenarian's first 野外劇／豪華な行列.

When she lived in Arizona, she competed in a Ms 上級の 競争 there twice, coming in first-走者-up one year and second-走者-up another.

'I've been a maid of 栄誉（を受ける） a few times,' she said of her 近づく-勝利，勝つs. 'But I never got to be a bride before, and it's so exciting!'

'My husband always said, "We can't get in a 競争!" and I said, "Oh just 持つ／拘留する my 手渡す and I'll dance around you!"'

One of her secrets to success, she says, is staying 肯定的な, no 事柄 what 後退s life throws at her - 含むing 存在 blind in one 注目する，もくろむ and having a cornea 移植（する） in the other.

But just a year after her 移植（する）, her 見通し was a very good 20/13. 'I was so 感謝する,' she told Parade magazine. 'I had a lot of 約束 that that would happen. I've always had a good 見通し.'

Even a hip 交替／補充 three years ago, which meant she could no longer do clogging, didn't stop her from 追求するing her passion.

Seasoned pro: The vivacious octogenarian (pictured at 17) has been dancing since she was 11 and owned a studio where she taught everything from jazz to ballet to belly dancing

Seasoned プロの／賛成の: The vivacious octogenarian (pictured at 17) has been dancing since she was 11 and owned a studio where she taught everything from jazz to ballet to belly dancing

And when her husband Harry passed away recently, she continued to 追求する her 野外劇／豪華な行列 dreams in 栄誉（を受ける） of him. 'I was so proud of him because he always encouraged me to dance,' she told MailOnline.

Her husband, who was a professional softball 投手, was not much of a ダンサー himself, but 'he would get out on the [dance] 床に打ち倒す,' she 解任するd.

'We were on a 巡航する once and he always said, "We can't get in a 競争!" and I said, "Oh just 持つ／拘留する my 手渡す and I'll dance around you!"

'I did, and I did the 分裂（する）s and we won first place!' she says. 'And I said, "See - I told you you're better than you thought you were!'

Backstage: Mrs Battram and her fellow competitors star in a new documentary called Pretty Old, which goes behind the scenes at the quirky pageant

Backstage: Mrs Battram and her fellow competitors 星／主役にする in a new 文書の called Pretty Old, which goes behind the scenes at the quirky 野外劇／豪華な行列

Taking a bow: 'It's basically like Miss America,' pageant director Len Kaplan says proudly in the clip. 'But they're the mothers, the grandmothers and the great-grandmothers'

Taking a 屈服する: 'It's 基本的に like 行方不明になる America,' 野外劇／豪華な行列 director Len Kaplan says proudly in the clip. 'But they're the mothers, the grandmothers and the 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandmothers'

Mrs Battram and her fellow competitors 星／主役にする in a new 文書の called Pretty Old, in which filmmaker Walter Matteson goes behind the scenes at the quirky 野外劇／豪華な行列 and 明らかにする／漏らすs just how talented these ladies are.

'It's 基本的に like 行方不明になる America, but they're the mothers, the grandmothers and the 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandmothers'

'It's 基本的に like 行方不明になる America,' 野外劇／豪華な行列 director Len Kaplan says proudly in the clip. 'But they're the mothers, the grandmothers and the 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandmothers.'

As far as her 未来 計画（する）s are 関心d, Mrs Battram says she'll be keeping busy at 昼食s and parades where she is the 星／主役にする of the hour, showing off her tiara and sash.

And she'll continue 実行するing her 義務s as beauty queen by 栄冠を与えるing the next 勝利者 in October - and doing a 業績／成果 while she's there, of course.

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