By Ainsworth Morris

At age 50 years, Barbie Mudahy, believes she has the potential to cop the 2025 crown in the Hyundai Miss Universe Jamaica competition. Thanks to the removal of the archaic rule of an age limit, marital status and motherhood restrictions, opening the door for all women to compete.

After being inspired by last year’s participation of Dr Sandra Swaby to fulfil this long-held dream of entering the competition, Mudahy told Our Today on Monday that she shied away when it got closer to the audition date. 

“I’ve never entered a pageant in my life. I received an email inviting me to audition, but as the day got closer, I left that Sunday and went to church and I had my reason all planned out and everything what I was going to tell them that I didn’t want to miss church, and I ended up leaving and just going there and auditioning, and I don’t regret it. Not even a second,” Mudahy said in a joyful spirit.   

“I would have seen the changes in the criteria two years ago. It did occur to me [to enter], however, it still seemed like something that I couldn’t do. I guess I had already wrapped my mind around not being able to do it, even before the restrictions were gone. And last year [when] Dr Swaby and her cousin actually entered, and I saw that, and I saw how she competed in that competition with the girls, and how they welcomed her through the whole thing, and so definitely gave me the encouragement, just the confidence to go out there,” she said. 

Mudahy is the oldest of 30 women who were officially sashed on Sunday (May 18) inside the AC Hotel in St. Andrew for the upcoming weeks of the competition. 

For a second year, the Miss Universe Jamaica has allowed contestants to enter under the revised Miss Universe pageant rules. The event on Sunday also marked the beginning of an intense training journey for the selected finalists, which the fit and fabulous Mudahy believes she can rise to being in the top three.

“I am very confident that I can be placed in the top three. I am doing the work. I’m putting in the work and doing what I need to do to get myself prepared, and I’m not taking this journey to just be a number. I’m taking this journey to actually impact and influence, and I really believe that doing this will encourage someone else,” Mudahy said.  

At 50 years, Mudahy looks younger than her age, and has always been complimented for that, which she embraces. She is often asked what her secret to looking fabulous at 50 is, and she still admits that she does not know.

“I tell everybody that I have a good heart. I have enjoyed life. I am a very fun and easy-going person. I love to make people laugh. I live for that, so I really can’t say that I can’t tell anybody about it. Maybe at some point, I drank from the fountain of youth. I don’t remember,” she said before laughing and adding, “I realise that my beauty and body have been preserved, and maybe it was for such a time as this. Maybe I’m living out Esther’s dreams from the Bible.”

Mudahy was born in Jamaica, but left the island at the age of two years and grew up in California with her mother and brother. She returned to the island about 20 years ago and restarted life. 

“I love living here. I came back because of life. It ended up bringing me back here. The truth is when I was in the States, I was young, and being young, I got myself into trouble, and as a result of getting myself into trouble, this is where dem seh, ‘You know what little girl, you are going home’, and so I came home to Jamaica, and since I’ve been here in Jamaica, my life has just been a blessing all the way through,” Mudahy said.  

“I have not lived a perfect life, however, I have lived a very redeemed life and [been] resilient through so many different things. I’ve really gone through it and I’ve come through it, and that is probably the strongest part of my testimony,” she said.  

Since returning to the island, she served in the office of Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, worked as a Reggae Month Secretariat, a presenter on television, and now in marketing at CVM TV and a mentor to other young at-risk girls, especially with regard to human trafficking and sex trafficking.  

Mudahy is also a professional makeup artist by trade and has worked with Milani Cosmetics in Jamaica. 

Although not a mother, Mudahy is now caring for a three-year-old she has adopted, and enjoying the moments that are closest to motherhood. “My life has been complete and just a blessing all the way through,” she said. 

According to Mark McDermoth, franchise holder, Miss Universe Jamaica, he and his colleague Karl Williams are elated that women over the previous restricted age are now entering the pageant. 

“Regarding older women entering the competition, given the removal of the maximum age limit, we are here for it! These mature women bring so much to the pageant that the young contestants can take lessons from. Lessons in interpersonal relations, caring, empathy, discipline and the older ladies invariably impart their life experiences to the younger contestants, enriching their pageant journey and imparting the wisdom gathered from years of experience in their everyday life,” McDermoth told Our Today.  

“And the younger contestants better watch out, because confidence and the ‘it’ factor is in abundant supply with the older contestants. They can teach the young ones a thing or two on and off stage!” he said.