Miss Colorado, Sarah Swift, visited her former elementary school American Academy – Castle Pines to talk to the kids about heart health and her cause she named “happy hearts.”

In January, when Miss Colorado Madison March won Miss America, runner-up Miss Colorado Sarah Swift assumed the crown. Sarah is the first state title holder from Castle Pines and was the youngest candidate to compete for Miss Colorado at the age of 18.

There is a lot more to the pageants than the beauty contest Sarah reflected. “I was surrounded by the most phenomenal women with a love for community service, leadership, and advocacy.”

One of the roles of being Miss Colorado is to promote a cause that is personal to the crown holder.  With her title, Sarah has been promoting heart health awareness through her own initiative she named “happy hearts.” Drawing from her own experience of losing her father to a heart attack when she was in first grade, Sarah is focused on heart disease prevention and emphasizes the importance of being active, reducing personal stress and avoiding harmful, irreversible behaviors such as vaping.

During the pageant and for the talent competition, Sarah performed a lyrical dance solo to the song “Rise Up” by Andra Day. “Being raised in a single-parent household defined a huge part of who I am. It was hard to process the grief of losing my father at such a young age,” added Sarah on the significance of the song. “It was important for me to have that moment of resiliency.”

Sarah is grateful for her time growing up in Castle Pines North [prior to becoming the City of Castle Pines] with her mom, Pam, and two siblings, Jonathan and Ellie. “My favorite was the sledding hill when it snowed – it is part of the Castle Pines culture,” added Sarah.

Attending American Academy – Castle Pines (AA), Cherry Hills Christian School for middle school and then Valor Christian High School, Sarah honed in on her passion for dance – immersing herself in the art.  Alongside her regular studies, Sarah earned an extra diploma from Valor in conservatory arts with a specialty in dance. A graduate of the class of 2021, Sarah’s love for the arts has extended to college at Southern Methodist University, where she is pursuing studies in fashion media with a minor in advertising.

Since the annual competition for Miss Colorado 2024 is scheduled for this June, Sarah wants to make the most of the short time she has left.  So far, Sarah has visited a Girl Scout troop and AA to speak to the elementary school students about heart health. She also joined the American Heart Association in Denver for “Wear Red Day at the Capitol,” in February.

Sarah is eager to do more to promote and discuss happy hearts. If you are interested in a collaboration, speaking engagement, to learn more about the Miss Colorado organization, or to schedule a meet and greet with Sarah, she would love to hear from you on Instagram at @hellosarahswift.

For more information on Miss Colorado, visit www.misscolorado.org.

Sarah Swift’s first appearance as Miss Colorado was alongside the American Heart Association in Denver for “Wear Red Day at the Capitol.”

Six-year-old Sarah Swift (left) with her mother, Pam, and siblings Jonathan and Ellie at a neighborhood July 4th celebration in Castle Pines North.

By Nicole Stark; photos courtesy of Sarah Swift and the Miss Colorado organization