Noelia Voigt began watching pageants at an early age, but her mother didn’t allow her to compete as a child.
Voigt was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. Her mother, Jackeline Voigt, is from Venezuela, and her father, Jack Voigt, is an American former Major League Baseball player. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A’s, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers during his 14-year career, according to his website.
After winning Miss USA in September 2023, Voigt told Business Insider that she grew up watching pageants with her mother.
“My mom is from Venezuela, and over there, pageants are their Super Bowl and Olympics — it’s a huge deal,” Voigt said. “So I had always wanted to do pageants from a really young age.”
Voigt said she began asking to compete in pageants before she was 10, but her mother was “really protective” and made her wait.
“Depending on the pageant that you’re entering at that age, it can be potentially damaging to a young girl if they don’t end up winning,” Voigt said. “Then they have this negative association with it, and they think that it has something to do with them.”
“My mom didn’t want that for me,” she added. “So she waited until I was old enough to understand that, if I didn’t win, it’s not a reflection of me or who I am.”
