Latina crowned Miss USA advocates self-defense for women

Nia Sanchez is Latina, proud, beautiful and an expert in martial arts. We think she’s the complete package, and so did the judges at the Miss USA pageant this weekend, who crowned her the new Miss USA in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The 24-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nevada expressed the importance of self-defense during her pageant interview Sunday, further emphasizing that women should take up martial arts as a way of preventing college campus rapes.

SEE ALSO: See the new Miss Universe, Gabriela Isler

Sanchez can relate to the problem of teaching women how to defend themselves physically because she’s seen it first hand at women’s shelters. At one point she said she lived with her mother in one, and to this day says she still does volunteer work at one, teaching women and girls how to protect themselves from harm.

Martial arts to the masses

“I relate to them on a personal level because I’ve been there myself,” she said, adding that she plans to take her passion and knowledge for martial arts to the masses as Miss USA.

The response came to Rumer Willis’s question about the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses. Willis is the daughter of actors Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.

Miss Nevada answered the questions wearing a vibrant red fishtail gown.

She also said she was “so proud to bring the title of Miss USA back to Nevada.”

Her inspiration to participate in Miss USA came from a friend who won the pageant years ago. Since then she’s been also working as a professional model, and traveling, which is one of her biggest passions. Her other passion is actor Daniel Booko, who she’s currently dating.

The winner competed against 50 contestants from the U.S. and the District of Columbia, beating out Miss North Dakota Audra Mari, who won first runner-up. Nia Sanchez will now go to the Miss Universe competition later this year.