FLOWERMOUND’S
Pride & J
Joyce by Rebecca Beer | photos courtesy of Joyce Brown
ust for a second, imagine your grandmother. If doilies, potpourri, and cheekpinching come to mind, it might be time for Flower Mound’s Joyce Brown to give you a new perspective of the modern nana. Brown is a 63-year-old pageant winner, former electrical engineering supervisor, marathoner, certified health coach, co-author, and all-around inspiration to women of all ages. As you can probably tell, she loves defying expectations.
going to get control of my life and my weight.”
And when Joyce Brown decides she’s going to do something, you’d better believe it gets done.
“I became a certified health coach “I’ve always enjoyed a challenge,” she
said. “I look at something and say, ‘How am I going to figure this out?’”
One of the initial challenges in Brown’s life came when she entered Alabama
A&M University as the first person from
her blue-collar family to attend college. “I didn’t have a mentor for many, many years,” she said. “I was the only girl in
AND WHEN JOYCE BROWN DECIDES SHE’S GOING TO DO SOMETHING, YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE IT GETS DONE.
because it was something I was always
interested in,” she said. “I started going to
boot camp classes and quit yo-yo dieting. I lost 30 pounds in four months.”
Because recommitting herself to a healthy lifestyle with five to six boot camp classes
“All of those moments were exciting
each week just wasn’t difficult enough,
more as something to be conquered.”
try something she had never done
challenges,” she said. “I looked at them
Brown also decided that she was going to before - pageants.
my classes in school and then the only
As Brown’s 35-plus years as an electrical
time. I didn’t want to appear weak, so I
realized she was approaching retirement
to challenge myself,” she said. “I thought,
her free time.
in one, and I didn’t know they existed for
female in my organization for a long
just decided I was going to create my own path.”
engineering supervisor wound down, she
“I just went online looking for something
without many hobbies or activities to fill
‘What about pageants?’ I had never been
Thus began Brown’s lifelong dedication
“I wanted to find myself after retirement,”
keep her from her goal.
I didn’t like what I saw. I decided I was
to vanquishing any obstacle that dared
56 | FLOWER MOUND TOWN LIFE | MAY 2021
she said. “At 59, I looked at myself, and
women my age.”
In 2018, Brown competed in the Ms.
Texas Senior pageant for the first time. www.LiveLocalMagazines.com
