Plainfield mom to vie for Mrs. America

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Like the butterfly costume she donned, Zara Johnson, of Plainfield, found her life instantly transformed on Feb. 11.

That’s when Johnson, 58, captured the title of Mrs. Illinois and $15,000 in prizes at the Bolingbrook Performing Arts Auditorium in Bolingbrook.

It was Johnson’s first pageant and she competed in it with seven other women. Johnson will soon vie for the Mrs. America title at The Greenbriar Resort in West Virginia. The nationally televised pageant is March 31 through April 14.

“I had always been the behind-the-scenes person, working with everyone else to promote them,” said Johnson, office manager for Cicero’s Development Corp. in Plainfield. “But since I was approached about doing it, I decided to take a stab at it. Before I knew it, I was in competition mode.”

Johnson was in a boutique one day when someone commented how Johnson belonged in the Mrs. America pageant and proceeded to give her information on how to participate. Johnson discussed the idea with Hank Johnson, her husband of 38 years, and her two sons. They supported it and new doors opened up for Johnson. She competed in three dress categories — costume, swim wear and evening gown — as well as a 3-minute interview.

For the swimsuit, Johnson chose one she felt was age-appropriate, all the while wishing she had more time to exercise. The formal gown was easier. “Evening wear is so sophisticated and chic,” Johnson said, “I love dressing up, and I found the perfect red gown.”

The costume, which had to represent Illinois, took creativity and ingenuity. Johnson employed both and dressed as a monarch butterfly. She ordered butterfly wings online and embellished them with beads. Johnson then added a black leotard, black fishnet stockings, paten leather stiletto knee-high boots, black satin gloves and “a lot of jewelry to make it pop.”

“As butterflies change, the same thing happens with wives,” Johnson said. “We go through different changes the longer we’re married. I ended up winning best costume.”

As she prepares for the Mrs. America contest, Johnson is working out at an Oswego facility that offers mixed martial arts and combat conditioning. She’s relishing the challenges these new experiences are bringing her, although another pageant is probably not on her horizon.

“I’m thrilled that I’ve come this far,” Johnson said. “I’ve gained confidence in myself and the knowledge that I can do things a little out of my comfort zone and win. I may be an older lady ready to retire, but I still have a lot of life left.”