“We have just crowned a Miss France in Couserans”: At 96, Marcelle, resident of the Massat nursing home, won a national competition

Many of them made the trip this Friday, May 3, to the Massat nursing home. The elected officials of the Canton in the lead dressed in their 31st to come and celebrate Marcelle Cavallini, 96 years old. Proudly seated in her wheelchair, with makeup and hair done with care, the resident patiently awaits the start of the festivities. Beside him, his four other acolytes do not dare to move. And behind them, a large part of the other residents, some with half-closed eyes, also made the trip.

A sash and a crown

The staff of the establishment are busy. It’s not every day that they organize the crowning of a Miss within their walls. Germain, one of them, dusted off his old equipment for the occasion: a microphone on a stand, projectors, an aluminum structure: “When I was younger, I had a discomobile. I was the DJ at village festivals or weddings,” says the forty-year-old. Several of them inflated balloons to brighten up the room and Germain’s partner made a second Miss scarf for the occasion.

Because, for a few days, Marcelle Cavallini has been the lucky winner of the national Miss Grandma Celebration competition. On February 2, with six other residents of the nursing home, the nonagenarian took the minibus towards the apprentice training center (CFA) in Foix. They spent the afternoon there having their hair done and pampered by the young people in hairdressing training. “It was a great day,” comments Alexandra Cortes, hairdressing teacher at the structure. “A moment full of exchanges.”

At the end of the afternoon, the “before and after” were put to the vote and Marcelle thus became “Miss grandmother celebrating Ariège”. At the beginning of April, to everyone’s surprise, she won the regional vote and, a few days ago, after a tireless campaign from those around her and that of her hairdresser, Marcelle won the national title hands down.

“If your grandfather were still here…”

Surrounded by her comrades, Noémie Cariou never stops smiling. This tall 17-year-old redhead is proud to have helped Marcelle win this title: “It’s really a joy and a real recognition.” Maud Perault, a nurse from Indre-et-Loire who initiated the competition, traveled to the Massat valley. A first for her. “I am happy to be there to present the prizes to the two winners.” If the road was strewn with pitfalls to carry out this event which brought together nearly 700 participants at the national level, the Indroligérien has already opened registrations for next year: “And, of course, we will be among those “, happily announces Alexandra Cortes for the CFA of Foix.

Before tasting the petits fours and helping yourself to a glass of champagne, Jean-Noël Vigneau, president of the Couserans Pyrénées community of communes, would like to recall the uniqueness of the event: “We have just crowned a Miss France in Massat, in the Couserans!” Applause. In the room, Marcelle stalls a little. Her Miss crown and sash are given to her. Quickly, his daughter, his granddaughter and his great-granddaughter approached him. The youngest, amazed, looks at her grandmother with big eyes. Her mother relishes her victory: “I did my entire building with the QR code in hand to get people to vote.” Discreetly, she slips to her mother – Marcelle’s daughter: “The other day, when I came to see her, she said to me, ‘If your grandfather was still here, he would have been happy.’”