Three months ago she won the first beauty pageant she ever competed in. Now, at the age of 55, Suzi Dent has an international title.

The Queensland mum beat swimsuit models and former Miss World finalists to take third place at the Mrs Earth pageant in Las Vegas last weekend.

It has been an incredible journey for Suzi, who was the oldest contestant to compete in the pageant and was told by the judges she was a 'breath of fresh air'.

'Honest and authentic is what they called me,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'They really liked what I was doing and that I was representing the over 50.'

Suzi Dent, 55, beat swimsuit models and former Miss World finalists to take third place at the Mrs Earth beauty pageant in Las Vegas over the weekend

The Queensland mum was the oldest competitor in the pageant and was a fan favourite with the Vegas crowd

'I've literally turned the pageantry world upside down and proven that you don't have to be a model or a size 8 or have lots of Botox.'

When Suzi first set out to compete in Mrs Earth Australia back in March, the mother-of-one knew she wanted to be as real as possible.

It is that mindset that she believes has made her so successful despite being new to the world of beauty pageants.

'I just remained who I am,' she said. 'I didn't put on any airs except not to fall over in my feels and stand up with my shoulders back.'

'On this whole journey I've just had to be myself, I haven't had to force anything.'

It was that authenticity that made Suzi a fan favourite in the Vegas crowd, winning a legion of American fans who would scream 'We love you Mrs Australia!' anytime she was on stage.

And Suzi won roaring applause when she came out in the swimsuit round dressed like a Bond girl, complete with a knife strapped to her leg and arm.

'My husband wanted me to go out looking sexy and dangerous,' Suzi recalled with a laugh.

'Everyone loved it, including the contestants backstage! I felt great walking out there and really confident, male judges said I was their fantasy!'

It was the pageant that helped Suzi discover her inner confidence and shake up her life after a long period of 'sameness'.

Although she never got bored at her job as a make up and wardrobe stylist and loved her husband of 25 years, Suzi felt that there was still room for transformation.

Suzi said the judges told her she was a 'breath of fresh air' in the competition and that they loved her honesty and authenticity

It is that that desire to stay real that Suzi believes has made her so successful despite being new to the world of beauty pageants

Suzi said she was pleasantly surprised by how many friends she made at the pageant

And so when the opportunity to do her first ever modeling gig came knocking, the lifelong tomboy knew exactly what she had to do.

It was that gig that caught the attention of the Ms and Mrs Earth Australia organisers, who approached Suzi and asked if she might be interested in competing.

At first, Suzi thought the idea was hysterical.

'After I picked myself off the floor from laughter I said, do you know how old I am?'

Suzi had never thought of herself as a pageant queen but was inspired when she saw that the pageant supported the charity Soles4Souls Australia, which collects shoes for the disadvantaged all over the world.

The charity had been struggling in recent years, losing funding and only able to set up a few donation points in South Australia.

Suzi won her first ever beauty pageant at Mrs Australia Earth in Melbourne (pictured)

It has been quite the journey for the 'tomboy' Queensland mum, who swapped her trainers for stilettos and shorts for couture gowns to win the eco-friendly pageant

Suzi fully embraced her new pageant look, practicing around the house in her heels, trying false eyelashes and getting her nails done

It was all the motivation Susi needed to put on the sash and crown.

But first she would need to swap her trainers for stilettos and shorts for couture gowns.

Charity came easy to Suzi, but there were other aspects of becoming a full-fledged beauty queen that would take a bit more practice.

Suzi was not body confident as a child, and so she never felt comfortable embracing heels or dresses.

'I kind of feel like, for my whole life I had to dress down,' she said. 'Now I get to shine as me.'

'I'm so grateful life has given me this opportunity to tap into my inner girl and enjoy who I am, without feeling like I have to look a certain way for someone else.'

Suzi fully embraced her new pageant look, practicing around the house in her heels, trying false eyelashes and getting her nails done.

She said the pageant has also had an incredible effect on her family, inspiring her husband and 15-year-old son as well (all pictured together)

Suzi has transformed from her lifelong tomboy ways, always wearing trainers and shorts

She said she loved tapping into her 'feminine side', realising that it was the first time she had ever worn a cocktail dress or a gown.

'For decades I’ve made other women feel beautiful and build their self-esteem,' Suzi said. 'What I’ve given to women for decades, I’ve finally given to myself.'

Now Suzi loves the stage so much that her fellow Mrs Earth competitors thought she had been doing pageants for years.

'Just by being authentic, I'm starting to inspire so many women - not just in Australia but around the world,' she said.

'The young Mrs Earth competitors I bonded with over there told me, "When I'm 55, I want to be just like you"'.

Suzi said it was a switch for her after spending years making other women beautiful as a make up and hair stylist

The beauty queen even tried her hand at modeling, channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe in this runway show

Now Suzi has plans to become a motivational speaker so that she can continue to inspire people of all ages.

'I'd like to motivate women and men to age with a positive mindset and not age themselves out of existence by the way we think,' she said.

'The words we use to describe ourselves are very powerful. I've never said I'm old. I'm very young, and I got a lot of energy.'

Suzi, who also nabbed the Mrs Earth Health title, hopes to continue proving to women that age is nothing but a number.

'My journey has taught women that they can do anything they want to do and they can be anything they want to be,' she said.

'Don't let age be a barrier to anything. Go ahead and do it if you want to do it. Trust in yourself and take that leap of faith and just go for it!'