Tara Conner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tara Conner
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Conner as Miss USA 2006
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Tara Elizabeth Conner
December 18, 1985 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
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| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Blonde |
| Eye color | Brown |
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Tara Elizabeth Conner (born December 18, 1985) is an American model and TV personality. She is best known for winning the Miss USA 2006 beauty pageant. She has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Besides pageants, Tara has worked as a model. She was featured on the TV show Bikini Destinations in 2004. She has also held titles like Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2002 and Miss Kentucky USA 2006.
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Early Life and Education
Tara Conner was born in Dallas, Texas. Her parents are Brenda and John Conner. She has one brother named Josh. When she was six weeks old, her family moved to Russell Springs, Kentucky. Her parents separated when she was 14 years old.
Tara finished high school at Russell County High School in 2004. Before winning Miss USA, she was studying business administration at Somerset Community College. After her success in the Miss Teen USA pageant, she modeled for companies like Body Glove.
Beauty Pageant Journey
Miss Teen USA 2002
Tara won the Miss Kentucky Teen USA title in 2001. In August 2002, she competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This event took place in South Padre Island, Texas. She did very well in the swimsuit part of the competition.
Tara ended up as the second Runner-up in the pageant. The winner was Vanessa Semrow from Wisconsin. Tara's placement was one of the best for a contestant from Kentucky.
Miss Kentucky USA 2006
Tara returned to pageants in November 2005. She won the Miss Kentucky USA crown. Kristen Johnson, a former Miss Kentucky Teen USA, crowned her. Tara was the third person who had been a teen titleholder to win Miss Kentucky USA.
In March 2006, Tara appeared on a special episode of Deal or No Deal. She was still Miss Kentucky USA at the time. Twenty-five other Miss USA contestants were also on the show.
Miss USA 2006
Tara represented Kentucky at the Miss USA 2006 pageant. This national TV event was held in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 21, 2006. She made it to the semi-finals. This made her the 18th woman to place in both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA.
She competed in swimsuit and evening gown rounds. She then made it to the top five. After the final interview, Tara won the Miss USA title. She was the first woman from Kentucky to achieve this. The previous winner, Chelsea Cooley, crowned her.
Miss Universe 2006
Tara represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2006 pageant. It took place in Los Angeles on July 23, 2006. She shared a room with Kenisha Thom from Trinidad and Tobago. Tara made it into the top 20 contestants.
She competed in the swimsuit and evening gown parts. She wore a dress designed by Kayne Gillaspie. After making the top five, Tara was announced as the fourth Runner-up. The winner was Zuleyka Rivera from Puerto Rico.
A Year as Miss USA
After winning Miss USA, Tara moved into an apartment in New York City. She shared it with Zuleyka Rivera (Miss Universe 2006) and Katie Blair (Miss Teen USA 2006). Her first week was busy with many media events. She appeared on shows like Live! With Regis and Kelly.
In April 2006, Tara visited Baltimore again for the Volvo Ocean Race. She also appeared with Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova. In May, she went back to Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby. She was a special guest at the Mint Jubilee Gala.
On May 18, 2006, Tara rang the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange. She returned to Kentucky in June for her official homecoming. There, she met with servicemen and volunteered with local charities.
In July 2006, Tara was a guest judge on the TV show Project Runway. The contestants designed a dress for her to wear in the Miss Universe pageant.
In August 2006, Tara met the new Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera. They traveled to Palm Springs, California, for the Miss Teen USA 2006 pageant. After Katie Blair was crowned Miss Teen USA, the three returned to New York. They attended many high-profile parties together.
In September 2006, Tara went to Boston, Massachusetts. She helped promote the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure. She also supported the Cheryl Shackelford Foundation in Colorado. She attended an event for the USO in Pennsylvania.
In October 2006, Tara volunteered with more charities. These included Gilda's Club and Project Sunshine. In November, she went on a USO tour to Italy and Turkey. She even met her brother, who lives in Italy.
During Thanksgiving weekend 2006, Tara appeared on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was the fourth Miss USA to be in this parade. After crowning the new Miss Kentucky USA, she traveled to France and Italy for promotional events.
In December 2006, Tara faced some personal challenges. After taking a break to focus on her well-being, she returned to public life in February 2007. She appeared as a model at a fashion show in New York City. She also appeared on the TV show Pageant Place.
Life After Miss USA
Tara Conner appeared on the 2007 MTV reality show Pageant Place. She was a surprise fourth roommate to the 2007 Miss Universe Organization winners. These included Miss Universe Riyo Mori, Miss USA Rachel Smith, and Miss Teen USA Hilary Cruz. They lived together in an apartment in New York City.
For MTV's Spring Break 2008, Tara appeared in Pretty Smart. This was a competition where contestants had to find people who were both attractive and smart.
She was a contestant on the third season of CMT's Gone Country in 2009. She also hosted the show The Girls of Hedsor Hall in 2009. Tara was a judge at the Miss USA 2010 pageant.
Tara Conner has also co-hosted Kaboom, a web video show. She was also a Field Host on the Amazing America with Sarah Palin program.
See also
In Spanish: Tara Conner para niños
