AGE proved to be no barrier for Mrs Patricia Ng as she went on to beat much younger women in a Beach Babe contest yesterday.

The 37-year-old and mother of a 9-year-old boy was one of the 22 beautiful bodies seen strutting their stuff at the Beach Hunk and Babe contest held at Sentosa's Siloso beach.

Most of the other contestants were in their early to mid 20s.

The beach pageant was one of the highlights at Safra's Hot & Breathless beach sports party - an event promoting healthy living and beach sports.

Mrs Ng, a businesswoman, proved to be a crowd favourite with her striking pink bikini and confident poise.

The oldest contestant among the women participants was crowned second runner-up and walked away with $500 worth of prizes.

Unlike most beauty pageant contestants, Mrs Ng had a late start.

She took part in her first pageant when she was 29, after having her son, Bryan.

She has not looked back since, and has taken part in 10 other such pageants.

Among her host of beauty titles are Ms United Nations International 2007 and Brand's Beauty Star last year.

Nevertheless, for all her experience, she admits this was her first pageant wearing a bikini.

She said: 'I just wanted to try new challenges. I also hoped that in a way this encourages more mothers to come out and take part in such competitions because older women can look good too.'

Her secret to looking good? Swimming, cycling and 50 sit-ups a day.

Besides this, she credits her youthful complexion to drinking two litres of water every day.

She intends to compete as long as she can.

She said cheekily: 'I believe I have the looks, figure and personality to outshine younger women.'

Beachgoers at the event lapped up the eye candy, snapping pictures with their digital cameras.

Apart from the usual catwalk and self-introduction, contestants also had to showcase a fun-loving side.

One of the qualifying segments, for instance, saw each female contestant perched on a male contestant as he did as many push-ups as possible.

The Beach Babe and Hunk title was won by Miss Summer Lee, 20, a Republic Polytechnic student, and Mr Shane Alexander Abucewicz Tan, 19, a National University of Singapore undergraduate.

Each winner walked away with $1,500 worth of prizes.

Winners were selected by the Safra Youth Network Committee (SYNC).

The beachside fun got the thumbs up from photography enthusiast Mr Ronald Tan, 27, an IT support officer, who was busily snapping away photos of babes in bikini.

He was there with four other photography hobbyists to check out the event. He said: 'Such events are interesting and fun, plus the babes are not bad.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Jan 11, 2009.