Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
As Miss World T&T Georgia-Lee Gill prepares to represent this country in the 73rd edition of the international pageant in Vietnam next month, the search is already underway for her successor.
Over 60 young women from across T&T gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain yesterday to be screened for the local competition that Gill won last year.
Taking a short break from interviewing prospective delegates, Miss World national director Charu Lochan Dass said she and fellow organisers were pleased with the response to the event. She noted that prospective candidates were not only being assessed on their physical beauty but equally on their passion for the worthy causes they are seeking to promote.
She said the balance between the two was highlighted by the competition’s theme—Beauty with a Purpose.
“It’s amazing to see these women, young women, they are already involved in so many charity causes and NGOs. Some of them have their own projects already,” Dass said.
“They understand that it’s not just about the glitz and glam, it’s about representation, it’s about humanitarian work, and giving back to their communities and the country.”
She said the delegates selected through the screening process would go through a rigorous three-month development process before the eventual representative is chosen.
“None of our girls ever come prepared. You get prepared going through the process,” she said.
“That is what it is about, the training, all the training and exposure and everything that you go through. That is where the metamorphosis takes place.”
She said that participants who do not emerge victorious still benefit from personal development, networking and career opportunities.
Referring to Gill, Dass said she did not have the same confidence she currently exudes since being crowned late last year.
“Georgia was very, very shy when she came in, but there was a spark. We loved her personality and who she was,” Dass said, as she noted she was pleased with Gill’s development over the past few months.
Guardian Media spoke to several applicants and they claimed the screening process was less intimidating than initially anticipated.
Artist Sierra Mohammed, 24, from Gasparillo, said, “Honestly, I was very nervous going into the room but everyone was very welcoming, accommodating and friendly.”
Dr Anna-Lee Cadogan, 26, of South Oropouche, who participated in several pageants as a child before deciding to put herself forward at senior level, described the process as fun.
“I was nervous before but once I got here all of my nerves disappeared. The interview itself was so easy that I was relieved,” Cadogan said.
In a brief interview, Gill encouraged other young women to put themselves forward, based on her experience.
“Whether it be confidence or speaking, it’s such a holistic experience overall. So I definitely would invite everyone to come out and participate in the process,” Gill said.
Asked to give tips to those competing to succeed her, Gill recommended they stay true to themselves and focus on their original motive for participating in the first place.
“I chose to do this to develop myself, to become more confident and to explore different avenues of my life,” Gill said.
“With that in mind, I walk into the room and show them my most authentic and genuine self, because that’s really what they want to see, who you are as an individual and what you care about,” she added.
Gill said she was excited to represent the country in the international pageant, which begins next month in Vietnam and ends on September 5.
She expressed hope that she would possibly be able to secure this country’s second win in the competition since Giselle Laronde-West’s maiden victory exactly 40 years ago.
