When an entire nation has its collective attention on beauty pageants, there’s a significant amount of pressure on beauty queens to bring home the crown. After all, we’ve had our fair share of wins in the past years and we can’t help but hope our streak goes on.
But beauty queens, as crazy beautiful as they look, are real women who tackle challenges outside of pageants. They have their own obstacles and goals apart from representing the country and vying for titles. But guess what? They’re winning at those, too!
Here are beauty queens who are achieving greatness beyond the crown:
Pia Wurtzbach
Before earning the coveted Miss Universe title, Pia hustled endlessly. At just the brink of puberty, she was already her family’s breadwinner.
She struggled to break into show business, so she moved to different places and worked odd jobs so she could support her family. She even tried pageant after pageant despite rejections. But she’s no quitter, and that’s why she is where she is now.
Now that Pia has achieved her dreams, she continues her journey to inspire and help others by being an AIDS advocate. More than winning the crown, she’s winning respect for her endeavors to make a difference.
Rachel Peters
While beauty queens are expected to be poised and pleasing all the time, Rachel Peters believes that to be at your ultimate, the only person you should please is yourself. Being appreciative of yourself is the key to controlling your destiny.
Self-love is something some of us have difficulty doing, but Rachel has learned that acknowledging your true self and knowing you’re one of a kind will make you achieve greater things, just like she has. Love yourself, and the universe will do the rest.
Bianca Guidotti
According to Bianca Guidotti, she had insecurities that imprisoned her in a box, limiting her potential. She never thought that pageantry was for her and believed that beauty queens were on some unreachable level — a level she could only attain in her dreams.
But she became one. Once she learned to forgive herself for her weaknesses, she decided to reach for her goals and that level she thought was out of her reach? She’s now walking that path.
Once she broke free from her box, she pushed herself to be her best and went beyond the lines she drew for herself. But she’s far from done. Now that she’s seen what she’s capable of, she’s not stopping anytime soon — she’s a winner who’ll never stop.
Mariel de Leon
Being in the public eye isn’t always glitz and glam. It also draws naysayers, which is unavoidable, even for beauty queens. But Mariel knew better than to be affected by those who bring her down.
The type to stand up for what she believes in, Mariel is unafraid to let her true self shine. After entering the world of pageantry, she discovered that she’s become the strong, confident, and fearless woman that she’s always wanted to be.
Though haters and critics will never truly disappear, she uses her courage and heart to win over hatred and that’s how you become a winner in your own right.
These queens are part of Cream Silk’s 100 Ultimate Women. To learn more, follow the hashtag #100UltimateWomen and watch the full film
