Miss Guyana “will put best foot forward” at Miss Caribbean World Pageant
As at Wednesday, of an original pool of 20 beauties, 14 have arrived in the British Virgin Islands ahead of tomorrow’s Miss Caribbean World Pageant. Guyana is represented in the bunch. In a Platinum News entertainment story Alecia Hamm, the show’s organiser is quoted as saying that “right now they are having some serious fun”.
She also described them as a lively bunch and reported that some of the six others are experiencing financial difficulties.
Last year, Miss Dominica’s Marah Walter copped the crown from a bevy of 18 beauties and this year Miss Dominica is among the 14 contestants enjoying their stay on the islands. The others are from Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, BVI, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, USA and USVI. The BVI is represented by Miss Josefina Nunez.
Last Saturday Miss Guyana World 2010 Imarah Radix as well as the other contestants to the pageant arrived in the British Virgin Islands and was treated to a welcome reception by the Premier Hon. Ralph T. O´Neal Sunday evening at the Maria´s by the Sea.
They dined and savoured some of the delectable indigenous dishes of the BVI and rocked to music provided by the Lashing Dogs sounds.
Reports in the BVI Platinum News indicate that that some of the contestants, including host Miss BVI Josephina Nunez, dubbed the experience as providing opportunities to share and cross diverse cultures.
Miss Guyana who sparked the most comments on the Platinum News site for listing Scuba diving as a hobby is reportedly a stand out for her personality and her ability to think on her feet and is reportedly among the more eloquent of the bunch.
On Monday the delegates toured the Virgin Gorda and on Tuesday they were part of live television interviews.
On Wednesday they toured Tortola then participate in the Queen’s Baton Relay activity at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. Yesterday the ladies attended the high school athletics meet, then they swim with the dolphins and visited the UP Cineplex. A Motorcade is carded for today followed by a reception to be held by the Governor and it is where the personal interviews will be done.
Tomorrow the beauties are scheduled to appear on ZBVI radio’s Teen Talk programme while the pageant is scheduled to take place at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex starting at 19:00hrs. However, in the event the complex is not ready the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall (Cultural Centre) will be the best alternative.
The sports complex has been without electricity for more than two weeks now. “As far as I was told they are rectifying the problem. It’s a government thing, there’s nothing I can do,” Hamm is reported as stating in a Platinum News report.
Besides that, Hamm said everything else is going smoothly for show, while thanking the individuals and businesses who chipped in despite the recession. “We had some persons who were willing to work with us.”
Contestants will compete in swimwear, costumes, talent, evening wear, and for the first time a question and answer segment.
Miss BVI according to the Platinum News report is confident that she will win the pageant as she has ” been preparing since in January, going to the gym, personal training and so on.” Miss St. Lucia Glenda Kimberlyn Abbott at the function who like the other delegates are already enjoying the BVI, urged persons to come out and support the delegates as they display talent, intelligence and beauty.
Miss USA Meagan Small is a US-born Jamaican who is representing the Caribbean diaspora in the USA.
Miss Guyana Radix said the BVI is great and expressed love for the sand and water. Responding to questions about her love for scuba diving, Radix said that she does not scuba dive in Guyana, but has travelled to many countries such as Egypt, Thailand and the Margarita Islands where she does scuba diving.
Imarah who has advanced in scuba diving said “I have done five specialties in scuba diving. I do it while on vacation, I don´t scuba dive in Guyana,” the Platinum news quotes her as saying.
She said that she is prepared to put her best foot forward on tomorrow nigh and is feeling right at home with her Guyanese chaperon. She said reported that Guyanese residing in the BVI are very supportive and they are promising to attend the pageant in their numbers with Guyana flags to root for her.
The contestants were part of a photo shoot in the Virgin Gorda which Imarah dubs as one of several wonderful experiences she has had since arriving in the BVI.
She assures that she intends to do her best to represent Guyana and describes the other contestants as very friendly. Her roommate is Ms Anguilla and according to her “we are getting along very well…it’s as if we have known each other for years”.
Of the trip thus far Imarah said she’s really enjoying the culture and sights of the BVI while discovering ‘nature’s little secret’ and sharing the beauty and culture of Guyana with the contestants.
By Mondale Smith