DUBAI: Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc, 21, made history last weekend when she became the first representative from Vietnam to win the Miss Intercontinental pageant in its 50-year history.
The event, which took place at the Meraki Resort in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, saw the beauty succeed Cinderella Faye Obenita of the Philippines.
“I was super excited when I got to Egypt. One of the first phrases that I heard in Egypt was, ‘Welcome home,’ and I actually felt that in my heart. Both the Egyptian and south Vietnamese people share the same qualities of being very generous, very genuine and being down to earth. So, to be honest, even though this is my first international trip, it didn’t feel strange or I didn’t feel like I was in a new country. I still felt like I was in Vietnam, I was at home,” said Le Nguyen in an interview with Arab News.
But when the new queen went back home to Vietnam, she had no time to rest on her laurels as storms and typhoons laid waste to central Vietnam.
“When I returned to Vietnam, my country was going through a hard time, and the center of Vietnam was suffering from a really big storm. Yesterday (Wednesday), I was able to go to central Vietnam, I was able to give my support. I was in the rain the whole time and we were at the beach and it was like the ocean was mad at us. It was so scary as well. And we have witnessed so many people losing their houses and losing their family members. It was so heartbreaking to see. But I’m glad that I could help people and be someone for them to lean on at this moment. So even though that is very exhausting right now, I’m happy that I was able to go back to my country and do something that I was longing to do way before the moment that I was crowned,” said a visibly emotional and exhausted Le Nguyen.
The former business management student, who previously worked as a research assistant, says keeping a clear mind is the most challenging part of beauty pageants. “Because not just with the pageant, but in everything that you do, your mental well-being is actually one of the most important things. Because even though you might not look your best, you might not be the most beautiful girl out there, you might not be the tallest, you might not be the smartest, but as long as you keep your mind clean and clear, and also to get to have that heart where you are very genuine in your intention,” she said.
When asked if she had any advice for young women who want to take part in pageants, Le Nguyen said: “Now in the 21st century, our beauty queens are part of a revolution. They are not just an image, but they use their influence to make their dreams and hopes come true. So I just want to say that ‘Just be safe in your own skin.’ And one of the things that I think helped me to become Miss InterContinental was that I actually feel very comfortable with myself and I dare to show myself to the world.”