MISS UNIVERSE BARBADOS 'GRATEFUL'

Director of Media Relations and PR for Miss Universe Barbados Gaynelle Marshall (left) with current Miss Universe Barbados, Shanel Ifill during yesterday’s press briefing.

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 12:00am

Two thousand and nineteen was truly an historic year for women of colour from all around the world, after several pageantry competitions this year were dominated by these queens.

Our very own Miss Universe Barbados experienced this historic moment first-hand recently, and is more than thankful for being among the select few privileged to have been part of such a moment in time.

After her non-stop work from September through to December in preparing for the 2019 edition of Miss Universe, our Barbadian queen, Shanel Ifill, spoke to local press yesterday for the first time since returning from the competition, and conveyed how thankful she was to have represented her country on the biggest of world stages.

“I’m so grateful that I was given this opportunity and this platform to share my story and share Barbados’ story to the world. I believe I did Barbados really proud, and it was an incredible experience,” Ifill said.

Though the experience of being in competition this year was an exciting one for the 20-year-old University of the West Indies (UWI) student, it was also a humbling one, in which one of her life’s trials was a source of inspiration for an adoring fan.

“I think one thing for sure that I left in Atlanta [Georgia] was sharing my message; I’ve suffered from scoliosis since I was 11, I had surgery when I was 15 years old, and at a press junket a lady came up to me and said, ‘My daughter has scoliosis and she follows you – and she loves you.’ I was in tears because I felt like – I am a little girl from a 166-square-mile island, who you would have never expected to hear would have impacted someone else’s life. If it’s only one person who I have impacted with my story, that meant a great deal to me,” she revealed.

The high amount of work and training necessary for such an undertaking can never be underestimated according to Ifill, who during her brief talk gave many thanks and commendations to the local team that worked tirelessly to prepare her for this year’s pageant.

“My team was a genuine Bajan team, and I always think people do not understand when I say that I was trained by the best Bajans that are in this business, and that’s a fact!” Ifill strongly stated.

When asked about what advice she would give to other women who are thinking about entering the 2020 edition of Miss Barbados Universe, the reigning queen encouraged all to take the plunge, but also was quick to mention that the competition involves a lot more than just pageantry.

“I say this all the time; people think that it’s just about the crown, but it’s so much more. You meet women who you are friends with for life and learn soft skills you will have for the rest of your life. It empowers you because this franchise really holds you and it makes you proud to be who you are,” Ifill emphasised.

https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/news/miss-universe-barbados-grateful