Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach recently made headlines across the globe for winning the Miss Universe pageant.

She was named the winner after host Steve Harvey accidentally first said Miss Colombia had won the crown.

While that gaffe may have drawn a lot of attention, Wurztbach is focusing on feeling proud of her achievement.

The 26-year-old says she prepared for the pageant like an athlete.

“I trained with the walking, the speaking, being comfortable in front of the camera, presenting myself to other people, also with – I make it a point that I’m aware of what’s going on in my country with current events or the news,” she said in a recent interview.

Wurtzbach says it took her three tries to become Miss Philippines, or Binibining Pilipinas Universe as it’s called there.

Staying fit was also a big part of her getting herself ready.

“You want to make sure that you’re in good shape and when I say in good shape, you’re taking care of yourself, you’re eating well, you’re training. You’re in your best physique,” explained Wurtzbach. “The reason why there is a swimsuit portion is to show that you are disciplined, you care enough about yourself and what better way to show that than to wear a bathing suit? So it’s not just about being sexy or having like certain figures with a measuring tape or the weighing scale. It’s not like that. Every girl has a different build. It’s just about showing how well you take care of your body so that’s the physical aspect.”

She says one big misconception about the beauty pageant winners is that once they have their crown, that’s it.

In fact, that’s only the start, explains Wurtzbach, who packed her bags immediately after the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas and flew to New York, where she will reside for a year.

“Miss Universe doesn’t end during the pageant night,” she said.

“I guess that’s what people see, because that’s what they see during the show. A girl gets crowned and that’s it, but the job actually starts that night so what I realized is they’re not just looking for a pretty face or a girl with a nice body. They’re looking for a spokesperson. I can’t – I don’t know if it’s the same with other pageants but for Miss Universe, they’re looking for a spokesperson.”

The new Miss Universe has chosen HIV awareness, the importance of relief work after natural disasters and the fight against cyberbullying as her advocacy work during her reign.