Aside from her advocacy of raising HIV awareness, outgoing Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach is proud that she is able to change the public perception of beauty queens.
More than being a beauty queen, Wurtzbach on Monday said she wanted to be remembered as someone who stayed true to herself until the very end of her reign.
“One thing that I’m really proud of as Miss Universe is that I’m able to change the perception of beauty queens, like how people perceive us. We’re not rehearsed. We’re not robots, we’re humans,” Wurtzbach said in a televised interview with ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo, when asked about her biggest accomplishment.
“I stayed true to myself and I still do that. That’s how I want to be remembered—not as a beauty queen or Miss Universe but as Pia,” she added.
Wurtzbach, who is set to pass on her crown two weeks from now, said she wanted to be remembered as a “relatable” Miss Universe and not a perfect beauty queen that people put on a pedestal.
“I love my job very much and I am going to miss it… Going into the competition, you invest a lot of time in training in the gym or getting fit, learning to walk, getting the right gown and being able to answer the final question. But once you win, you don’t get to use all of that anymore. What happens during your whole reign, it’s like a whole year of Q and A. That’s what really happens and not many people know about this,” she said.
“It keeps you working. You have to keep yourself updated on whatever is happening in your country and around the world—not just current events but about yourself. I grow so much as person within this whole year,” Wurtzbach added.
The 65th Miss Universe coronation night will be held on Jan. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. YG/RAM
RELATED STORIES