World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to welcome amazing Queen Khushi Bimbrahw Miss Greater Vancouver World 2019.
Full name: Khushi Bimbrahw
Title/Year: Miss Greater Vancouver World 2019
Pageant System: Miss. World Canada
Age: 18
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Hobbies: Reading, spending time with family, watching TV
Platform: Teen suicide
Years competed: 2
Countries visited: France, Spain, Portugal, India, Britain, Switzerland, Morocco, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Germany, Iceland, Japan
Likes: Tennis, Exercising, Logic puzzles
Dislikes: Running
Status: single
World Class Beauty Queens: Please tell us about yourself.
I am a first year science student at the University of British Columbia, with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. My post graduate goal is to be a medical student and specialize in psychiatry. Outside of school and pageantry however, I play tennis. Formerly a national level player, I am now captain of my city’s junior team as well as an official in the Tennis Canada circuit. Alongside sports, I am also an avid environmentalist and have had the honor of travelling across Canada to speak at conferences and meet those in positions of power to talk about the future of a greener Canada. A recipient of national awards for my work as an advocate for the environment, I also enjoy writing and often incorporate my advocacy into the pieces I write for competitions.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does women Empowerment mean to you?
Women empowerment is a term that holds a lot of meaning for me. Growing up in an Indian community, I can see that tradition holds back a lot of women from reaching their full potential. Hence my definition of female empowerment is the movement which helps a woman reach their goals and aspirations alongside recognizing the respect and honor that all women deserve.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your pageant history.
Pageantry has been a large part of my life in the last two years. I started in the summer going into Grade 12 with the Miss. BC pageant. The reason I even considered this was because I heard that this specific pageant was all about sisterhood and not based on only how the contestants look. Here I won the Miss. Teen Greater Vancouver 2018 title. My next pageant was Miss. Teen Canada where I placed in the top 5. My most recent pageant, where I won my current title of Miss. Greater Vancouver World 2019, was at Miss. World Canada.
World Class Beauty Queens: What inspired you to do your first pageant?
My first pageant was the Miss. BC pageant in 2018. I chose to compete in pageantry because at that time I was struggling with self esteem and body image issues, as is common in high school. I was scrolling through a list of events that were scheduled to happen in the summer and I found this pageant. At first I thought nothing of it as the stereotypes surrounding the pageant industry were always negative. However, after speaking to my friends who had competed before I realized that this could be a very good way of creating a new network and increasing my confidence, so I registered and here we are.
World Class Beauty Queens: Why did you choose to compete for your current title?
After coming back from Miss. Teen Canada, I was super excited to continue my journey further into the pageant world so I registered for Miss. World Canada. I chose this pageant specifically because it was different from the ones I had done so far as it was more of a traditional pageant system than Miss. BC and Miss. Teen Canada.
World Class Beauty Queens: To those unfamiliar with your pageant system please tell us what is it about?
There are various pageant systems in Canada and I have competed in two very different ones. The first system was the Miss. BC and Miss. Teen Canada. These two pageants are based on personality with no swimwear round. It is heavily reliant on the interview and public speaking portion rather than the more traditional beauty based pageants. However, the Miss. World Canada pageant, the one from which I have my current title, has a swimwear and evening gown round. From my experience, there are very different pageant systems.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are you being judged on during the competition?
In Miss. World Canada I was judged on a variety of categories, all of which mimic the actual international Miss. World pageant. There was a personal interview round, a photoshoot from which the photogenic portion was judged and a modelling segment to gauge fashion sense. These three categories were judged before the preliminary round. In the prelims, we had our evening gown and swimwear walks. Before the finale the next day, the Top 20 were chosen from all of these mini competitions. On finale night, the Top 20 competed in swimwear and then the Top 10 competed in evening gown. From there the Top 6 were chosen and they all answered a question on stage from which the Top 4 were crowned.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your experience during the competition.
The competition in general was really fun and seemed to pass by very quickly. Nationals were held in Toronto, Ontario and all of the contestants stayed in one hotel. The stereotypes about pageantry dictate that the competitions are very cutthroat and everyone is constantly looking out for themselves. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The bonding that occurs in the week that we compete is on another level. All of the girls friends were there for me for every single moment of the competition, from wardrobe malfunctions to celebrating any victory. Overall my experience in the pageant was very positive.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your platform or what cause do you volunteer for.
My platform for this pageant was teen suicide. Over the past three years, I have lost three friends to suicide, one very recently. Although it seems like a problem that only affects a small population, it is actually one of the leading causes of death of youth in Canada. It is also one of the issues that isn’t very commonly talked about as it is a sensitive topic. With my title I hope to speak to this problem more openly amongst teenagers in high schools across the province.
World Class Beauty Queens: What appearances have you done with your title?
With my title I have volunteered for various charities such as Make-A-Wish Foundation and Terry Fox Foundation. From collecting donations to face painting, my appearances at charity events are always well received. One of my favourite events was doing an appearance for the Canucks Autism Network marathon where I was asked to hand out medals to all those who completed it. The cause was one close to my heart and it was a lot of fun standing in the crowd cheering on those who worked hard to complete the marathon.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are some of your achievements?
Besides my pageantry, I have multiple achievements in other fields that I am interested in. I am a national award winning environmentalist who has worked with multiple community leaders to build a greener Canada. Creative writing is a passion of mine that I have continued with and have also won international awards for. I am also a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh award, which shows leadership, service and athletics.
World Class Beauty Queens: What makes you stand out from all those other beautiful girls?
Everyone who competes at pageants has a special talent. For me that is my interest and passion in the environment and in the state of the mental health system for youth in Canada. My desire to make a change in the world helps me stand out amongst all the other girls. I want to do something with my crown and my title. I wish to show all the other little girls in the world that it is possible to make a difference no matter who and where you are.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner.
The scariest part of any pageant is not walking out in a swimsuit with 6 inch heels or even the moments where you feel you’re about to trip on your dress. It’s the moment when the winners are being called. When it was time for crowning everyone stood in a line holding hands to provide support and comfort for those around them. It felt like the pause before they called out your name was the longest pause in history but when my name was called I couldn’t stop the smile that came across my face. It felt like I was floating but once the crown was placed on my head I finally realized it was actually happening.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does it mean to you to be a Beauty Queen?
To be a beauty queen isn’t what most people think. To me, being a Beauty Queen comes with lots of responsibilities, such as being a good role model to those around me. Also, being a titleholder means being a representative of the city, state or country.To be a Beauty Queen, one must be kind, gracious and a good representative.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did competing in pageants helped your life?
Competing in pageants has helped me build my self confidence to a large extent I have gotten over my fear of public speaking and my fear of being judged. I feel as if I can freely express myself in my daily life without being worried about who is watching me. It also created opportunities for me and helped me build networks. I have so many friends across the country that I can turn to whenever I need to. Because of these reasons, I encourage pageantry as it truly changed my life for the better.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did pageants helped your self esteem and body image?
Although it may seem counter intuitive, being in pageants genuinely helped my self confidence when it came to body image. Most importantly, the girls who competed with me helped me feel more confident in who I am, both physically and mentally. Competing in a swimwear round sounds really terrifying but once on stage, it is an exhilarating feeling to be out there and know that you are courageous and beautiful for even trying.
World Class Beauty Queens: You are an inspiration to all the girls out there. How does it feel?
Being an inspiration to others is something I never thought I could do. As a victim of bullying throughout most of my life, being a role model for others just didn’t seem possible. However, after competing in pageants, I have conquered my fears of putting myself out there for people to see. This achievement makes me believe that I can be a good role model and inspiration for other girls in my position right now. It is heartwarming and makes me proud to be in this position.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is your on stage strategy to win the judges over?
My number one advice to those who are competing in pageants is to be yourself. When I am on stage and competing in rounds, I make sure to always keep a smile on my face and have good posture. Eye contact is also crucial. I always am looking at the judges with the most dazzling smile on my face. When answering questions, I have minimal hand gestures but I speak with passion and honesty, two very important aspects of being a Beauty Queen.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did you prepare for your competition?
The most important aspect I find I have to prepare for is the interview segment. To prepare for this round, I ask someone to interview me with three questions a day. These questions are usually ones that are common in pageants. I don’t try to memorize my answers but this practice helps me in bringing down my response time and stop stumbling over my sentences. The other most important thing I find I should prepare for is the gown round. I try on dresses and imagine myself on stage. Usually for me, it only takes one fitting for me to understand whether the dress is The One or not.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for learning better pageant walk?
The pageant walk may be the hardest thing to master. To best pageant walk to me is one that comes most naturally. Hence, in order to master this, it must be practiced everyday, even in daily life. Even when walking to places, practicing walking in your pageant walk (maybe not as exaggerated), makes it the most natural and then when you are on stage, it is as easy as walking to the fridge and back!
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for choosing right pageant dress?
Choosing the right pageant dress can be hard because there are so many factors to consider. For example, it has to be the right length so it doesn’t feel uncomfortable when walking on stage, it has to stand out from the other contestants, but most importantly it has to express who you are. I usually start by looking for pageant dresses by selecting those in my favourite colour, like red or dark blue. Then I try walking around in the dresses that stand out to me the most and imagine myself on stage. When I feel comfortable and confident in a dress, I believe I have found “the one”.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for winning interview?
Interviews are the most nerve wracking part of the entire competition for me because this is when the judges get to know the contestants more one on one. It gives them an opportunity to understand our passions and also meet the brains behind the beauty. To prepare for the interview portion I spend 10 minutes each day practicing answering simple pageant questions in the mirror. This helps me improve my improvisation and how to not use filler words which is important. I think the most important part of the interview section is being concise about the words you use and how easily you can get your point across.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is one mistake that you've done during competing you wish you could redo and fix it?
One mistake that I wish I could fix at a pageant is actually at my most recent one - Miss. World Canada. During my personal interview segment, I grew very anxious and nervous before going in to speak to the judges. I started overthinking about how to present myself and completely forgot my own advice - to be myself. I spoke too fast and thought more negatively about the outcome of the pageant than concentrating on the questions. I wish I was confident in my answers and the way I presented myself to the judges, but when I do pageants next, I will know not to make the same mistake.
World Class Beauty Queens: What were other mistakes made by girls during the contest?
A common mistake that I see at pageants is the contestants confusing pageantry and modelling. These two are incredibly different fields. The most obvious indication is smiling on stage. Models tend to keep a straight face and avoid all eye contact.
World Class Beauty Queens: Any modeling or acting experience?
No, I have no acting experience but I have modelled for some make up artists and fashion designers. For example, I modelled for a variety of companies at the Vancouver Women’s Pop Up Event.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your plans for 2020 as a Queen?
In 2020, I aim to continue building on my platform and bringing awareness to teen suicide amongst both the youth and older generations. I hope to volunteer with charities and fundraise for my chosen charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Currently, due to the outbreak, I am self isolating and emphasizing the importance for all of us to, as a collective, flatten the curve.
World Class Beauty Queens: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
As a pageant queen I want to leave behind the legacy that there is much more to a woman than just her looks. The real beauty is in the generosity and the kindness that one shows to others. It is important for us as pageant girls to break the stereotypes that surround these competitions and show the world that we are much more than what we look. This is the legacy I wish to leave behind.
International Director: Eric Morley
National Director: Michelle Weswaldi
Local Director: Michelle Weswaldi
Pageant Website: missworldcanada.net
World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to say thank you for this amazing interview.
Khushi Bimbrahw Miss Greater Vancouver World 2019, World Class Beauty Queens Magazine, Photo by Aubrey Trotter
Interview by Derek Tokarzewski Owner/Editor in Chief Mr United Nations 2018 Platform: Women Empowerment Ambassador to International Foundation for Orphans iffocares.org
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