Aoife O’Sullivan has had a whirlwind few months since she was crowned Miss Ireland back in September.
Since then, the primary school teacher from Cork has jetted to China to take part in Miss World, and the 23-year-old is up against over 100 beauty queens.
The final will take place in Sanya, China on Saturday – and ahead of the main event, we caught up with Aoife, who gave us an insight into preparations for the world’s biggest pageant.
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So, the Miss World final is this weekend, are you nervous?
Yes, the show is on this Saturday airing on MissWorld.com at 11am Irish time! I am not nervous but more excited for the show itself and to find out who will be next to wear the crown!
It is such a big production and lots of work has been put into it with lots of rehearsals, dance routines, stage positioning etc. The competition is tough with only 13 spots left in the top 30 and 100 girls to choose from!
However, I am very optimistic and know that I have put my best foot forward in every aspect and I am very pleased that I have done my best.
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You’ve been preparing for the final in China for three weeks now, what has been the toughest part of the preparations?
All of the preparations have been truly enjoyable between fast track events , rehearsals, interviews and organised trips and conferences. I have gained new skills, been pushed outside of my comfort zone and encouraged to try so many new things.
“However, the toughest part would have to be all of the waiting! As you can imagine there are 130 women here so trying to get everyone ready at the same time is quite difficult!
“Similarly, there are a lot of queues at the buffet in the hotel or getting onto busses so it has just taught me to be extra patient!
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What has been the best part?
The best part would have to be getting to meet women from every corner of the world. I have learned so much talking to girls about their culture and home life. One girl told me she has never seen the sea or snow.
Another spoke about traditions in her home whereby the children kneel while the adults eat at the dinner table. I was fascinated by this and I think it shows how different we can lead our lives depending on where we are in the world.
It really has opened my mind and encouraged me to travel and experience all that they have told me about.
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You’re up against beauty queens from all over the world, what has it been like behind the scenes?
Yes there is almost 130 of us! Some come from countries with huge campaigns behind them where beauty pageants are almost a national sport while others take part just for the experience so it really does vary!
I am sharing a room with Miss Iceland who has become a dear friend of mine over the last month.
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If you’re crowned Miss World this Saturday, what do you hope to achieve by winning the title?
If I was to become Miss World, I would embody kindness, compassion, optimism and good will in hope of becoming a positive role model for young women and to be someone that they could look up to.
If I won’t win , I will do so anyway to everyone who follows and supports me!
