5 Beauty Pageant Winners Who Have Shattered Stereotypes Royally!

Inspiring, confident and not just a pretty face – these 5 beauty pageant winners who have shattered stereotypes and made a mark for themselves.

“Being in a pageant is not just about beauty. It’s more about service to the community and being a role model and making a difference. It’s being proud of your city. It’s all what you put into it.” — Chantel Giamanco

Over the years a stereotype has been established around the term beauty queen or fashion model. And so the word beauty pageant brings a definite image in our head – tall and thin women posing in designer clothes and high heels with a tiara on their head and layers of makeup on their skin. But there is definitely much more to the life and career of some beauty pageant winners.

Here are 5 beauty pageant winners who have moulded their lives distinctively before and after winning in a beauty pageant. These glamorous women have redefined their life and ventured into various careers successfully.

Reita Faria Powell

Rita Faria Powell is a model, doctor and the winner of the Miss World 1966 pageant.

She is the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title. She also went on to become the first Miss World winner to qualify as a Doctor. Seven out of the nine judges picked her to be crowned Miss World 1966, which is a notable achievement for any Indian participant. After winning the title she refused to model and continued her medical practice instead.

Indrani Rahman

Indrani Rahman became the first Indian woman to participate in the international beauty contest, way back in 1952.

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Indrani Rahman was married and had a kid when she went on to represent India at the first Miss Universe. In the swimsuit round, she stood apart from other contestants and added a personal touch by accessorising it with bindi and gajra. She was also one of the leading dancers to popularise the Indian classical dance in the west. She received a Padma Shree award for her contribution in the field of arts.

Gul Panag

Gul Panag won the Miss India title in 1999.

This lady has several feathers in her cap. The model turned actress is India’s first woman to race in Formula E.She runs an NGO called the  Colonel Shamsher Singh Foundation. She was also the Aam Aadmi Party candidate in 2014 for general elections. And even more, Gul Panag is also a certified pilot. She also co-founded a company called Mobiefit that makes fitness apps. Gul Panag is surely an unstoppable and an inspiring woman.

Esther Daswani

Esther Daswani was a popular Indian female model of the seventies.

She walked the ramp for several national and international brands. After that for fifteen long years, she worked as a fitness trainer. What makes her life inspirational is that she is a cervical cancer survivor, and now a champion of the Mumbai chapter of the Marathon of Hope, an international fund-raising run for cancer patients.

Sushmita Sen

The winner of Miss Universe pageant 1994, Sushmita Sen is a free-spirited, fascinating and an independent woman who has never shied away from breaking norms. She is a single mother of two adopted children. She posted a picture of a diamond ring which she gifted to herself stating that she doesn’t need any man to gift her diamonds and that she can afford it herself. More power to women like Sushmita!

These women are surely an inspiration as they are redefining the industry by breaking stereotypes. Kudos to these beauty pageant winners who have proven that they are much more than their looks!

Image: You Tube

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