Zoe J. Walcott talks experience, challenges at Mrs Globe 2018/19. Photo: VINO/File

The pageant held on Saturday, December 1, 2018, in Shenzhen, China also saw Ms Zoe J. Walcott, walking away with three individual titles which included, Best Singer Award, Contestants’ Choice Award and she also placed 3rd for the People’s Choice Award. Photo: VINO/File

Mrs British Virgin Islands (BVI), Zoe J. Walcott finishes in Top 10 of Mrs Globe 2018/19 Finals. Photo: VINO/File

The pageant held on Saturday, December 1, 2018, in Shenzhen, China also saw Ms Walcott, walking away with three individual titles which included, Best Singer Award, Contestants’ Choice Award and she also placed 3rd for the People’s Choice Award.

Intensity

Reflecting on her experience representing the VI at the 47th edition of the Miss World pageant, on November 22, 1997, Ms Walcott said her past experience did not prepare her for the intensity of the Mrs Globe 2018/19 pageant, however, despite that, she defied the odds and ranked an incredible 8th out of all the contestants to put the VI on the map.  

 “Miss Word did not prepare me for the level of aggressiveness required and the intensity over in Shenzhen at the Mrs Globe Pageant, and we had 10 days to get prepared practices, rehearsals…,” the beauty queen later told told ‘Honestly Speaking’ host, Claude O. Skelton-Cline, during the December 5, 2018 broadcast of his radio show on ZBVI 780am.

“In the Mrs Globe Pageant, which had 86 contestants competing from around the world, I ranked 8th amongst those contestants,” the delighted Walcott shared. 

“This little nation went toe to toe with all 86 countries, and made $10 donations in order, not just to support me, but to show the strength of the territory,” despite the hurricanes of 2017 she said.

Image boost

Questioned about the importance of ranking 8th globally, the VI beauty Queen said it will do wonders for the Territory, in terms of improving the local image and creating much wider brand awareness for the VI’s global financial services.

“It is important obviously from a marketing perspective, for persons who understand the financial services industry and the dynamics of it… the brand awareness, where the BVI is concerned was pivotal.”

 “There were a number of persons who were delighted when I started to talk about the BVI and basically where the BVI was located and position us in terms of the possibility of business and what we would be willing and obviously able to offer based on our level of expertise coming out of this jurisdiction.”

Personal growth

She said that while the pageant was great for the VI, representing was also pivotal for self-growth, “It allowed for so many things to happen on a national level, but even on a domestic level for myself, it was an excellent networking opportunity.”

In terms of ranking 3rd at the People’s Choice Awards—that came as a result of donations made towards women’s empowerment—she said the VI was number one for a while, “We held that number 1 spot for couple days well, so I was feeling very humbled, to get that level of support from back home.”