Winning her way

Dr Varanasi Venkata Manjula Kumari (Physiotherapist) from Vijayawada was recently crowned as the second runner up at the IAWA Mrs India 2019, which was held in Mumbai, out of 24 finalists from across the country.

Dr Manjula shares her journey to reach this stage. "It was a tough competition at the IAWA as hundreds of contestants from across the country participated in the beauty pageant.

About 30 contestants from the Telugu states alone participated in the preliminary rounds and I was the only contestant from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State to make it to the grand finale."

She relates her experiences, and how as a Physiotherapist, she found them professionally enriching, "After reaching the finals there was a five-day grooming session.

Wegot a chance to visit Tata memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai and we interacted with the patients and with the Oncologist and came to know more about preventive measures of cancer besides social awareness programmes."

"Physiotherapy helps a lot in post cancer rehabilitation; in particular Breast cancer patients," Manjula adds.

At the grand finale there were various rounds like National Costume round, Western-wear round, Gown round and Ramp walk. Further there was question round and a talent round judged by a five-member selection team.

Manjula says she was confident and spoke on 'Save The Girl Child', about the present scenario - how the baby feels very secured inside the mother's womb; however the mother herself is aborting and killing the child.

In the presentation round she impressed the selection panel by speaking about breast cancer which is on the rise in the country. Dr Manjula reveals, "Winning IAWA Mrs India 2019 was not a cakewalk which happened only with hard work and support of my family member, my dad Varanasi Krishna Murthy, Ex- CMD, APSPDCL, my mother Varanasi Kamala, my husband M Koteswara Rao and my son Karthikeya, studying Class VIII."

Dr Manjula feels that after winning the crown there is more responsibility on her shoulders, to serve the society. She said that through a trust she wants to work for women empowerment, helping the under privileged children, providing self-employment training and educating them on how to approach skill development training to get financial help from the department.

She said that she participated in Live interactive shows on television to create awareness on obesity. She organised awareness camps for about 2,500 people in a few places in AP. She participated in three cancer awareness camps organised at Jaipur with a team of Physiotherapists and educated about 2,000 people.

She did here schooling at Sri B Swamidoss English Medium High school, Nellore. She pursued her + 2 at VR College, Nellore and later she did her Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy in SIMS College of Physiotherapy and master's too in SIMS College, Guntur and at present runs Kiites Slimming, Physiotherapy and Cosmetology clinic in Guntur.

In 2003 she won the Miss Guntur contest and in 2004 she was crowned as Mrs Andhra and last year, in 2018, she was the Mrs Amaravati title winner.

She says, "Women are very strong and determined and hardworking, "They only need support as most of the time they are deprived of their rights and restricted in all ways to excel in their lives.

Women have to decide how they wish to lead their life, and no one can stop them from reaching their goals and destinations."