No age limit for being a beauty queen

Remember all those big dreams of seeing yourself with a crown and wanting to make a mark in this big world? A few put such dreams on the back burner because of marriage and having to raise a family. But now fulfilling a lifelong passion at 30, 40, or beyond is just as sweet—if not sweeter—than what it might have been at 20. Here are three women who are married and have participated and won that big beauty queen title.

For fashion designer Shilpa Reddy, winning the Gladrags Mrs India title in 2004 was a cherry on the cake. “It’s been 10 years since I won the title and it was surely one of the most memorable ones. A lot has changed after that,” Shilpa said. “It gave me an identity to build and paved the way for many other endeavours. It gave me the visibility. It gave me a sense of responsibility and a platform from where my voice was heard.

Such platforms give you the opportunity to showcase your talent. If you deeply desire for something and have the zeal to achieve it, nobody can stop you. It is about how badly you want it for yourself and how much you can give up to get what you want. Your life is your making and nothing comes easy,” she added. Amita Piyush Motwani, Mrs India International 2013 and a psychological counsellor by profession, recollects her whole journey of the pageant, saying, “Being a married woman and mother of two, participating in such an event was a challenging one.

Representing your country at an international level was a pride and involved a lot of hard work and huge responsibilities. Getting back in shape, taking care of the diet and exercise took a lot of efforts.” “Beauty pageants have always been associated with a cause. I have been working towards educating girl children and remain to do so even now. As a psychological counsellor I worked with a rehabilitation centre which works for the destitute and street children in Hyderabad.

Besides that I also work for breast cancer patients. So working with such causes always gives an immense feeling that you are doing something for the society. Being a married woman, fulfilling your dreams and taking such responsibilities is surely a challenge but it totally depends on you,” says Amita. Mansi Gulati, who has trained various celebrities and beauty pageant participants across the country, is all set to compete in the semi-finals of Mrs Asia International India 2015.

The city-based face yoga expert says, “I feel fortunate to get into the semi-finals. I always believed that one should dream big and strive to achieve big to move forward confidently even after marriage”. She adds, “After having a baby at the age of 18, the toughest challenge was to balance both personal and professional life. My self-confidence and courage is the only reason which paved path in inching up the ladder of my ambitions.”

By:Meenakshi Sengupta