The Sash Factor: Eco-Queens with a Purpose

(Photo courtesy of the writer)

The 20th Edition of Miss Earth 2020 was certainly not your traditional coronation. Carousel Productions, the organization behind Miss Earth, opted for a virtual ceremony last November 29, 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic across the countries. The competition began on September 21, 2020 with 84 candidates vying for the much-coveted title. 

All 84 candidates were split into four continental groups: Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania, and Europe. This 20th Edition was historical as it was the first virtual staging of any pageant in the world. It was a wise decision not to skip this year’s search. It gave Miss Earth further credibility and that even in the midst of a crisis, it was resilient, and it was able to cope with the challenges through the creative use of technology. It was able to promote its environmental campaign to the fullest; they shouldered on with their mission to inspire people across the world with their environmental platforms. 

The two-month long series of online pre-pageant events gave netizens in-depth insights on each delegate. It gave netizens the opportunity to get to know the candidates even better through the daily various activities which ranged from updates on environmental issues during a pandemic, to “Earth Talk” discussions, to featuring each candidates’ culture and their countries’ famous landmarks, to showcasing their talents, their beauty through fashion, and fitness. The candidates competed in the following categories: Talent, Evening Gown, Swimsuit, Sports Wear, Earth Talk, National Costume, and Interview.

What sets Miss Earth apart from the other beauty pageants is its core values: promoting social responsibility, conservation, and environmental awareness. It’s more than celebrating beauty and culture — it’s about participants doing their bit to make Earth a better home for everyone. Compared to other pageants, it has a lot more to offer. It addresses issues that affect us on a daily basis: climate change, growing global population, environmental destruction, and climate disasters. It highlights solutions to these environmental challenges. It educates us on the importance of the 5R’s: rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, and respect.

It’s an extremely “woke” pageant. It’s relevant and timely. It’s relatable. It’s not out of this world. It’s about the earth that we call home and how best we can protect it for our grandchildren to enjoy. It’s a major and global pageant that is proudly made in the Philippines. And yes, Filipinos know a lot about beauty pageants! Now, that’s an understatement. The Philippines, widely considered as a beauty pageant powerhouse, has won in all big four international pageants with a total of 94 placements and 15 victories: four Miss Earth crowns, four Miss Universe crowns, one Miss World crown, and six Miss International crowns. Suffice to say, Filipinos are connoisseurs in the beauty pageants field.

Since its inception in 2001, Miss Earth has grown over the years, with more countries participating each year. In 2003, it became the third biggest international beauty pageant, surpassing the number of candidates of Miss International.

The judges this year certainly did not disappoint! They chose the right winners. This year’s Miss Earth 2020 is Miss Earth USA, Lindsey Marie Coffey. Miss Earth Air 2020 is Miss Earth Venezuela, Stephany Zreik. Miss Earth Water 2020 is Miss Earth Philippines, Roxanne Allison Baeyens (Incidentally, there were actually two Filipinas that competed in this year’s pageant — the other Filipina, Gloren Guelos represented Canada). Miss Earth Fire 2020 is Miss Earth Denmark, Michala Rubinstein. These ladies believed they could, and they did! These four winners dreamt bigger, worked harder, stayed focused, and above all, they were their authentic selves. Let’s get to know them more, shall we?

Miss Earth 2020, Lindsey Marie Coffey.

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

On her background. “My life came with the best of both worlds. I grew up in a small town in the country riding quads and playing sports, while also flourishing through the hustle and bustle of city life from New York to LA. I studied Political Science in university focusing on political behavior from a variety of perspectives as well as looking in-depth at governmental structures.

After university, I spent my time globetrotting visiting remarkable places and meeting even more remarkable people. Through my travels, I gave a piece of my heart to every country I visited, vowing to leave her a little better than how I found her. Now, a world traveler, full-time model, and your new Miss Earth 2020 from the USA, I have been truly blessed.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

What are your advocacies and how are you going to further promote this now that you’ve won? Why is your platform important to you? “It is imperative to focus on the inequality within climate change. We see this inequality in many ways, one being in our global water crisis. Inequalities arise in gender, country, and socio-economic status. It is important to introduce this inequity to create a safe and healthy planet that includes prosperity and justice for all. My title of Miss Earth conveys the message the Miss Earth Organization carried since the beginning. The gift of opportunity has been given to reach out, not only through media, but to connect with some of the best and most brilliant minds in the field of sustainability, collaborating through awareness campaigns, initiatives, webinars, and summits.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome to compete in Miss Earth? “There were multiple obstacles to overcome during the Miss Earth competition such as finding suitable locations to film, connecting with team members, not experiencing a normal pageant, and personally for me, not knowing at all what I was doing! However, the latter came as a blessing. By not knowing what I was supposed to do, it helped relieve some of the pressure. I remained myself throughout the process despite feeling uncertain at times.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

If you could meet (have lunch with) any person in history who would it be and why? “I honestly do not like these questions; they are too hard! There are many people I wish to meet with. In random order, I would love to sit down with Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Hawking, and Jesus.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He abolished slavery, preserved the federal government, and modernized the US economy. To sit down and speak of his achievements would be enlightening.

Secondly, Stephen Hawking because I love quantum and theoretical physics and want to further discuss his theory of the laws of the black hole and the multiverse. Lastly, Jesus because…IT’S JESUS.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

What are your flaws and weaknesses and how do you deal with these? “I am very stubborn, I often doubt myself, and I am too hypercritical of myself. It is exceedingly difficult to overcome your bad habits but being self aware is the first step. When I am in that mentality, I acknowledge my mental state and ask myself what triggered the thought or feeling. Each moment your flaw arises is another opportunity for you to grow and better yourself. It is important to slow down in the moment and talk yourself through it.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Lindsey Coffey.

If I were Santa, and could grant you any one wish for this Christmas what would that be? “World peace! I know that is the stereotypical beauty queen answer, but it is absolutely true. To elaborate and speak specifically on how this would be obtained, I wish to live in a world filled with the beauty of magic. Imagine life like a Christmas movie, where everyone treats every day like a blessing. With magic, everyone is pure of heart. People live harmoniously with nature and with one another. I would use my magic to create homes for all of the lost puppies, to fill the world with love, and to instantly snap hot chocolate and ice cream sundaes into existence.”

Miss Earth Air 2020, Stephany Zreik. 

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

On her background. Stephany Karina Zreik Torres (born December 25, 1995) is a Venezuelan model, lawyer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Earth Venezuela 2020 and Miss Earth – Air (1st runner-up) in the Miss Earth 2020 pageant. Stephany made history as the first Venezuelan representative to win the Miss Earth Air elemental crown.

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

What are your advocacies and how are you going to further promote this now that you’ve won? Why is your platform important to you? “My advocacy as an ambassador of Miss Earth organization is to make an impact in society and promote sustainability, promote the good use of our resources and sustainable ecotourism. But the most important thing for me is to promote education to people around the world about the 5Rs (rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle and respect). I feel fortunate to be a part of Miss Earth because I will use the Miss Earth platform to promote education and important information about the current situation. I passionately believe this is the best way to create awareness.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome to compete in Miss Earth? “I had many challenges in the Miss Earth competition. First of all, the language, because my native language is Spanish, but I have been learning English because I would like to be an example of perseverance and a role model for other people. Another obstacle was the situation in Venezuela, because we are living in quarantine with a lot of restrictions, and it was really hard for me to make all my social and environmental projects, but we did it!”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

If you could meet (have lunch with) any person in history who would it be and why? “Maybe my answer is a bit strange, but I would like to have a conversation with Jesus Christ, because I think there are still so many things that I need to learn and change to be a better human being, and he is my inspiration.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

What are your flaws and weaknesses and how do you deal with these? “Sometimes I give too much importance to critics, and this affects me, but I battle everyday to be stronger and understand that critics are just opinions, and they don’t define who I am.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Air Stephany Zreik.

If I were Santa, and could grant you any one wish for this Christmas what would that be? “My only wish for this 2020 is that this difficult time of pandemic arrives to an end, and that we can restart being better persons in the society and of course in our environment.”

Miss Earth Water 2020, Roxanne Allison Baeyens.

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens. Her gown was inspired by Darna, the Pinay superhero.

On her background. “I am the daughter of an environmentalist that is why I became aware of nature responsibility as early as 6 years old. Other than being a beauty queen, I am a commercial model and an active volunteer for the Department of Agriculture and DENR. Other than that, I am also an animal lover and have adopted pets and rescued animals. My country has very heart-warming people and I always try to keep the good values of Filipinos that I am most proud of.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens.

What are your advocacies and how are you going to further promote this now that you’ve won? Why is your platform important to you? “My advocacy is Urban Gardening and Agriculture for regreening and food security amidst this pandemic. My Goal is to continue working for the “Plant Plant Plant” program of the government and also help keep the trend of Urban Planting even if restrictions are lifted and everything will be back to normal.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens. Her gown was inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces.

What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome to compete in Miss Earth? “I had to learn to not be afraid of trying new things and challenges. It’s my first time competing for a virtual pageant this year, but I learned to embrace it and do the best I could with the resources available. I constantly remind myself that I could bloom beautifully where I am planted for as long as I believe in myself.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens.

If you could meet (have lunch with) any person in history who would it be and why? “Audrey Hepburn. She is half Belgian like me and she inspires so many women around the world throughout the years; she showed us how we could achieve great things. Audrey showed us that women are capable of anything they set their mind and heart to. She is phenomenal and she is a great example of genuine beauty inside and out.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens.

What are your flaws and weaknesses and how do you deal with these? “My honest weakness is that I am a sleepy head. There were so many times I had to review for the competition, but I fell asleep suddenly. My alarm clock became my best friend and that’s what I used to deal with my weakness.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Water Roxanne Baeyens.

If I were Santa, and could grant you any one wish for this Christmas what would that be? “If anything magical, it would have to be a restart button for nature where biodiversity loss and heartbreaking destruction have not existed.”

Miss Earth Fire 2020, Michala Rubinstein.

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

On her background. “I grew up in the suburbs north of Copenhagen in a small town surrounded by forests and lakes. I studied acting from early childhood and got my acting degree in New York. Currently, I work as an actress and a model in Copenhagen. I am also an environmentalist and I speak up about our environmental and climatic issues, and also how to prevent bullying at elementary schools.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

What are your advocacies and how are you going to further promote this now that you’ve won? Why is your platform important to you? “I chose to focus on two of the UN’s 17 envision goals, which is mental health and environmental well being for all as well as responsible consumption and production.  For generations we have exhausted our soil, nature and natural resources. We are now facing the consequences. Our ecosystems are dying, and as a result we are losing our biodiversity. This is the biggest crisis we have ever faced in today’s modern society. I’m extremely privileged to have been given a platform to promote the issues that we face, but more than that I want to be active with people, invite everyone to have a debate, where we can educate each other and also come up with new solutions. We need the next generation to be active, innovative and passionate about our planet. Right now, I’m planning on visiting elementary schools to talk about bullying and how we can prevent it by making active, hands-on programs that involve the children in a dynamic, unique and innovative way. Many bullying programs focus solely on bullying itself as an act. Bullying isn’t always obvious or “loud” I think we need to focus more on preventing bullying and highlighting acceptance, friendship and unity amongst the children. We need to teach children the benefits of being different and unique as you are, without the pressure to fit into a socially accepted box.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome to compete in Miss Earth? “I entered the competition late, so right from the start I was behind on all the necessary materials to submit. I had to do everything within two weeks, which meant we had a new shoot everyday. It was a fun, exciting, exhausting and exhilarating time. Unfortunately, my manager had to leave after only two weeks. Having never been in a pageant before, I was completely in the dark. It was a learn as you go type of situation, which I’m so thankful for today because these past months made me grow so much. I had to read up on environmental material, read articles, watch documentaries and educate myself on specific and scientific topics in only a matter of weeks. Find gowns and costumes, schedule shoots and find makeup artists and also direct the shoots. I also learned to cut the material and watch as the videos came together. I was directing, coordinating, managing, co-editing and cutting and modeling in everything. It gave me a lot of creative power when it came to my finale shoots. As a model and actress, I have only really worked in front of the camera. Being forced to act in so many different roles made me grow in a completely new way and gave me so many amazing new tools and skills I can use in my career going forward.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

If you could meet (have lunch with) any person in history who would it be and why? “That is such a tough question to answer, there’s so many people I’d love to have lunch and a chat with. I always look for inspiration everywhere I go, and constantly find beauty and wisdom in different places and people. Being in the showbiz field, I’m, of course, heavily inspired by the music and acting industry. I would love to have lunch with Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie or Michael Jackson.  All of them are icons in their own rights, and all of them talented beyond belief. I never get tired of watching and listening to their work and find new details every time I rewatch or re-listen to a movie or song they have done. They inspire me and give me light when I’m in difficult places in my life.  All of them are also amazing humanitarians, which is what drew me to them in the first place. I feel very connected to people who dare to be vulnerable and show their heart. They are extremely passionate and loving of our planet, and human kind and all ahead of their time. And all of them used their platform to do better and give donations to different charities from the money they earn. They all are very hands on in their environmental and humanitarian work and travel to meet and help people all over the world, which is something I always wanted to do. I think they are all amazing role models and icons that have influenced the world greatly.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

What are your flaws and weaknesses and how do you deal with these? “I’m extremely passionate about what I do, but I’m also a very black and white person, it’s always either / or with me. When I do something, I have to give it a 120% or I don’t want to do it at all. In that way I can be very stubborn. When I start something and I have made the decision to give it my all, there’s nothing to persuade me to give up no matter how many obstacles. Which I guess can also be a good thing when meeting adversity in your life or career. It makes me pull through, even when I go through difficult times in my personal life, and I find relief and healing in my work. I’m also a perfectionist, which means I’m never truly satisfied with my own work and I’m my own worst critic! I expect a lot from myself, and if I know something fails or I made a mistake, I’m always disappointed in myself even if everyone tells me I did great.”

Photo courtesy of Miss Earth Fire Michala Rubinstein.

If I were Santa, and could grant you any one wish for this Christmas what would that be? “If I could get one wish, it would be for every single person to look in the mirror and take a look at themselves.  Ask yourself how you can change, and what you’re currently doing to better our world. Are you doing the absolute best you can?  We are often too quick to lay the blame, for everything that goes wrong in our world, elsewhere. I wish for everyone to see the consequences and effect mankind has had on our planet, our oceans, our forests, our animals, and our earth with their own eyes; to see people suffering in countries less fortunate than their own; to be grateful for what we have, and the need to make a change so everyone can have the same childhood, and possibilities as we have. Fight for our rights, for equality, for our nature and for our very existence in symbiosis with this world, that we have been given; to have compassion for every living being. And of course, for an end to this devastating pandemic, that has already ended too many lives, and forever changed even more.”

There you have it, folks — these four winners have the sash factor. These Eco-Queens give a new and deeper meaning to the title, Beauty Queens — a title comes with great responsibility and a real purpose. They define beauty based on their attitude, their behaviours, their actions, and their deep-rooted commitment to Mother Earth. Hail, Long Live the Eco-Queens!