Handang-handa na ang pambato ng Pilipinas na si Celeste Cortesi sa nalalapit na grand coronation ng Miss Universe 2022.
Isa sa kanyang pinanghahawakan ang misyong makapagbigay ng inspirasyon hindi lang sa kapwa niya kababaihan kundi para sa lahat.
Read: Celeste Cortesi arrives at Miss Universe 2022 in stunning red OOTD
Sa exclusive interview ni Celeste sa pageant analyst-vlogger na si Brian Javier, ibinahagi ng Filipino-Italian beauty queen ang kanyang nais iparating sa buong universe.
Ayon kay Celeste, mahirap maging beauty queen lalo na't ang tingin ng karamihan sa mga kagaya niya ay perpekto at hindi nagkakamali.
Ang stigma raw na ito ang gusto niyang buwagin sa pamamagitan ng pagbabahagi ng kanyang mga pinagdaanan at karanasan bago siya hiranging Miss Universe Philippines 2022.
Saad ni Celeste, "You know, I always believe that there is the stigma around beauty queens and not because of what we want to project, but because of the fans making this kind of stigma.
"Like, beauty queens have to be perfect, they have to dress in a certain way, that they have to talk in a certain way. It looks they cannot make mistakes, and they are perfect.
"But my message, like what I said earlier, that beauty queens are not perfect. We are human beings, we make mistakes and that's okay.
"We can still be vulnerable and, you know, I always believe that the beauty queen or Miss Universe should be authentic, you should be real, you should be able to inspire people and relate to people.
"And what I'm bringing in this Miss Universe journey is really my transformation of my journey."
Read: Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi recounts experience visiting Marawi City
Bago pumasok sa mundo ng pageantry, aminado si Celeste na marami siyang hindi nalalaman.
Buong puso raw niya itong hinanap, pinag-aralan, at ginugulan ng panahon dahil sa kagustuhang maabot ang kanyang inaasam na pangarap.
Read: Celeste Cortesi reveals why she does not have a college degree yet
Ito raw ang mga bagay na gusto niyang ibahagi at ituro sa iba.
Sabi ni Celeste, "You know, I started from zero, I started not knowing how to speak English.
"I started not knowing about the Philippines, but now I'm representing my country."
Noon pa man ay very vocal si Celeste sa pagsasabing wala siyang gaanong alam sa Pilipinas dahil siya ay lumaki sa Italy. Kahit na tubong-Bicol pa ang kanyang ina na si Maria Luisa Rabimbi.
Aniya, "I would hope that people would look at my transformation and be inspired by it because there are no limits in this life. You can get and achieve anything you want as long as you're passionate enough, as long as you focus on your mission and vission."
Dagdag pa niya, "You can do it all."
Read: Celeste Cortesi, may sagot na sa tanong kung bakit siya ang dapat maging next Miss Universe
Gaganapin ang grand coronation ng Miss Universe 2022 sa Ernest N Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, sa January 14, 2023 (January 15, 2023 sa Pilipinas).
Susubukan ni Celeste na masungkit ng Pilipinas ang ika-limang korona at titulong Miss Universe.
Sina Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran-Floirendo (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), at Catriona Gray (2018) ang apat na Pinay beauty queens na nauna nang nag-uwi ng Miss Universe crown sa bansa.