Patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng New York Police Department (NYPD) tungkol pagkamatay ni Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst noong January 30, 2022.
Tumalon si Cheslie na mula sa tinitirhan nitong high-rise condominium building sa New York. Ayon sa police sources, nag-iwan siya ng suicide note sa kanyang computer.
Binigla ng 30-year-old lawyer ang kanyang pamilya, mga kaibigan, at ang pageant community dahil sa desisyon niyang wakasan ang sariling buhay sa edad na 30.
Read: Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst dies at 30
Hindi makapaniwala ang mga nagmamahal kay Cheslie na may mga pinagdaraanan ito dahil masayahin siyang tao.
Pero sa artikulo na kanyang isinulat noong March 4, 2021 para sa Allure, may mga pahiwatig ang pumanaw na beauty queen tungkol sa edad na 30 na tila kinatatakutan niyang dumating.
Bahagi ng isinulat ni Cheslie: “Each time I say, 'I’m turning 30,' I cringe a little. Sometimes I can successfully mask this uncomfortable response with excitement; other times, my enthusiasm feels hollow, like bad acting.
“Society has never been kind to those growing old, especially women. (Occasional exceptions are made for some of the rich and a few of the famous.) When I was crowned Miss USA 2019 at 28 years old, I was the oldest woman in history to win the title, a designation even the sparkling $200,000 pearl-and-diamond Mikimoto crown could barely brighten for some diehard pageant fans who immediately began to petition for the age limit to be lowered.
“A grinning, crinkly-eyed glance at my achievements thus far makes me giddy about laying the groundwork for more, but turning 30 feels like a cold reminder that I’m running out of time to matter in society’s eyes — and it’s infuriating.
“After a year like 2020, you would think we’d learned that growing old is a treasure and maturity is a gift not everyone gets to enjoy.
“Far too many of us allow ourselves to be measured by a standard that some sternly refuse to challenge and others simply acquiesce to because fitting in and going with the flow is easier than rowing against the current. I fought this fight before and it’s the battle I’m currently fighting with 30.
“How do I shake society’s unwavering norms when I’m facing the relentless tick of time? It’s the age-old question: What happens when “immovable” meets “unstoppable”?
“Now, I enter year 30 searching for joy and purpose on my own terms — and that feels like my own sweet victory.”
Sa journalism, “30” ang code word para sa katapusan (the end at no more) ng mga artikulo ng mga reporter.
Kaya nakapangingilabot isipin na tulad ng 30 code word, tila sinadya ni Cheslie na wakasan ang buhay nito sa murang edad na 30 sa ika-tatlumpong araw ng Enero 2022 dahil may isyu siya sa numero 30.
Postscript: Gumawa si Cheslie ng kasaysayan sa Miss USA dahil sa edad na 28, siya ang itinuturing na pinakamatanda sa lahat ng mga kandidatang nanalo ng naturang korona.
Kinikilala rin ng Miss USA Organization si Cheslie bilang Miss USA na pinakamatagal ang reign (557 days). Natagalan ang pagsasalin ni Cheslie ng korona sa kanyang successor nang ma-postpone ang Miss USA 2020 pageant dahil sa coronavirus pandemic.