Miss Universe Barbados Meghan Theobalds is heading to Thailand on a mission – to bring home that Miss Universe Crown.
It’s been just past a week since her coronation and the “queen” is already in training, getting herself in tip-top shape for Thailand.
“Training has begun and I’m trying to prepare myself for everything. I’m looking forward to getting that crown, we are going for it. I want to do my best so I can represent my country well, and if that means the crown, it means just that. I want to make my country and the organisers of the competition proud,” she said.
Outside of that, the travel enthusiast is ready to explore a new continent, adding another to her already expansive list.
“I’m looking forward to eating the food and experiencing the culture because I’ve never been to Asia. So being on a whole other continent sounds pretty amazing to me,” she said with a chuckle.
But while she is preparing for the experience of a lifetime, Meghan said she is still trying to get used to the fact the she is now a “public figure”.
“People recognise me a lot more now. People are actually stopping me and asking for photos. So it’s a unique experience so far,” Meghan said, while shaking her head.
“It has started to settle in, but I am still a bit shocked that I’m now a queen. I’m definitely excited for what is to come. We have a lot of things planned and I’m looking forward to everything,” she said.
Her family is equally as excited as she is.
“When I entered Miss Universe Barbados, my mum was all for it. She is so fussy; she is posting it all over social media . . . . She now refers to herself as ‘the Queen’s mother’. My stepdad is extremely proud as well. As a family it’s been a really good experience for us,” she added.
But how exactly did this shy, down-to-earth Christ Church native get to the point of holding one of the most prestigious pageant titles in the island?
Meghan said it took some convincing, but was glad she decided on it in the end.
“I modelled twice at BMEX but I didn’t think pageants were for me. I never thought the stage was for someone who was shy. One of the casting judges approached me and asked me if I would be interested and initially I said no, because I didn’t think it was for me.
“But the more I thought about it, I said, ‘You know what, I’m looking to do something new, so why not?’ I had travelled and I’d lived abroad and I thought about it and realised I could gain so much from this experience in terms of bettering myself and helping others become better versions of themselves,” she explained.
And the pageant was the experience of a lifetime for the 26-year-old.
During an interview at her lovely home, Meghan said she gained friendships she was sure would last forever.
“The girls have been lovely. They are like my pageant sisters, I have eight new friends. Together, we have leaned on each other, we have supported each other, cheered each other on . . . . It was such a good blend of personalities,” she added.
Besides all the fun she had and the connections made, Meghan said she also learnt some valuable lessons.
“I’ve learnt that positive affirmations work. It’s a challenging experience but it pushes you. It challenges you to be the best version of yourself. But to do that you have to reveal some weaknesses, make yourself vulnerable. Sometimes you may doubt the process and doubt yourself, but I’ve learnt that looking in the mirror smiling and saying ‘I can do this, I got this’ actually works. So it puts you in a better mindset.
“Overcoming self-doubt was probably the toughest thing. You had one or two bad days where you ask yourself if you are good enough. So it’s pushing past that and just continuing the momentum,” she said.
Apart from the upcoming pageant, Meghan, who holds a bachelors degree in marketing and French from Western University in Canada, is looking to continually climb the corporate ladder, proving that she’s both beauty and brains.
“I know for sure I want to be in a position where I’m making decisions. I also want to get to the top so I can help other girls join me at the top. I don’t have a specific career path but I want to keep making decisions that will take me higher and put me in the right field,” she said.
At present, she’s an account representative at Gildan, a company she said she was truly appreciative to.
“I work in customer service. They have been truly supportive of this journey. I will be going on a sabbatical just until after the show in December. They’ve been surrounding me with so much love, something I didn’t expect from such a large company and that’s something I don’t take for granted at all,” she said thankfully.
The new queen advised anyone thinking about entering the pageant to go for it.
“Listen to your gut and if your gut is telling you to do it, go ahead – especially the Miss Universe Barbados pageant. It’s so well organised and you can feel that they want only what’s best for you. You will only leave that process better and having learnt something about yourself,” she said.
