Interview with Renisha S Dornelly – Miss Caribbean U.K. 2019 Finalist

Firstly thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions about your pageant journey for my pageant lockdown blog it’s lovely getting to know fellow pageant queens and more about the different systems.

What made you enter pageants ?

I decided to enter pageants as it was a way for me to grow in confidence, self-esteem and self-worth as well as having fun. Also as I have been on the curvy side and I recently fell in love with my curves, I thought this would be the perfect way to portray that everyone no matter their shape, height or nationality has a chance at making a difference. It is all about you and what you want to showcase to the world around you.

Miss Caribbean U.K. 2019 was your first pageant are you planning on competing again ?

Yes, Miss Caribbean Uk 2019 was my first pageant. I am thinking about applying for more pageants.

What made you decide to compete in Miss Caribbean U.K. 2019 ?

I decided to compete in Miss Caribbean Uk 2019, as it was a way of me expressing myself and everything my home island of St.Lucia has to offer! I felt it was the perfect opportunity for me to mix with like-minded and courageous individuals who not only shared a common background of the Caribbean with me but who also lacked in confidence which was the best thing ever as all we did was encourage, push and hype up each other…quite lIterally. I can definitely say that I leant a lot more about the different Caribbean counties and heritage and I gained a sisterhood.

What the best thing that pageants have taught you?

The best thing pageants have taught me is that I was not alone. I was not the only individual who lacked in confidence and self-esteem. Doing pageants has also taught me that whatever I want to do in life, wherever I want to go, I should always push myself and get to that point.

I mean everyone enters pageants in hope that they could win the title or the subtitles like ‘Miss personality’ or ‘Miss fitness’ but, it felt different for me. Of course winning either of those titles would have been a plus however the fact that I overcame my fear of dancing on stage and talking in front of a huge audience AND also gaining that sisterhood was more than I could ever ask for.

What’s the best advice you have for fellow pageant queens ?

One piece of advice I have for fellow pageants queens is to believe in yourself and your talents. Yes it can be daunting at first but as soon as you get in the zone, you forget about any nerves and to just HAVE FUN.

What makes a good pageant role model ?

Being a good pageant role model means having enough confidence to want to change society around you. You need to be happy and accepting within yourself!

What’s your favourite pageant round ?

During the night of Miss Caribbean Uk 2019, my favourite was the Carnival round. Firstly because we all looked stunning and secondly because I love carnival and dancing in general. The song I was introduced using was a song I love and always listened to so that was just amazing. Being able to get into spirit even before the night had began and I would say that my confidence shone most here. I entered the stage nervously dancing but ended on a high note !

Thank you so much for answering my questions about your experience at Miss Caribbean U.K. 2019, I hope to see you on stage competing again soon. Much love Charlotte, Ms Diamond South Yorkshire 2020.