Tough road to the top
Poised and articulate, ivacious, Amanda Rathnayake took the crown of Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe 2013 at a hotly contested finale at the Mount Lavinia Hotel on September 14. Singer Nathan Eardly set the stage and the girls were introduced to the audience, each making their entrance with a touch of their own style. They appeared in swimwear and evening gowns giving the audience a chance to pick their favourites while performances by Melissa Perera, Voice Print and Nathan kept the entertainment on a high.
Shevindri Manuel on the ramp in the swim wear category
As the mini titles were announced, Denushka Weeraperuma won the Miss Popularity award, Simerene Rabot won the title of Miss Glowing Skin and Miss Beautiful Figure while Kristina Palliyaguruge won Miss Photogenic. Amanda Rathnayake walked away with the Miss Personality award and Best evening wear award as well.
Sabrina Herft, last year’s Miss Sri Lanka made the customary final appearance as Queen and in her brief address, advised the girls to never give up on their dreams.
And then it was the time when months of anticipation reached a climax. As the suspense mounted, it was 23-year-old Amanda Rathnayake who claimed the crown as the new Miss Sri Lanka. Simerene Rabot was the first runner-up and Kristina Palliyaguruge was crowned the second runner-up. Amanda will represent Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Moscow.
The judges were acclaimed film director Chandran Rutnam, Associate of Trinity College London Ramali Wijewardene, Founder of Colombo Fashion Week Ajai Singh, hairstylist and beautician Ramani Fernando and educator and Global Strategy Leadership Award winner Ravi Fernando.
Two days seems a short time, but Amanda does not seem to have any trouble settling in to her role as she met the Sunday Times for a post- event interview on Monday. Her personality and confidence were mirrored in her speech as she introduced herself as a businesswoman – she owns a travel company and is ardently promoting responsible tourism.“ I entered the pageant to show people that Sri Lanka is a place worthy of their time and money, and I want to promote tourism but also find ways to make it a sustainable industry,” she said.
Yet it has not been an easy road to the top. Although Amanda did not speak of it until very late in the competition, she shared that her progress to the crown had been a rather emotional one. Her father was battling cancer and he passed away a few weeks earlier. “I wish my father had lived longer to see me win the title,” she says.
Acknowledging that emotionally, it was very hard for her, she reflects that being positive helped her cope. “I chose to be positive. I know my problems are not as significant as things certain other people go through. I’m the kind of person who leaves my mindset behind when I walk out of a particular place. When I’m at training, all I think about is the pageant and doing well.”
“I am very thankful for my circumstances and opportunities.” Talking about the pageant itself, Amanda admitted that the training was tough. “Training sessions were in the evening, and I did find it challenging because I lived out of Colombo, but I had a great support team. My friends, family and my sister made it a whole lot easier. I looked forward to the training sessions, gruelling though they were because the other girls made it fun. I enjoyed their company immensely,” she said.
A past student of Lyceum International Wattala, she is also working towards completing a degree in Economics. “I studied in the States, but I’m continuing my education online” she explained.
Amanda who listens to soft reggae and Hindi music in her spare time, likes reading and writing poetry and describes her fashion sense as “classy chic, and sometimes girly”. Colours like lime green, black and burnt orange appeal to her she adds.
Empowering young people is something Amanda wants to do and encouraging meditation at school level, she sees as a way forward. She practises what she advocates and urges young women to never give up, and to stay positive through any and every circumstance. “Stick to your goals, problems are merely obstacles that you have to get through by being strong and positive. And most importantly, always do what you see yourself doing, not what someone else wants for you.”