Merin John Proves That Married

Women Can Too Walk The Ramp and Win

Marriage is not a barrier to participate in pageants. Many pageants welcome married women as contestants and provide them with the opportunity to showcase their beauty, talent, and achievements, providing them with a platform to showcase their individuality and to make a positive impact in their communities. Married women can participate in pageants that specifically cater to them. In addition to physical beauty, these pageants also place a strong emphasis on the character, personality, and achievements of the contestants. By participating in these pageants, married women have the opportunity to gain confidence, make new friends, and develop new skills.

Merin John, the title winner of Mrs South India even after being a married working woman overcame all the obstacles and followed her dream to achieve her goals. Let's know more about her win and future plans.

Many people think pageantry is just about style and makeup. What’s your take on this?

Pageantry is about more than just style and makeup. Beauty pageants have certainly changed a lot over years. Physical appearance and grooming are some of the important aspects of the competition. A beauty queen is crowned based on various aspects including personality, confidence, talent, intelligence, and many more. Pageantry not only helps to showcase the abilities and personalities of the contestants, but it also promotes self-confidence and personal growth.

How do you handle the fame that has come after becoming the title winner of Mrs South India?

Being in the limelight is always a dream for many. However, we should not forget who we are. We need to stay grounded. It's important to remember that the title is something that we achieved but it should not change one's core values. Physical and mental self-care is essential to handle the stress and demands of the title. So, we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I should prepare myself to absorb judgment and criticism. Speak and act responsibly. Do good for the community or society whenever I get a chance, learn from my mistakes, continue to grow, and make everyone proud again. Who is your role model and why?

There are a lot of inspiring people around us. My mum and dad are my biggest inspiration. I believe that patience in me is an inherited trait from my mother. Her unconditional love, patience, and multitasking are important qualities that I always admire. And my dad for his willpower and hard work. What I or my family is today is all because of him. When it comes to such qualities or characters, I always look up to them. However, I do admire a lot of other personalities too for what they are and what they do. And I always try to maintain my individuality by being unique. I don’t like to copy others, but I do respect and appreciate others for their unique qualities too. I try every day to be a better version of myself so that I can be an inspiration to others. Explain the biggest obstacle you have faced in your pageant career so far. How did you overcome it?

In my opinion, most limitations and obstacles are self-imposed. I always dreamt of winning a crown, but I was always skeptical about it. Self-doubt and lack of confidence can always be the main reasons. Another important factor is the lack of awareness and support from our family or loved ones. We are answerable for a lot of queries for which we don’t have clarity. People have a lot of negative notions about the pageant or any such entertainment field. There are mainly negatives that stand out more than positive things. These can negatively affect us leaving us blank and not letting us take a decision. After my marriage, I discussed the same with my husband, Nikhil who stood like a pillar with me to chase my dreams. His motivation and encouragement gave wings to my dreams and boosted my confidence to go ahead and participate in beauty contests. I also started to explore more about pageants and approached people who had already been a part of it, and it made me realize that if others can do it then even I can. During my first pageant, my entire family was happy to see me competing for the crown with many potential women.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

Finding a reliable modeling agency will undoubtedly increase your chances of success in this competi- tive industry. Try to maintain discipline in your modeling career by keeping up a healthy lifestyle and taking care of your personality. Try to balance your professional and personal life. Networking is another important aspect of the industry so connect with professional photographers, agents, etc., to build your profession or passion. Avoid taking rejection personally and see it as a chance to learn and develop. Be mentally prepared for a lot of rejection and do not take it personally instead use it as an opportunity to grow and improve. Confidence is a vital factor that you need to have in the modeling industry which will help you to overcome any obstacles you may face. So be unique and embrace your individuality which will make you stand out from the crowd. Above all, maintain your physical and mental health which is highly essential no matter where you go or what you do.

NASA just had their first all-women spacewalk. What does this mean for women in STEM?

The first all-women spacewalk by NASA is an important milestone for women in STEM. This great achievement showcases the capabilities of women, and this will be an inspiration for future generations of women who aspire to pursue careers in STEM. By doing this, NASA is breaking down the barriers and promoting gender equality in these fields. I would consider this as a positive step forward for women in STEM and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of promoting diversity and equality in these fields. It will also set an example for various other organizations and industries demonstrating the benefits of encouraging inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. Do you believe contestants should be coached for pageantry?

It is a matter of personal choice and depends on several factors, such as the goals and motivations of the contestant, the type of pageant, and the resources available. Some contestants may prefer to hire a coach for guidance on various aspects of the competition, such as interview skills, public speaking, and stage presence, as well as for support and encouragement throughout the process. The choice of whether or not to receive coaching is ultimately a personal one that should be based on what will best enable the contestant to achieve their objectives and feel confident and prepared on stage. If you are confident and believe that you can do it all by yourself then you need not depend on a coach however if someone feels like having guidance will help them, they can go for it. When you get into international, or any level of pageants competition would be high so you should be prepared enough to compete and stand out from the rest of the contestants to win the title.

What are your future plans?

If God willing, I will be competing for the upcoming levels and working hard to achieve my goals. I love modeling, acting, and dancing so I will keep trying to get into these fields and mark my presence there. And not just my development, I would want to empower and inspire a lot of high-potential women who face an obstacle to come out and showcase their talent. I will be approachable to such people who would require a helping hand at any stage. What have you learnt from pageantry and do express your experience with Pegasus?

Honestly, I had a lot of learning from it. Pageantry helps you to boost your confidence and self-esteem. We will understand the importance of punctuality, discipline, and mental and physical health. I met a lot of people from different places with unique mindsets and experiences and some of them tend to become our close friends. We need to be well prepared no matter what because there can be always others who are more prepared than us. So, the competition is always high. We will learn more about sharing and caring. Need to maintain calm and work under pressure. We need to be more focused on our goal and nothing should divert our mind and even if it does, we need to have control over our mind. Prepare your mind and body to accept the results whatever they may be. What we expect might not happen all the time. Luck does play an important role most of the time. So do your best and leave the rest to God.

This is my second pageant experience with Pegasus. It was a good experience being a part of the Pegasus family. I am happy to have started my pageant career with Pegasus. Their professionalism and transparency are commendable. As a responsible organization, they do abide by the rules and regulations and intimate the contestants with every minute of information. They are very much approachable especially, Jebitha madam, Ajit sir, groomers, and the entire crew. I would like to thank Pegasus for organizing such events which give an opportunity to all married women to showcase their talent. We all felt like a family. How did you prepare for this pageant?

Being a married working woman, I do have a lot of responsibilities, and managing my professional and personal life itself is a huge task. So, carrying my passion also along with my other responsibilities is challenging. To be honest, I could not prepare much for Mrs South India. My plan kept prolonging and when the event was getting closer, I got tensed and even was skeptical if I would be able to go for it. Not just the preparation, I had to even run around a lot to finalize and stitch my garments and accessories. So yeah, it was a lot of tasks towards the end, but my husband did motivate me, and the online and offline grooming sessions helped me to stay focused on my goal. Last-minute preparations have always helped me, and I had put in a lot of effort towards the end to focus on my introduction, walk, effective speaking, judge’s interaction, etc. I tried to calm my mind by praying and visualizing the positive things that can happen which eventually led me to win the title of Mrs. South India 2023. However, I don’t support only last-minute preparation, I would always suggest others come well prepared if you are planning to compete for a title and last-minute preparation is like an add-on

Rajiv Ambat Lifestyle Disorders Coach & Founder - NuvoVivo

About NuvoVivo (www.nuvovivo.com) Rajiv Ambat is the CEO of NuvoVivo, an online health & fitness company that is into medical fitness. He is a well-known speaker and author of the best-selling book - ‘The Midriff Crisis’ and lifestyle expert. Under the guidance of Mr Rajiv, his team at NuvoVivo help their clients manage/reverse lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, fatty liver, uric acid, hypertension, PCOS, thyroid disorders, etc.