Seventeen-year-old Cristol Wilson, who was crowned 'Miss Jamaica Independence 2004' on Saturday, July 31.
- Contributed
Alicia Roache, Staff ReporterMOST BEAUTY queens express surprise when they emerge as winners.
Moments after the coronation of Miss Jamaica Independence 2004 on Saturday, July 31, 17-year-old Cristol Wilson joined the pack of the astonished.
Since then, that initial shock has given way to a more focused response. "I entered the competition to win. I had a lot of confidence in myself and I feel accomplished that I won," Cristol said recently when The Sunday Gleaner spoke to her. "I'm looking forward to enter the Miss Jamaica World," she continued.
That competition, however, will have to wait for a few more years, or at least until she finishes sixth form, she explained.
Cristol distinguished herself from 11 other women, among them 22-year-old Gracie-Ann Watson, 'Miss Jamaica Heritage', (second) and 18-year-old Natalie Nomdar Khom, 'Miss Jamaica Culture', (third).
Carol Taylor, pageant co-ordinator, said "Cristol showed a kind of poise and charm; her co-ordination was very good.. She did not hesitate to project herself during the pageant. She was quite intelligent, very knowledgeable about Jamaica, about current affairs. She's always standing out. There was always something different about her when she stepped out there."
SECTIONAL PRIZES
In addition to being adjudged the overall winner, Cristol also won three sectional prizes, namely 'Best Legs'; 'Best Presentation' and 'Most Aware'. She was also given mention for the 'Best Gown' and as the 'Most Photogenic' contestant.
Despite the obvious emphasis placed on physical beauty, Cristol believes that other aspects of the competition
balance it and make it more
than a 'beauty contest'. She argues that the competition is
not a superficial one.
"In the 'Miss Jamaica Independence', you have to be knowledgeable about Jamaica and the Caribbean. The contestants are judged on talent, judged on poise, charm and the way they carry themselves," she said. "Contestants can
benefit from the competition by gaining self-confidence and self-esteem and she gets a chance to showcase her talent in front of an audience."
Cristol's talent piece was an original poem extolling the virtues of the Independent Woman. It reads in part:
An independent woman is
one of God's greatest
creations/she holds on to
her own personality/doesn't
follow the crowd, doesn't lack individuality....
She does have a role model, however, former beauty queen Cindy Breakspeare.
"She inspires me because she went out and represented Jamaica to the best of her ability and she won the 'Miss World' title in 1976, the 'Miss Jamaica Body Beautiful' and the 'Miss Universe' title, all in the same year," Cristol says. Like her role model, Cristol is also a former 'body beautiful' contestant. She placed second in the 'Miss Jamaica Surrey Body Fitness' in 2003 and the 'Miss Jamaica Body Fitness' in 2004.
CRISTOL'S ROLE
For now, Cristol will focus on her role as 'Miss Jamaica Independence', a role which, like the Festival Queen Competition, focuses heavily on community involvement. Cristol says that as 'Miss Jamaica Independence' she will work with different charities, such as the Musgrave Girls Home, give motivational speeches to young people,
and help raise funds for street children.
The latter project, she says, will involve close interaction with these street children, through which she hopes to write a story to be published in The Gleaner.
Even with the year-long task ahead of her, Cristol is enjoying the life of the beauty queen. "It's been great," she says of her experiences since winning the title. "I had a chance to meet a lot of people in Parliament, entertainers like Third World, and so on, and I've been to a lot of events." It certainly has not been all fun, as some of those meetings, as well as upcoming ones, have been with the aim of gaining support for her projects, she says.
INFLUENCE
The 5'5', 120-lb Cristol lives in Greater Portmore with her mother and three siblings. Her mother's influence on her life is noted. "She always tells me to have confidence in myself and she always tells me to go out there and be the best that I can be," the queen said.
Cristol's charge to other young girls echoes her mother's to her. "Believe in themselves and don't let anybody tag them... Just believe in God and believe in their dreams," she says. For the rest of the society, Cristol has a special word. "On a day to day basis, try and help people who are less fortunate. Smile, because if you smile the world smiles back at you," she advised.
