KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: – Grenadian national Asheida Charles defeated eight other delegates from the Caribbean and South America to be crowned Miss Carival 2009 (Miss Caribbean Carnival), her third beauty pageant win, Friday night.
Charles, who turns 24 in August, also got the judges nod in the talent and interview segments of the show.
Her talent was a comical monologue in which she spoke of many of the socio-political, socio-economic, and other issues in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Charles said in an interview that she is a “dramatic person” and that the talent piece was written by Gideon Walters whose Vincentian friends told him of the issues of concern to them.
“So, all I had to do was to execute, and execute properly,” Charles said.
In the interview segment, Charles was asked about her interest in business and the impact of the global economic crisis on Grenada.
She said that the Spice Isle had been affected “tremendously” because the economy depends heavily on tourism.
She said that visitor arrivals had fallen by 20 percent and that that has hindered the development of important sectors
of the country.
Charles said that the economic fallout has caused Grenadians to be more self reliant, “eating what we grow and growing what we eat”.
She told I Witness-News that winning the pageant “feels great. I think it was an extraordinary experience and it is just a great feeling.”
She said that before the results, she was confident that she had won the show even though she knew it was a competitive one.
Her confidence soared after her talent performance, at which point, Charles said, she realized she had become the crowd’s favourite.
Charles, who is majoring at marketing at St. George’s University in Grenada, said that in addition to her studies, she will now focus on her reign as Miss Grenada carnival 2008 and hopefully Miss Grenada 2009 and also Miss Carival 2009.
She said Miss Carival was the most prestigious beauty pageant in Caribbean and that she will use her reign to influence others to participate in beauty pageants.
“…Because this is the seventh pageant that I have participated in and it has given me the self confidence and self esteem that I need to always come on stage and perform to the best of my ability. So I will encourage young people to participate as well. The only thing you can so is your best,” she said.
First runner-up was Miss Antigua and Barbuda Derri-Ann Browne, also a student, who also won the Evening Wear and Most Community-Spirited titles. Only the evening wear segment was judged as part of the show.
Miss St. Kitts and Nevis Samantha Boone was Second Runner up.
Miss St. Lucia Cathy Daniel won the Best Swimwear, Miss Photogenic and Miss Congeniality titles, the latter two of which were not judged as part of the competition.
Miss Carival 2009 will receive US$4, 300 and gifts.
The Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and, St. Vincent and the Grenadines were also represented at the pageant.
View select photos from the show here.
View the entire photo gallery here.